Crosswalk treatments - Concrete?

[bharris]

CONCRETE CROSSWALKS??

I am helping manage several streetscape projects in the greater Boston area and we are having trouble deciding on treatments for our crosswalks. Our DPW is against brick due to maintainance costs, we were thinking streetprint for a while but have concerns with how quickly the texture and coloring wears off. Has anyone had success installing concrete crosswalks? Are there any concerns we should have with concrete crosswalks? Examples from MA or New England would be most useful, although any pointers would be appreciated. Pictures are great too!

 

[nerudite]

As you said, bricks are cost-prohibitve for many municipalities. An alternative that has been used widely in place of brick is colored stamped concrete. I know we used this in Vancouver, WA and in Davis, CA.

Also, I think that over the years there are less problems with uneven surfaces that may be a hazard to pedestrians. But this is just my own observation.

I'll look around for some examples and re-post again later.

 

[Cardinal]

We have used patterned and colored asphalt. The concern with concrete is mixing pavement types tends to cause an uneven roadway. With freezing/thawing, the levels of the asphalt and concrete can shift, and then when a plow comes along.... Of course, if the street is concrete, go with the concrete. I was in Richmond, VA a couple years back and saw whole streets patterend to look like brick. You could not tell it was asphalt until you looked closely. Very nice.

 

[donk]

We have a section around our hospital of coloured and textured concrete. After 7 years it looks rotten. The colour has faded and worn poorly and the texture caused minor stress lines that has contributed to cracking.

In another town they colored the concrete green to make it look like grass along the road, it is so bright in the summer and looks real queer in the winter.

What is wrong with natural grey?

 

[bharris]

Thanks for the input. From what I have seen and heard the stamped stained asphalt treatment (streetprint) tends to wear away fairly quickly on busy routes (1-2 years) and I don't think that our municipality is in the position to restamp the asphalt when the texture wears away. The street is going to be asphalt and we are looking for a treatment for the crosswalks that is low maintainance in the sense that if our DPW does not restripe, restamp or otherwise make the crosswalk more noticable that the material or treatment itself will remain fairly prominent. Is there such a treatment? Am I dreaming? How serious are the concerns of the freeze/thaw and cracking related to mixing materials?

 

[Cardinal]

I have not heard of the patterning wearing away. The streets I saw in Richmond were not new and were very heavily traveled, yet still had the imprint. As for color, there are pigments that can be placed in the asphalt.

 

[green22]

transportation alternatives in nyc has been very active in planning the bike paths and pedestrian crossings in new york city, they can be accessed at transalt.org . They work with our dot.