The streets are filled with dozens of different markings letting drivers know everything from where they can park to where their driving lane is but drivers in Buena Vista may have noticed an influx of little blue dots popping up on the streets over the last few months and not have any clue why and what they are for.
These raised pavement markers are safety devices installed in the roadway and each color reflector denotes a different thing.
Red, as per usual, is bad; it typically indicates you’re going the wrong way. If you turn around—probably a good idea—the RPMs will likely appear white or yellow to those driving in the correct direction. Yellow (or amber) markers typically show the center line of a road, or the left edge of a one-way road. White markers separate lanes of same-direction traffic and may also appear on the right edge of the road. And the blue ones? They are marking the location of fire hydrants.
Whether it's because of the dark of the night, or simply a crowded street, the blue reflective raised pavement markers catch the eye of first responders and allow fire crews to look up and down a street and rapidly locate the hydrants during times of need. Don't worry, they have maps of all the locations of all of the hydrants in the city, but these markers help them rapidly hone in for the last 10 feet.
When the BVNA saw that most of the markers in our area were missing or damaged they worked with City and San Jose Water officials to get them all replaced, another small thing that may make a huge difference.
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