The in basket: Gina Glynn wrote to say the stretch of Tremont Street between Sidney and Bethel avenues in Port Orchard is a scary place to drive because the lane striping is nearly gone.
“Some time back the county (made) patches in the asphalt (but) no striping has been done in the last several years and
there are large stretches of the road where there is NONE to see,” she wrote.
“Therefore, cars are all over the place because they can’t tell when they’re encroaching into the other lane. I drive to work every morning and home each
night and I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to veer out of someone’s way because they’ve crossed over the lanes.
“Add in darkness and rainy weather and it’s brutal. How does one go about getting the county to repaint the striping before there is a serious issue?” he asked.
The out basket: Such requests should be made to the Kitsap County Public Works’ Open Line at (360) 337-5777.
But Jeff Shea, traffic engineer with Kitsap County Public Works, says that stretch of road “was actually striped
twice last year, once at the beginning of the striping season, and again later in the year to prepare for winter.
“Disappearing road markings are something all road departments encounter during winter,” Jeff says. “The combination of sand and plowing causes lines to wear out, much like removing them with sandpaper.
“This year, because of the extensive winter weather, the problem is more visible than in years past.
“The water-based paint we use to mark roads requires drier and warmer weather to apply,” he said. “If paint is applied now it will not set properly. We stripe roads, including
this one, as soon as weather permits and paint supplies arrive, usually beginning in May.”
“We are taking steps to help motorists next winter,” he said. “We plan to purchase a grinder this year …to recess pavement markers (reflective buttons) in the road.
“Most of raised buttons are plowed up or destroyed during snow and ice maintenance,” he said. “Recessing them helps avoid that, and provides lane delineation during the winter months when painted markings disappear.”
We already see recessed buttons on some county roads, but those have been done as part of a contracted job to accomplish something else. The new grinder
will allow the county to recess the markers on its roads whether other work is being done or not.
Won’t the markers just be removed with the snowplows???
My wife and I both make comments about the striping on this stretch of road almost every time we go thru there. I now get in the right hand lane heading west on Tremont from Bethel until I get to the straightaway to merge into the left hand lane because of what this woman cited in this post.
This is really a safety hazard and I am wondering why the public has to wait until next winter to see this problem alleviated. Can’t the road be striped? Is that so difficult or costly that it can’t be striped until the markers get installed? I thought government was all about safety but in this case it appears safety takes a back seat.
Go back and read the reply from the county more carefully, Dave. They can’t right now because of the weather. Would you paint your house right now? It’s the same thing. My God, I’d hate to see you people on a dirt road or when it’s snowing out where you can’t see the lines. Do us all a favor and stay home or take the bus. Driving take some personal responsibility. Figure it out and quit relying on Government all the time.