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The Machine has been operating well and has allowed the Traffic <br />Engineering Division to greatly improve the pavement markings <br />provided to motorists, especially at intersections. (The use of <br />thermoplastic is approximately twice the cost of paint but has a <br />useful field life of about five times that of paint. The more <br />thermoplastic we use, the longer we can manage -without a second <br />pavement marking crew and still -protect the county's liability <br />exposure.) <br />Although the Apollo II has served the County well, it is not <br />without its shortcomings. Only one color of thermoplastic can be <br />placed at a time while almost every project requires both white <br />and yellow markings. To switch from one color to the other takes <br />at least one hour of time and we lose some material. Depending <br />upon the project location, we often have to return to the shop <br />before changing colors which causes an even greater time delay. <br />The present machine has also shown the need for increased main- <br />tenance costs. <br />ALTERNATIVES AND ANALYSIS <br />The obvious solution would be to purchase a machine with two <br />pre-melters which would allow placement of two colors from one <br />machine. This type of machine does not exist in the manually <br />operated market. Only large machines, with greater costs than <br />even a new Apollo II ($8000) have this feature. We have no need <br />for a self-propelled machine. <br />In dealing with the manufacturer, we have had our eyes open for a <br />used Apollo II which would give us the same flexibility. We have <br />recently located a 1988 Apollo II machine which is an exact <br />duplicate of our machine, with a superior "bead distribution <br />system." Except for this one feature, it is identical to our <br />existing machine. <br />Rather than return the machine to Atlanta for sale, the Pavemark <br />Corporation left the machine with us to try it out and satisfy <br />ourselves that it is in excellent working order. We have done so <br />and believe that the cost of $2400, including a trailer worth <br />approximately $1500, is an excellent buy and the most cost <br />beneficial method of securing the flexibility of laying out two <br />colors of pavement markings at the same time with only one crew. <br />The reason for this low post is that the machine has been used on <br />a long term lease and' the "Pavemark Corporation" has really <br />already ammortized this machine. They also want to continue <br />promoting Extruded Thermoplastic use. <br />Alternative No. 1 <br />The Board of County Commissioners purchase the 1988 Apollo <br />II Thermoplastic Pavement Marking machine and increase the <br />efficiency of the existing pavement marking crews. Having <br />two machines, one for each color, would also increase the <br />service life of each machine. <br />Alternative No. 2 <br />Not purchase this used machine and continue to accomplish <br />thermoplastic pavement markings by the present methods. <br />This will result in increased maintenance costs each year <br />and reduce crew efficiency by approximately 200 crew -hours <br />each year. <br />33 <br />MAY <br />Jl �ayiv <br />