Take a look at streets with multiple lanes in your Jerusalem neighborhood and where you spend much of your time getting around. If they are typical of the city's roads, the painted white dividers between the lanes are probably either very faded or missing completely. The lines are safety measures aimed at discouraging drivers from maneuvering their vehicles like go-carts in an amusement park. When they are almost invisible or absent, especially at night, such roads can be a death trap. On streets with three or more lanes, driving is especially treacherous. When queried by In Jerusalem on the day before the opening of the school year about the disappointing condition of painted dividers, the municipality's official in charge of city betterment, Zev Goldenberg, conceded that the situation was far from perfect. But he maintained it was not different from anywhere else in the country. “The paint fades because of the heat and humidity,” he said, even though Jerusalem is much drier than, for example, New York City. “But the main reason is that the bitumen mixed with the asphalt in Israel is different than abroad, and causes the white paint to be blackened within three months,” Goldenberg maintained. He didn't explain how Israeli bitumen – the oil-based “asphalt cement” produced in the refining process – is any different than abroad. “Israeli bitumen is what wipes out the paint. We have tried everything, but not found a solution.” On municipal roads, where there is a lot of starting and braking, the lifespan of divider paint is shortened, said Goldenberg. On intercity roads and in places like Begin Boulevard, which is like an intercity artery, there is less wear-and-tear so the paint lasts longer, he continued. Asked about the possibility that the quality of the paint, which does not seem to be oil-based, is at fault for the minimal longevity of the paint, Goldenberg denied it. “Whatever the paint, it gets covered over by the bitumen.” The lines are painted by contractors and, as they disappear quickly, they are required to repaint at their own expense – but only once a year, said Goldenberg. This means that on average the paint disappears within six months or so, less so in summer but much more quickly if there is snow, when salt and ice wreak havoc. “But this year, our department will ask for more municipal funds to repaint critical streets for the third time.” Anyone with complaints about missing partition lines can call the municipality's 106 number, or the municipality spokesman at 692-7744. •
