CALM DOWN! .....your traffic

There are many factors that contribute to a safe and highly functional parking lot.  Clearly marked stalls ensure drivers know where to go and how to park.  Well maintained asphalt free of potholes, protruding tree roots and other possible trip hazards prevent personal injury from trips and falls and minimizes possible damage to vehicles.  In parking lots with heavy pedestrian traffic - like shopping centers, and parking lots with children present - like at an apartment complex,  it might be necessary to install traffic calming devices to help protect those on foot.

The most common traffic calming device is called a speed bump. Speed bumps are raised features added to the existing asphalt in order to slow traffic and reduce through traffic.  Most commonly speed bumps are asphalt but in recent times recycled rubber bumps have become somewhat popular.

Asphalt speed bumps are durable, require very little maintenance and are very effective.  Asphalt speed bumps are more expensive than rubber ones because they require a trained crew, like ours, to install.  Recycled rubber bumps are relatively inexpensive, easy for any handy person to install, made from recycled materials and easily removed when they are no longer wanted.  An important downside to the recycled rubber bumps is that they do require maintenance.  They are not as durable as their asphalt counterparts and will break, crack and fade quickly.  The fact that they are so easily removed is also a potential problem because any annoyed tenant or resident could remove them if they wanted.

We recently began installing a new type of traffic calming device called rumble bars.  Rumble bars are made of  high performance thermoplastic material.  The material is placed on the asphalt in various patterns based on traffic and use of lot.  When a vehicle drives over the rumble bars they produce both an auditory and vibratory signal.  The driver both hears and feels the device.  These rumble strips easily conform to the surface and are flexible.  This added flexibility eliminates the breakage that can be associated with rigid types of traffic calming  devices like recycled rubber speed bumps.  These rumble bars can be cut to fit any size needed and come in a variety of colors.  They are lead free, contain no heavy metals and are non-hazardous.  Rumble bars require little maintenance.

If you  find that you need some type of traffic calming device to  help  improve safety and functionality of your parking lot, Stripe 'N' Seal, Inc can help.  We will help you find a solution based on your needs, conditions and budget.  Whether the appropriate solution is an asphalt speed bump, thermoplastic rumble bars or somewhere in between we are here to help!

Black Rumble Bars on a road



Black Rumble Bars installed on the asphalt



White Rumble Bars