Evaluation of Pavement Markings on Low-Volume Rural Roadways in Iowa

Knapp, Keith; Veneziano, David A.; Albritton, Paul · 2015 · ROSA P / Iowa State University. Institute for Transportation

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Summary

This study addresses the discrepancy between common practice and federal guidelines regarding pavement markings on low-volume rural roadways in Iowa. While the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) generally requires centerline and edgeline markings only for roadways with traffic volumes exceeding 400 vehicles per day, most Iowa counties routinely apply these markings to lower-volume paved and seal-coated roads. The research aimed to evaluate the state of practice, legal implications, costs, and safety benefits of these markings to assist local agencies in decision-making. The methodology involved a comprehensive literature review of pavement-marking safety impacts, a legal analysis of liability and maintenance obligations, a survey of Iowa county engineers, and a basic safety benefit-cost evaluation. The literature review examined studies from multiple states, including Louisiana, Kentucky, Texas, and Virginia, focusing on crash modification factors and operational impacts. The survey collected data from 37 Iowa counties regarding their current marking practices, maintenance schedules, and costs. The benefit-cost analysis calculated the minimum crash reduction percentages required for pavement markings to be economically beneficial on hypothetical one-mile segments of paved and seal-coated secondary roadways. Key findings indicate that pavement markings are widely used despite MUTCD recommendations. The survey revealed that 95% of respondents paint centerlines and edgelines on at least some of their paved low-volume rural roadways, with markings typically replaced every two years. In contrast, only 13% of respondents used both marking types on seal-coated roadways. The literature review highlighted varying safety outcomes; for instance, Louisiana studies found a 15% crash reduction with edgelines on narrow roadways, while Virginia found no statistically significant safety difference. The Highway Safety Manual suggests a 26% reduction in serious and minor injury crashes when both centerlines and edgelines are installed. The benefit-cost analysis determined that pavement markings are economically beneficial if they reduce crashes by as little as 0.42% to 1.9% on paved roads and 1.1% to 5.1% on seal-coated roads, thresholds significantly lower than observed reductions in literature. Legally, the study noted that once installed, markings must be properly maintained to avoid liability. The study concludes that while pavement markings offer safety benefits and are cost-effective, research specifically targeting low-volume roadways is limited. The authors recommend further evaluation of safety impacts, the development of a secondary roadway pavement-marking database to track costs and safety outcomes, and the creation of a committee to establish policies for pavement-marking removal. These recommendations aim to provide local agencies with clearer guidance and standardized procedures for managing pavement markings on low-volume rural infrastructure.

Key finding

The installation of pavement markings on low-volume rural roadways requires only a minimal total crash reduction of 0.42 to 5.1 percent to achieve a benefit-cost ratio of 1.0, indicating that even modest safety improvements can justify the costs.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 37

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• signage environment
• perceptual countermeasures