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Title:

IMPROVING TRAFFIC SAFETY IN RURAL KANSAS

Accession Number:

00301596

Record Type:

Component

Availability:

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Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309029554

Abstract:

The traffic engineer's goals are to provide safe, efficient, and convenient movement of persons and goods on streets and highways and to provide adequate modal transition. In larger urban areas and along primary roads, this purpose has been met to varying degrees. However, in rural areas where most cities have populations of less than 5000, there is a lack of proper traffic-control devices and of traffic engineering studies and help. In southwestern Kansas, the population density is less than 4 persons/ sq km (10 persons/ sq mile), and there were no local traffic engineering personnel in the 41 150-sq m (16,000- sq mile) area. The Greater Southwest Regional Planning Commission created a position of regional traffic engineer in late 1976, which was funded through the Kansas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. During the first two years, the engineer has (a) involved 29 of the 45 cities in federally funded traffic-sign-improvement projects, (b) completed or initiated analysis at several high-hazard locations, (c) assisted local units of government to become aware of and obtain state and federal funds, and (d) worked with local government personnel in 18 of the 19 counties in the region to establish some local expertise in traffic safety. The primary benefit of the regional traffic engineer has been that traffic engineering has been brought to southwestern Kansas with a personal touch. The local units of government could not individually afford and, in fact, would not need a fulltime traffic engineer. Under the commission assistance plan, the engineer is on call to all the local units, is governed by them, and is used by them. A regional traffic engineer is a means of providing expertise to rural areas. /Author/

Supplemental Notes:

Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Transportation System Safety. 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.

Monograph Accession #:

01411542

Authors:

Loutzenheiser, Roy C

Pagination:

pp 13-19

Publication Date:

1979

Serial:

Transportation Research Record

Issue Number: 709
Publisher: Transportation Research Board
ISSN: 0361-1981

ISBN:

0309029554

Media Type:

Print

Features:

Figures (3) ; Maps; References; Tables (1)

Geographic Terms:

Old TRIS Terms:

Subject Areas:

Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors

Files:

TRIS, TRB

Created Date:

Nov 27 1979 12:00AM

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