The Line Down the Middle of the Road Was a Michigan Idea
Michigan transportation officials credit Wayne County road commissioner Edward Hines with conceiving the highway centerline in 1911.
That familiar painted line down the middle of the road has a Michigan chapter.
Edward N. Hines served on the Wayne County Road Commission and spent years pushing practical road-safety improvements. Michigan’s Department of Transportation credits him with conceiving the centerline for highways in 1911: one painted guide that helped drivers stay on their own side as motor traffic grew.
You may run across a story that a leaking milk wagon gave Hines the idea. It is a memorable tale, but the official history does not rely on it, and accounts disagree about exactly where the first line was painted. The dependable part is simpler: MDOT places the idea with Hines and dates it to 1911.
MDOT notes that the centerline has been called the most important single traffic-safety device. That is a lofty description, but the everyday value is easy to see. Hines helped turn a blank road into one that quietly tells drivers where to be.
Where to see it
Hines Drive and the surrounding Hines Park carry his name through western Wayne County. The county's parkway history is a good next stop if you want the larger Edward Hines story.
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Sources
Last reviewed against the listed sources: July 15, 2026.