Several years ago the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization requested that the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) use brick or a brick substitute at intersections in Gainesville, Fla., the idea being that brick clearly defines crosswalks from the road and is aesthetically pleasing in contrast to the asphalt. However, the FDOT stopped using real bricks for crosswalks years ago because of some expensive replacement efforts in Tallahassee, where brick pavers settled unevenly and made the walkways uneven and unsafe.

The FDOT has been casting about for some good synthetic alternatives at the right price. The least expensive product FDOT has found is $7-$8 per sq. ft., with the more expensive materials at $13 to $14 per sq. ft. Intersection sizes vary, but a recent crosswalk for one local intersection required 3,684 square feet of pavers. At the $7 rate that?EUR??,,????'???s $25,788 and $51,576 at the $14 rate.

Of course price is not the only consideration. DOT field tests a product for three years before it is willing to give its seal of approval for durability and safety. In the case of Gainesville, a FDOT engineer told the Gainesville media only one product had met its criteria thus far.