Aryn Shillair of Everett writes: “It seems that the yellow bumpy sidewalks present more hazards than they help. When they are wet they are extremely slippery and I know that bicyclists have also found them to be slippery. I was wondering what their purpose was and how they are supposed to help.”
Timothy Miller, city traffic engineer, responds: “I believe you are referencing what are called ‘truncated domes’ which are typically located at the bottom of curb ramps. These are required by law (since 1991) to be installed to give detectable warning to the visually impaired that they are leaving the sidewalk and entering the street. Their design is stipulated to include traction enhancing features on the top of each of the domes to minimize slipping. Truncated domes will continue be installed as required by law with each curb ramp that is installed or reconstructed in the city.”
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