00935948

Component

http://www.teachamerica.c...ment.info/pdf/AM00PAPR.pdf

Left turns into/out of median openings/driveways account for 70 percent of crashes reported at driveway locations. One of the prevalent access management strategies to address this problem would be to modify the existing median opening and/or driveway to prevent the left-turns. This would require the vehicles that used to make the left-turns and/or through movements prior to modification to travel to adjacent median openings or intersections and make U-turns. Thus, the prevention of the left-turns at median opening/driveway locations increases the volumes at adjacent intersections and could affect the operation and safety at these intersections. In addition, the rerouted vehicles must change lanes between the median opening location and the adjacent intersections. If the distance between the median opening location and the adjacent intersection is not sufficient for changing lanes, both the operation and safety of the arterial segment could be impacted. Furthermore, the prevention of median opening movements could impact adjacent business operations, truck delivery operations and even the adjacent property value. Thus, when deciding on the prevention of left turn and/or through movements at a median opening/driveway, a number of factors should be considered. These factors include the impacts on adjacent intersection operations, median opening/driveway operations, arterial weaving operations, overall system operations, rerouted motorist's convenience, safety, cost-benefit value, and public acceptance. The importance of these factors in the decision making process depends on the attitudes of the decision-makers towards the factors for the particular project under consideration. This paper discusses a methodology for assessing the impacts of preventing left-turn and/or through movements at median openings/driveway locations based on the above factors. As part of this methodology, the paper presents a new procedure to assess the impacts of U-turn vehicles and the conflicts between U-turn and right turn vehicles on the operations of adjacent signalized intersections. A case study is presented to illustrate the application of the methodology to a real-world problem.

English

17p

2000

Fourth National Access Management Conference

Figures (4) ; References (5) ; Tables (3)

Acceptance; Arterial highways; Attitudes; Benefit cost analysis; Case studies; Decision making; Driveways; Evaluation; Impacts; Intersections; Left turns; Median openings; Operations; Prevention; Public opinion; Right turns; Signalized intersections; Through traffic; Traffic conflicts; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety; Traffic volume; U turns; Weaving traffic

Administration and Management; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies; Society; I73: Traffic Control; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure

TRIS, TRB

Dec 31 2003 12:00AM

• 135TH STREET CORRIDOR TRAFFIC STUDY
• ACCESS MANAGEMENT AND CORRIDOR PLANNING, THE OKALOOSA COUNTY EXPERIENCE
• ACCESS MANAGEMENT IN MONTANA: FROM STATEWIDE PLANNING TO IMPLEMENTATION
• ACCESS MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH DAKOTA
• ACCESS SPACING AND SAFETY: RECENT RESEARCH RESULTS
• AN INTRODUCTION TO ACCESS MANAGEMENT
• APPLYING CONTEXT SENSITIVE HIGHWAY DESIGN TO ACHIEVE ACCESS MANAGEMENT IMPROVEMENTS
• CASE STUDIES OF ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF RAISED MEDIANS ON ADJACENT BUSINESSES: STUDY METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS
• COMPARISON OF DELAY AND ACCIDENTS ON THREE ROADWAY ACCESS DESIGNS IN SPRINGFIELD
• GEORGIA STUDY CONFIRMS THE CONTINUING SAFETY ADVANTAGE OF RAISED MEDIANS OVER TWO-WAY LEFT-TURN LANES
• INDIRECT LEFT TURNS - THE MICHIGAN EXPERIENCE
• INTEGRATED TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT
• LAND DEVELOPMENT AND ACCESS MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR INTERCHANGE AREAS
• OREGON'S NEW ACCESS MANAGEMENT RULES: A STUDY IN PROCESS, POLITICS AND PRAGMATISM
• SUCCESSFUL MEDIAN MODIFICATIONS PROJECT -- CASE STUDY
• SYMBIOTIC, OPPORTUNISTIC, OMNIVORES: A PERSPECTIVE ON NEW YORK'S ARTERIAL ACCESS MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE
• THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MEDIANS: AN EMPIRICAL APPROACH