County questions value of replacing rumble strips

Staff

Published Friday, May 28, 2004

By Ann Austin, Tribune staff writer

Do rumble strips really help prevent deaths? That was the question pondered by the Freeborn County Board

and County Engineer Sue Miller at a special meeting Tuesday.

In September the county board rejected a recommendation by Miller to stop implementing rumble strips on county roads. Commissioners and Miller agreed to work on a plan for use of rumble strips.

But a recent death at the intersection of County Roads 46 and 30, brought the issue to light again during

a county board meeting two weeks ago.

Rumble strips used to exist at the intersection, but were never replaced after the roads were re-surfaced.

"We should have had a policy about replacing rumble strips," said Commissioner Dan Belshan.

But Miller believes that rumble strips weren't the issue.

"Rumble strips wouldn't have done anything there," she said.

Rumble strips are sections of road, ground by machines to create a rough sensation for occupants when cars drive over them. They are placed before intersections where vehicles are required to stop.

The tactical sensation would help prevent drivers from running stopping points, according to Belshan.

"All of our driving skills are visual," Belshan said.

"(Rumble strips) use a different sensory in your body."

Rumble strips are believed to prevent deaths, but they come at a cost. According to Miller, each rumble strip costs $500 every three to five years to maintain.

"There's a perpetual cost," she said.

There is also the problem of consistency. Rumble strips are currently installed at 34 locations in the county. In order to avoid lawsuits due to liability issues, the rumble strips would have to be installed and kept in good condition at 146 locations.

Miller said she would rather invest the money in oversized signs, proven to be effective by the Minnesota Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Device.

"There is really no written guidance for using (rumble strips) and they have no documented effectiveness but the public perception is that they work, that they should be there," said Miller.

Since the state has not regulated the use of rumble strips, counties have to develop their own policies. A policy is currently in place, but as of a year ago, it involves leaving rumble strips out after they have been removed due to re-surfacing or other reasons.

County Administrator Ron Gabrielsen and Miller will meet next week to draft a policy for the rumble strips. They will likely bring the policy before the rest of the commissioners at the June 15 meeting of the board.

"The best thing we can do is go with the facts," said Commissioner Dan Springborg. "We just need a policy."

(Contact Ann Austin at ann.austin@albertleatribune.com or 379-3435.)

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