Section 5: Rumble Strips
Anchor: #MJYTHFAPOverview
Centerline and shoulder rumble strips are depressed or raised patterns (i.e. profile pavement markings) used to provide auditory and tactile sensations that serve as a warning mechanism when vehicles leave their respective travel lane. Transverse or in-lane rumble strips are placed perpendicular to the direction of vehicular travel and are used in very limited circumstances. The conditions for use of rumble strips are specified in the respective Traffic Safety Division RS standard. Rumble strips have been shown to be a cost-effective countermeasure for reducing the number and severity of roadway departure crashes. As such, rumble strips have been incorporated into the Safety Score Tools developed by TxDOT’s Council on System Safety. Additional information on the Safety Score Tools is available on TxDOT’s Design Division intranet webpage.
Anchor: #i1211061Considerations for Centerline and Shoulder Rumble Strip Placement
Rumble strips shall not be placed on roadways with a posted speed limit of 45 mph or less. For rural high-speed roadways, rumble strips should be installed as part of new construction, reconstruction and overlay projects, unless engineering/safety judgment determine it would be detrimental to do so. Rumble strips are recommended on high-speed urban roadways where significant numbers of crashes by frequency and percentage of total crashes due to motorist inattention have been identified (e.g., opposing direction crashes, run-off-road crashes). Shoulder rumble strips must not be placed across exit or entrance ramps, acceleration and deceleration lanes, crossovers, gore areas, or intersections with other roadways. Depressed rumble strips shall not be placed across bridge decks. If a concrete shoulder will be used in the near future as a permanent travel lane or a travel lane in a work zone, depressed rumble strips should not be used.
Anchor: #i1211083Bicyclists Considerations
In all installations, appropriate riding space for bicyclists should be considered. It is preferred to allow at least 5-ft (6-ft or more desired) beyond the rumble strips to the edge of the paved shoulder. On facilities known to have considerable bicycle traffic, consider providing occasional gaps to allow bicyclists to traverse in and out of the shoulder safely. Refer to Chapter 6 Section 4, Bicycle Facilities for additional guidance on the use of rumble strips with bicycles.
See Traffic Safety Division's Rumble Strip Standards (RS standards), and FHWA rumble strip guidance for additional information: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadway_dept/pavement/rumble_strips/