Pavement Markings: Balancing Safety, Liability, and Maintenance Budgets

Status: Complete
Report Date: 07/17/2026

Summary:

There are many documents relating to the use of roadway markings on high volume roads. Low volume, low speed roadways are often left unmarked, but not in all cases. On these roadways, the high-volume marking guidance could be considered as “over-engineered. On other roadways, the traffic count may be higher than a low volume roadway and traffic markings are desired. There is a clear need for guidance tailored to roadways with less than 6,000 Average Daily Traffic (ADT) that strikes a balance between safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness—ensuring markings are appropriate without over-painting the pavement.

Project Personnel:

Principal Investigator: Michael Marti

Co-Principal Investigator: Jon Jackels

Technical Liaison: Jon Pratt

Project Coordinator: Briah Carlson

Panel Members:
Ethan Peterson - Traffic Engineering
Joe Gustafson - Washington County Public Works - Engineer
John Hagen - City of Maple Grove
Kenneth Johnson - Traffic Engineering
Lyndon Robjent - Carver County
Mark Vizecky - State Aid for Local Transp
Victor Lund - St. Louis County Public Works - Engineer

Final Deliverables:

Pavement Markings: Balancing Safety, Liability, and Maintenance Budgets (Guidebook #2026RIC12)