Environmental Services
Street Markings Program
The Street Marking Program is responsible for the layout, installation and maintenance of pavement markings to provide delineation and alignment for safer pedestrian and vehicular movements. Staff in this section coordinates and monitors the installation of the marking needs for county agencies.
- Since the County changed program operations in 1996 from paint to thermoplastic coatings by contract, it has improved the quality and durability of the markings. The new materials are lasting three to five years, whereas paint lasted one year.
Pavement Marking
Pavement Markings are painted lines, which delineate travel lanes, bikeways, parking stalls and pedestrian crosswalks.
New Pavement Markings:
When requesting new pavement marking, please contact the DES Call Center at 703-228-6570 with the following information:
- Name and address
- Daytime telephone number
- Type of Pavement Marking requested or problem description
- Crosswalk
- Parking Stall
- Lane Lines, etc.
- Location of pavement marking
- Street
- Intersection
- You will be contacted by the Transportation Engineering and Operations Bureau
Sharrows
The pavement markings, called “shared-lane markings” or “sharrows,” are intended to help motorists and cyclists safely share and navigate streets. The sharrows show cyclists where to be in the road (aligned with the middle of the chevron markings), and they remind drivers that the presence of bicyclists is to be expected. Sharrows are different from bike lanes, which are reserved exclusively for bicyclists and are marked by a solid white line and a bicycle symbol. Click here for more information.
