It is important for cities to guarantee and maintain the safety of every person in the streets. Whether you are driving a car, riding your bike or walking, seeing and obeying road traffic signals is crucial. Most of the time, traffic signals like pedestrian crossings, bike lanes or bus lanes are marked with bright colors to remind patrons of its importance.

Countries spend millions of dollars designing and creating the best, most comprehensive road traffic markings. This includes designing, planning and painting them. While it may sound easy, this last process has a lot of things to consider: It has to be done in sections and at a certain time of the day so the traffic doesn’t get disrupted for long. Not only that, weather can also play a deciding role for painting materials like the common Thermoplastic (since concrete surface temperatures have to be ideal.)

With Thermoplastic, a crew needs to scrap and clean the surface, then primer must be applied prior to the paint. There is usually a great waiting period between steps. In addition, the Thermoplastic application process is tough. Thermoplastic is known to peel with time, which is the reason that cities have “marking seasons” where the paint has to be reapplied every few years.

The new material for Road Traffic Marking: MMA

For too long, Thermoplastic has been the standard material used to paint traffic markings on roads.
However, lately, cities around the world are turning their eyes towards a different material for pavement marking: MMA (Methyl Methcrylate).

MMA is less expensive, maintains the bright colors and it doesn’t peel. Moreover, it can be applied easier, with no long waiting periods and it will hold to the pavement better and for many more years.

Known for its high durability, increased visibility, skid resistance and optimal color stability, MMA road markings are commonly being used for bike and bus lanes. MMA’s bright color options has made it the go-to material for schools and college campuses where durability, aesthetics as well as safety are part of their priorities.

If you or your city DOT is interested in the latest road marking equipment, please consider Benron’s pavement painting machines: