HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 10351 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 10351
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council December 17, 2019
Page 1 of 1
i
i7 Y
SUBJECT: MAINTENANCE OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS
r6 rn
Yg7'3
The purpose of this informal report is to provide a status update on the maintenance of pavement
markings in the City of Fort Worth.
The Transportation and Public Works Department, Transportation Management Division is responsible for
maintaining 8.7 million linear feet of pavement markings throughout the City. On average the division uses
city contractors to restripe 800,000 linear feet of pavement markings annually. The design and contract
pavement markings maintenance is managed by in-house staff. Prior to FY 2020, the City was on a 10-
year cycle to refresh all existing pavement markings. In Fiscal Year 2020, Transportation and Public
Works received an increase of $1.4 million dollars to reduce pavement marking maintenance from a 10-
year cycle to an 8-year cycle. This additional funding will be used to refresh pavement markings in close
proximity to schools to align with the City's Vision Zero strategy and enhance pedestrian safety and for
additional pavement marking installation Citywide.
In July 2016, consultant DTS collected data to assess the condition of pavement markings. The condition
assessments were integrated into the City of Fort Worth's VueWorks asset management system in August
2018. The asset management system has provided the Transportation Management Division with a
strategy to address pavement marking maintenance both proactively and reactively. Proactive
maintenance is based on existing pavement marking conditions and field observations while reactive
maintenance for new or refreshing existing markings are managed through the City's customer service call
center and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and planned based on annual PayGo budgets. High
traffic roadways are refreshed more frequently than 10 years because of increased wear. All requests are
documented and tracked in the City's asset management system. After selection the projects are designed
in-house by City staff then work orders are issued to City contractors for installation.
The City of Fort Worth aligns with municipality best practices and currently uses thermoplastic pavement
marking materials and reflectors. These materials are durable and on average have a 2 to 3 year Iifespan
depending on traffic volumes, pavement conditions, and other environmental factors. Other pavement
marking materials include traffic paint, non-reflectorized ceramic buttons, and reflectorized ceramic
buttons. Traffic paint has an average Iifespan of up to 1 year and lacks durability when compared to
reflective thermoplastic pavement markings and frequently has to be refreshed. The ceramic buttons have
an average Iifespan of up to 5 years, however it is less cost effective than thermoplastic pavement
markings and reflectors. The contract cost for thermoplastic is based on linear feet while the cost of
ceramic buttons is based on cost per button.
Prior to 2012, Transportation and Public Works used non-reflectorized ceramic buttons for pavement
markings maintenance. The disadvantage of using ceramic buttons was the lack of visibility they provided
at night time. Staff is currently analyzing the feasibility and cost of an in-house pavement marking program
and will share the results of that analysis when it is complete. That could possibly increase annual output
to further reduce the current 10-year pavement marking cycle.
If you have any questions, please contact Tanya Brooks, Transportation and Public Works Assistant
Director, at 817-392-7861.
David Cooke
City Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS