00935937

Component

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

It is necessary to plan and create sufficient access and travel patterns as development occurs along the highway system. Operational or collision problems can occur when large developments have access only along the highway. Congestion and collision problems arise due to the conflicts between traffic entering and exiting the facility competing for gaps in highway traffic. An operational and safety problem existed at a divided highway in a suburban area with several commercial development accesses located solely along the highway; no alternative access from the local street system existed. An improvement project was undertaken to address the safety and operational concerns. The project incorporated measures to separate major conflicting movements, increase left turn storage, and remove U-turns and left turns from the through traffic lane. In addition to highway changes, some driveway and site changes were necessary to ensure internal travel patterns conformed with access and operational changes. A before and after study was conducted to evaluate the project's impact. The safety impact review revealed that this segment has decreased from 55 collisions for the two years before the project to only 12 collisions (78% decrease) for the two years after the project was complete. Furthermore, the congestion problems observed prior to the project were also addressed. The median and driveway modification project addressed the specific mid-block collision problems it sought to correct without adversely affecting any other portion of the highway. This significant reduction in collisions demonstrates the safety benefit of access and operational changes. Median and access modifications measures can be used in reducing crashes and improving the operation of both the state highway and business properties along a highway.

English

20p

2000

Fourth National Access Management Conference

Appendices (1) ; Figures; Tables

Access; Commercial buildings; Divided highways; Driveways; Highway safety; Highway traffic; Improvements; Left turns; Medians; Suburbs; Traffic conflicts; Traffic congestion; Traffic crashes; Traffic safety; Travel patterns; U turns

Midblock collisions

Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Terminals and Facilities; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure

TRIS, TRB

Dec 30 2003 12:00AM

• 135TH STREET CORRIDOR TRAFFIC STUDY
• A METHODOLOGY TO EVALUATE THE IMPACTS OF PROHIBITING MEDIAN OPENING MOVEMENTS
• 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
• SYMBIOTIC, OPPORTUNISTIC, OMNIVORES: A PERSPECTIVE ON NEW YORK'S ARTERIAL ACCESS MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE
• THE ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF MEDIANS: AN EMPIRICAL APPROACH