How do rumble strips fit into the broader effort to make North Carolina roads safer for everyone who uses them?
At the 2026 NC BikeWalk Transportation Summit, we were joined by Shawn A. Troy, PE, Deputy State Traffic Engineer for Safety with NCDOT’s Division of Mobility and Safety, and State Traffic Engineer Brian Murphy, PE, for a discussion focused on one of the more familiar safety features found on North Carolina roads: rumble strips.
The session provides an overview of what rumble strips are, how they are used, and the safety benefits they are intended to provide. But it also looks beyond the basics to examine how rumble strip projects fit into NCDOT’s current safety priorities and where they may be most effectively applied.
The conversation explores the considerations that go into installing rumble strips, including how roadway conditions, project priorities, and the needs of different road users factor into those decisions. For people who walk, bike, drive, or otherwise travel on North Carolina roads, these decisions can have a meaningful impact on how our transportation system functions and how safety improvements are implemented.
The session offers a behind-the-scenes look at how one type of roadway safety treatment fits into the larger picture of transportation safety in North Carolina, and provides an opportunity to better understand the priorities and considerations that shape these projects.
