Roadway Striping

Roadway Striping in Olympia

In July and August 2011, City of Olympia crews successfully painted new edge and center lines and bike lanes on all major roadways. The fresh coats of reflective paint make it easier for drivers to see the road markings.

Striping Facts

What can I do if I get striping paint on my vehicle?

Rinse off the paint immediately – the paint is water-based, and will wash off if done right away. If you are unable to remove the paint, contact Risk Management at 360.753.8451.

How long does the striping paint take to dry?

The actual dry time will vary by temperature. Avoid driving through wet paint - the “no-track” time for paint in normal weather conditions is approximately 2 minutes. The warmer it is, the quicker it gets to a “no-track” state, which means that a car traveling 40 mph crossing the line will not track the paint onto the lane.

What happens when I drive over wet paint?

You are tracking more than paint; not only do tires splatter paint onto your vehicle, they remove thousands of tiny glass reflector beads that are designed to be clearly visible when illuminated by headlights. The reflective lane stripe helps drivers see the road at night and in the rain.

What can I do to avoid the wet paint?

• Don’t pass the paint truck: crews will have a “trail vehicle” with a sign warning motorists not to pass the paint truck. It is important to stay three car lengths behind the truck and the trail vehicle, to give the paint time to dry.
• Avoid swerving back and forth to see around the paint truck and trail vehicle: this can track paint over the newly painted lanes on the roadway and splatter paint on your vehicle.
• Avoid driving over fresh stripes or changing lanes behind a striping truck – this can strip the reflectivity from the stripe and can spatter paint onto your vehicle.
• Parked and see a paint truck go by? Wait 5 minutes before driving on the painted areas.

How Does Road Temperature Affect Striping?

We try to stripe when the pavement temperature is greater than 85 degrees.  Cooler pavement temperatures equate to longer “no-track” and dry times.  On the open road with good weather, pavement temperatures rise quickly.  However, we can be striping on the open road with high temperatures and then move into a shaded area where the pavement has not been in the sun and still be cold, which leaves us with longer “no-track” and dry times for that portion.

Need More Information?

For more information about roadway striping, contact Rick Knostman at 360.753.8438, or email publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us

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Contact Information:

• Visit our City Services page for links to other City Services and contact information (phone numbers)
• Contact us at publicworks@ci.olympia.wa.us