From Milk Comes Road Lines

Holland Sentinal:

“The highway centerline has been called the single most important traffic safety device in the history of automobile transportation, and Edward Hines originated it right here in Michigan, ”State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle said when accepting the award on behalf of the Hines family and the state.

Widely recognized as one of the great innovators in highway development, Hines was a charter member of the Wayne County Road Commission in 1906 and served until his death in 1938, according to a statement from Jeff Cranson, Michigan Department of Transportation director of communications.

The idea of painting a centerline on roads to separate traffic came to Hines in 1911 after watching a leaky milk wagon leave a white trail down a road.

Photo by Mirko Tobias Schaefer

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *