What Are Those Bumpy Things at Crosswalks?

Those bright yellow bumpy pads you may see at Tualatin pedestrian crosswalks are called truncated dome mats. These mats create a detectable warning surface to define the edge between a sidewalk and the roadway. These mats (or pads, or tiles) are a form of tactile paving that was developed in Japan in the 1960s, and help the City meet Americans with Disabilities (ADA) standards. Inspired by Braille, the flat-top bumps or blisters on the pads warn people who experience limited vision or mobility that they are leaving a sidewalk and entering a street or parking lot.  

Defining this edge is an important part of providing an environment in which all people can move freely on public sidewalks. For years, Tualatin has installed truncated dome mats when upgrading sidewalk corner ramps. As part of the Tualatin Moving Forward transportation bond program, we’re seeing more truncated domes installed when building curb ramps to access new pedestrian crosswalks. The mats can be installed in wet set concrete or applied on top of already cured concrete, and are easily replaceable.  

The slip-resistant tiles Tualatin uses are manufactured from strong, heavy duty fiberglass polymer composite materials or glass-carbon-fiberglass composites. A wide range of colors are available, although all of Tualatin’s mats are yellow. To ensure durability, there is UV protection embedded evenly through every layer.  

Truncated dome mats are inexpensive – most are $100 to $500, depending on size (not including installation). As a result, they have quickly spread across Asia, the United Kingdom, and are now a standard solution to meet ADA in the U.S. 

Public Works Director Jeff Fuchs, P.E. says “These new curb ramps with tactile paving represent a significant safety improvement for our sight-impaired residents.”