Feds Say Hillsborough’s ‘Blue Lines For Police’ May Be Illegal

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — In what may be the literal definition of irony, there’s a chance that the “Blue Line” movement that many New Jersey towns are using to show support for local police is illegal, according to federal officials.

In the past months, several municipalities in New Jersey have chosen to express their support of the national Blue Line movement – “a memorial or a connection or memory between police officers killed in the line of duty and those who continue with their duties in the present” - by painting blue divider lines on public roadways in their jurisdictions.

It's a movement that has swept the Garden State with a fervor. Blue line support has been reported in town including Montclair, Caldwell, Verona, West Orange, Livingston, Mahwah, Glen Rock, Wyckoff, Manalapan, Marlboro, Hillsborough, Ramsey, Clark, Brick, Fair Lawn and Edison.

• See related article: Hillsborough Paints Blue Line In Honor Of Police

But last month, the U.S. Federal Highway Administration stated that the practice is in violation of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD).

Replying to a question from the Somerset County Engineering Division about the legality of blue line support, the FHA wrote that the practice can ultimately endanger the lives of drivers and pedestrians.

“We appreciate the impact of expressing support for law enforcement officers and value their contributions to society,” FHA officials stated. “[However], there are many appropriate and fitting ways to recognize service to the public that do not involve the modification of a traffic control device, which can put the road user at risk due to misinterpretation of its meaning. It is therefore critical that the uniformity of pavement markings be maintained so as to present a consistent message that accommodates the expectancy of road users.”

The only acceptable use of blue paint on a road is for disabled parking spaces, FHA officials added.

BLUE LINE OPPOSITION

According to the “Remove the Blue Line” Facebook page – which agrees with the FHA assessment – the blue lines are also an inappropriate reaction to the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Facebook page states:

“Recently, a number of municipalities in New Jersey have been painting thin blue lines in the middle of double yellow-lines on roads to "promote respect for police, law and the state" in response to Black Lives Matter protests against police corruption, brutality and militarization… Beyond the irony of the "thin blue line" actually being a representation of police silence in regards to corruption and domestic violence, these lines present an unacceptable safety risk to drivers.”

The Facebook page continues:

“Under the US Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration's Manual of Uniform Control of Traffic Devices (MCUTD) , the only purposes for which blue paint on a pavement is acceptable is for the marking of fire hydrants and handicap parking spaces. At all times, center lane markings shall be yellow, with no expressed written exception… This violation of MUTCD can cause unnecessary confusion for drivers, which can potentially lead to fatal traffic accidents. The blue line has no purpose on the road other than to promote respect for the law, which ironically is itself violating federal regulations and putting people unnecessarily at risk.”

While public support for the blue lines is strong, opposition to the concept has also been vociferous.

• See related article: Town Must Remove 'Illegal' Blue Line Immediately [OPINION]

— By Eric Kiefer (Patch Staff)

(Photo via Hillsborough)

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