WHEREAS there is a deterioration of line markings, missing reflectors and unmarked shoulders on many of British Columbias roads and highways, and the safety of motorists travelling on provincial highways, especially at night, is enhanced with clearly defined reflective centre line and shoulder line marking; AND WHEREAS wear and tear of line marking is not solely attributed to weather, high-volume traffic, and snow-clearing equipment: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure review the effectiveness of the products used for current centre line and shoulder line marking in response to the degradation caused by weather and high-volume traffic; and that all provincial highways be adequately marked.
Ministry of Transportation Infrastructure Safety is the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructures highest priority. Each year the ministry invests 11.3M to repaint over 30,000 kilometres of centreline, lane line and edge line. Since the federal government introduced new regulations prohibiting the use of high VOC volatile organic compounds paints in 2012, the Ministry has been actively pursuing ways of improving the durability of line markings, including the use of inlaid marking in high traffic areas. When the Ministry renewed its contracts for pavement marking in 2014, a number of improvements were made. Selective areas were targeted to receive a thicker application of paint 18 mm vs 16 mm to increase durability. Staff will be monitoring the effectiveness of this strategy over the next couple of years. We have also placed a greater emphasis on painting edge lines, recognizing that drivers rely on edge lines for guidance, especially at night. The Ministry will continue to work with paint manufacturers and neighbouring jurisdictions to explore different types of paint and paint compositions with a view to finding a product that has greater durability and lasts longer.