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Title:

PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINING WORK ZONE SPEED LIMITS

Accession Number:

00727374

Record Type:

Monograph

Abstract:

This NCHRP Digest summarizes the findings of NCHRP Project 3-41, "Procedure for Determining Work Zone Speed Limits". The "Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways" has no uniform guidelines for determining work zone speed limits. At their 1988 joint meeting, the AASHTO Highway Subcommittee on Traffic Engineering and the Maintenance Technical Committee of the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices unanimously concurred that research was urgently needed to establish a procedure for determining work zone speed limits to address safety problems. The research reported here was initiated to meet this need. The researchers sought to answer three fundamental questions: (1) Are work zones with reduced speed limits safer? (2) What are the compliance levels with various speed limit reductions? and (3) What roadway and traffic factors should be considered in determining a work zone speed limit? To answer these questions, Graham-Migletz Enterprises, Inc. (GME) conducted a literature review and interviewed state and local highway agency officials in 12 states to learn about the procedures their agencies used to establish work zone speed limits and the perceived effectiveness of various speed limit reduction policies. In addition, the research included interviews and surveys to determine the attitudes of motorists, construction contractors, and construction liability insurance carriers concerning how work zone speed limits should be set. The results were considered in planning field data collection on vehicle speeds, traffic accidents, and traffic conflicts in work zones. A candidate procedure for appropriate work zone speed limits was formulated early in the research and revised, as appropriate, throughout the remainder of the project.

Supplemental Notes:

This digest, prepared by L.R. Crowther and K.S. Opiela, is an excerpt from the contractor's final report. Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved

Language:

English

Corporate Authors:

Transportation Research Board

500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001 United States

Pagination:

43 p.

Publication Date:

1996-9

Serial:

NCHRP Research Results Digest

Issue Number: 192
Publisher: Transportation Research Board

Features:

Figures (4) ; References (66) ; Tables (16)

Old TRIS Terms:

Subject Areas:

Administration and Management; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Policy; Research; Safety and Human Factors; I60: Maintenance; I73: Traffic Control

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Oct 30 1996 12:00AM