Abstract:
This paper summarizes speed concepts across the life cycle of a road. The design and speed regulatory processes, which utilize design speeds and speed limits, are controlled by various units of government. These processes provide both explicit and implicit information on appropriate operating speeds. Design, traffic control and enforcement agencies do not always operate from a common perspective or information base. Desirable relationships between design speed, speed limits and operating speeds are not explicitly stated in design or speed-limit setting procedures. This paper identifies conceptually ideal relationships. Case studies of five actual urban streets speed relationships are presented; none replicates the conceptual ideal. These case studies and others will be used in a document that addresses speed concepts from a multidisciplinary perspective.
