Feds Say Blue Lines Honoring Police On NJ Roads Are Illegal

New Jersey municipalities thought they came up with a clever way of showing support for law enforcement by painting blue lines on the roads. The federal government did not agree and it is creating a buzz across the United States.

A letter from the Office of Transportation Operations Department sent to Somerset County Engineer Matthew D. Loper says the markings are not in accordance with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways.

As reported by NorthJersey.com, the manual defines the standards for traffic control devices on all public streets, highways, bike-ways, and private roads open to public traffic.

The letter notes:

Section 3A.06 of the MUTCD states that the pattern of a longitudinal double line shall be two parallel lines separated by a discernible space.

It also said:

Accordingly, the pavement surface must be visible in the space between the lines in the same way that it is visible outside the lines. On this basis alone, filling in the gap in a double line, either partially or fully, does not comply with the provisions of the MUTCD. The exception herein is the use of black in combination with one of the approved pavement marking colors, as noted in Section 3A.05.

The letter continued to state that blue markings are reserved for designated handicap parking spaces in accordance with the international symbol of accessibility parking symbol.