Last year, cities across New Jersey (including our Observer community) began painting blue lines between double yellow lines on some local streets in support of police officers. Perhaps these cities should be arrested, since the federal government considers these lines illegal.
In October, a Somerset County official apparently decided to ask Washington if the Blue Line complied with the Manual on Uniform Street and Highway Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration didn’t respond until December (hey! They’re busy!), and the answer was, “No, they don’t.” We’re sharing the real bureaucratic lie in the federal government’s “clarification” letter:
”Section 3A.06 of the MUTCD states that the pattern of longitudinal double lines shall be two parallel lines with a distinct space between them. In order for the space between the two lines to be distinct, there shall be no other markings. Therefore, the pavement shall be as visible in the space between the two lines as it is outside the two lines.
”For this reason alone, partial or complete filling of a gap in a double line is not in compliance with the MUTCD. The exception to this is the use of black in combination with one of the approved road marking colors as described in Section 3A.05.
“…the color blue shall be used exclusively as a background color for the international accessible parking symbol in road markings (see Figure 3B-22) and for additional road marking lines that designate permitted parking spaces designated for use only by persons with disabilities as described in Section 3A.05, paragraph 5.
“We value the impact that supporting our officers can have and we value their contribution to the community. There are many appropriate and proportionate ways to show appreciation for service to the community without changing traffic control devices that could put road users at risk due to misunderstanding of their meaning. It is therefore vital that road markings are maintained in a consistent manner to convey a consistent message and meet road user expectations.”
How could people misunderstand the thin blue line between the two yellow lines in the center of the avenue?
Does the federal government really think that someone would mistake blue lines for “handicapped” parking spots and park in the middle of Kearny Avenue or Ridge Road? This type of “road user” should not have a driver’s license at all.
Last week, two New Jersey state representatives, Republican Leonard Lance and Democrat Bill Pascrell, teamed up to address this ridiculous rule by proposing a federal law called the BLUE Act that would allow symbolic fireworks.
“I can assure the U.S. Department of Transportation that there is no confusion in many New Jersey communities about what the Blue Line means,” Pascrell said. “In addition to being a daily reminder of the dangers our heroic law enforcement officers face, it is a small way to show support for the hard work and dedication they put into keeping our communities safe.”
We reached out to Kearny Mayor Alberto Santos, who called the No Blue Line directive “nonsense.” (Incidentally, Kearny not only has a blue line in front of City Hall, but also a red line in front of the Kearny Avenue Fire Station.)
Santos said “these lines do not pose a hazard on local roads… there is no reasonable basis to suggest that they could pose a hazard.”
”We will maintain those lines,” he said. If Kearney receives “direct direction” from the state or federal government regarding existing markings, “we will interpret that to (mean) no new lines will be put up. We will not interpret that to mean we have to remove the existing markings.”
Post time: Feb-20-2025