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British Columbia
Cycling Coalition

SHOULDER RUMBLE STRIPS (SRS)
-- Update May 2003

Negotiations with the BC Ministry of Transportation (MoT)

Important Update--May 29, 2003:

The BCCC has always insisted on close interaction with MoT on developments regarding SRS. Having consulted extensively on the guidelines and provided a clear list of our concerns and requirements, we were extremely disappointed to see a new set of guidelines developed which would jeopardise the safety and mobility of cyclists.

MoT's proposed new guidelines were just provided to us on May 16, 2003.

The major concern we have with these proposed guidelines is the removal of the requirement to evaluate routes for SRS suitability prior to their installation.

The guidelines have gone from this:

Existing guidelines:

Shoulder Rumble Strips (SRS) installation will be considered, where it is cost-effective, on rural highways that are identified as a potential for run-off-road accidents. SRS are most effective on highways where a significant number of vehicle trips are long distance, exceeding 50 kilometres, most of which is at uninterrupted speeds in excess of 70 km/h.

SRS shall be used at locations as described above when doing new construction, when resurfacing existing highway or in conjunction with suitable re-construction projects. Also, SRS can be installed as stand alone project under the annual Audible Delineation Improvement Program.

...to this:

Proposed guidelines:

Shoulder Rumble Strips shall be installed on rural highway sections in the following cases, in accordance with the Application Guidelines:

New rural highway sections;

When re-paving, rehabilitating or reconstructing existing rural highway sections, which include the shoulders;

Other rural Highway Sections that are not part of a project but that would benefit from the installation of SRS.

As well, the option of considering alternatives to SRS (such as tactile rainlines) is removed in the new guidelines:

Existing Guidelines:

On rural highways that are identified as a potential for run-off-road accidents, SRS installation will be considered when: (emphasis added)
- Shoulder > 1.5 metre wide with no further analysis;
- Shoulders < 1.5 m but > 0.8 m with the approval of the Regional Manager of Professional Services, when risks to motorists are high and according to the following analytical process in this order:

Consider using another approved type of audible delineation device which reduces the encroachment on the shoulder width used by cyclists;

Do a more detailed risk analysis for the specific highway section where the shoulder width is less than 1.5 metres, by analyzing the impact of the SRS installation to highway users. Consultation with a cycling advocacy group, recognized by the BC Cycling Coalition, is required for their input in the risk study. The SRS should be installed only in cases where the benefits to motorists clearly exceed the negative impact on cyclists.

Do not install a Shoulder Rumble Strip if both cases 1 and 2 are not met.

...is replaced with:

Proposed Guidelines:

On rural highways SRS will be installed in the following manner: (emphasis added) a) For shoulders > 1.5 m with no further analysis - 300 mm SRS offset 100 mm from the paint line;
b) For shoulders > 1.2 m and < 1.5 m with no further analysis - 150 mm SRS offset 0 mm from the paint line;
c) For shoulders < 1.2 m but > 0.8 m - 150 mm SRS, offset 0 mm from the paint line. This application requires the approval of the Regional Manager of Professional Services, when the risk to motorists is high and the following conditions have been met:

There are no other approved type of audible delineation device which reduces the encroachment on the shoulder width used by cyclists; (emphasis added) and

A risk analysis has been done for the specific highway section. A cycling advocacy group, recognized by the BC Cycling Coalition, must be involved in the risk analysis. The risk analysis must show that the benefits to motorists clearly exceed the negative impact on cyclists.

Despite these obvious instances of running counter to the advice of the BCCC, the following paragraph is inserted for the first time in the proposed new guidelines:

The Ministry Cycling Policy requires that the cycling stakeholders should be made aware, as soon as possible of the SRS program and given an opportunity to provide input. Therefore, the projects that have an SRS component should be identified as early as possible. Contact Alan Callander of the Transportation Policy Branch for cycling advocacy group contacts.

Clearly, this was not followed in this instance of rewriting the guidelines. In the Provincial Advisory Cycling Committee meeting held in Victoria on April 11, 2003, we were told that narrower-width SRS were now being considered. This decision was made without consultation with cycling stakeholders as outlined in the existing guidelines.

(The guidelines are available below for reference.)

*********************

This a clear indication that we need to push even harder to make our needs known. We have worked hard, invested a great deal of volunteer time and negotiated in good faith with MoT representatives in developing the original guidelines. We did not achieve all that we wanted, but did manage to positively influence the guidelines first developed in the spring of 2000.

Since April 2000, there have been numerous cases of rumble strips not installed to specifications. MoT has fixed up one or two locations and ignored the rest. Many of the concerns we had initially expressed have turned out to be well founded. We have passed on this information and asked for a resolution to these issues. There has been no response. Now they are proposing guidelines that eliminate the need to evaluate routes for SRS suitability prior to their installation.

The new guidelines were written without the input of the BCCC, and we were not offered a chance to provide input on them prior to their being presented to the MoT Executive for approval. The BCCC was asked to attend a meeting on extremely short notice (notified Thursday of a meeting on Tuesday following a long weekend) so that MoT may provide the new policy to us "for information" (note--not consultation) prior to presentation to the MoT Executive.

On Sunday, May 25th we submitted a letter expressing our concerns and disappointment to Honourable Judith Reid, Minister of Transportation, copied to numerous decision-makers within MoT, as well as to Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier.

Honourable Judith Reid
Minister of Transportation
Province of British Columbia

May 24, 2003

Dear Madam,

We are writing to you in a manner that we wish could be more positive, however, the process carried out by your staff has left us no alternative.

As we are sure you know, the BC Ministry of Transportation (MoT) has embarked on a pilot program to install shoulder rumble strips (SRS) on rural highways. This form of road treatment can and does have very negative effects on cyclists, many of which we have detailed following this letter. You should know that BC's cycling organizations are united in their concern about the effects of SRS. Both the British Columbia Cycling Coalition (BCCC) and Cycling BC have unanimously approved resolutions opposing SRS due to their adverse effects on cyclists, and have communicated these resolutions to your Ministry.

The full letter and attendant list of concerns regarding shoulder rumble strips is available for download. (PDF, 112 KB)

We have been told by the Provincial Cycling Coordinator that our letter and the concerns raised in it on behalf of cyclists in BC is being reviewed.

Further updates will be provided as they are available.

Guidelines

MoT Provincial Rumble Strip Guidelines (Original, April 2003) (PDF, 2.8 MB)
Developed in conjunction with the British Columbia Cycling Coalition

MoT's Proposed Rumble Strip Guidelines (May 2003) (Complete File--PDF, 5.8 MB)