Why Outreach Matters

• Allows you to…

• Get essential input

• Get in front of the issues

• Deal effectively with potential opponents

• Create opportunities for

  • education

  • and venting!

Lessons learned…

• Define end game- outreach process objectives

• Know your stakeholders!

• Tailor the approach

• Draft a Public Involvement Plan (PIP) before project start-up

Access Spacing and Corner Clearance

• Corner Clearance is the distance provided between a roadway intersection and the nearest access connection

• Corner Clearance is a special case of access connection spacing

No Presentation

What we found

• MDOT is typically getting what they pay for

• Studies/plan preparations take 12 – 18 months

• More than 35 studies completed

• Cost range: $25,000 - $100,000

• Plan/ordinance adoption rates and reasons vary

• Numerous specific recommendations implemented

• MDOT/local government cooperation and coordination typically improves after studies

• Access committees often form in perpetuity

Objective

• Determine the economic effects of access management techniques on businesses adjacent to multilane highways.

In Favor of a Raised Median to Increase Safety?

• Tendency is definitely negative reaction by businesses.

• However, after median installation opinions appear to improve!

Ranking of Customer Considerations

• App. 60% ranked “Accessibility” 4th, 5th, or 6th!

Well-designed Modern Roundabouts enhance the achievement of Access Management principles

• Maintain Integrity of Arterials

• Balance Mobility and Access

• Improve Safety

• Reduce
  Congestion

• Extend the life of
  Infrastructure

Roundabout Operational & Safety Characteristics:

• Driveway and intersection spacing versatility

• Geometric flexibility (properly designed)

• Less queuing

New Mexico’s Goals (2009-10)

• Update and improve current manual, regulations and internal policies.

• Provide training

• Budgeted for phase 1

Switch from Guide to Rules

• Mostly procedures w/o criteria

• All design issues pointed to Green Book

• Not effective program

• Not preserving function or safety

• Lacked ability to address accumulative impacts

• Little criteria to deny a request

Started with

What is Virginia trying to reduce/remove?

• traffic congestion
• dangerous streets & intersections
• new construction
• widening projects

Takeaway #1

• Not all arterials are created equal
  
  • Long distance trips with few access points
  • Local traffic with many access points
• Design speed must be appropriate for the context
• Road should change with the land use

Takeaway #2

II. HSM for Urban Suburban Multilane Streets

• Access Density is a known effect
• Driveways are grouped by type:
  
  • Commercial
  • Institutional
  • Residential
  • Other
• Driveways are either “minor” or “major” if have 50 or more parking spaces

“Lessons Learned”

• The Highway Safety Manual is “Functionally Based”
• The 4D model works acceptably to model 6 lane arterial street

Communication

• The right visual at the right time for the right reason
• + pics

Case Studies

Mitigation in Florida

Case Studies

MY QUESTION:

• Is there a reduction in accidents after access management is implemented?
• If yes, is it statistically significant?

CONCLUSIONS

• Access Management has a significant impact on accident severity and societal costs.
• Access Management results in a significant reduction during PM peak travel
• This knowledge can be helpful when programming future projects.

Themes

• Cities believe in the importance and value of access management
• Access management has to be undertaken hand-in-hand with other municipal considerations
• Access management is one of a handful of tools that should be used for the betterment of the community

Municipal Realities

• Cities are a study in conflicting goals and compromises
• Rarely does one goal trump all others . . . even the safety goal!
• Politics is a daily issue
• Balancing needs is key to success

Conclusions

First Steps

• Updated the existing “median policy”
  
  • no 5 lanes
  • median opening spacing
  • median opening types
• Created “signal spacing and warrant policy”
  
  • established ½ mile spacing
• Created “roundabout policy”
• Policies were signed by the Chief Engineer
  
  • after 2 years are now finally being “tested”

Future

Conclusions & Recommendations

• Effective Temporary Median Treatment
• Construction: Shorter Time and Less Cost
• Safety Effects
• Reduction on Left-Turn Related Crashes
• Total Crashes: Reduced for most of applications except full median closure from bi-directional median opening
• Benefit/Cost Ratio
• Bi-directional Channelization: 8-12
• One-directional Channelization: 3-5

Limitations & Next Step

Project Objectives

• Develop accurate information to communicate types of:
• Safety impacts
• Accident Modification Factors
• Economic impacts

Background

• Frontage roads
  
  • Start two-way (in rural)
• Conversion “pressures”
  
  • Land development
  • Increased traffic volumes, signal operation

Survey Recommendations

Project Objectives

• Develop accurate information to communicate types of:

• Safety impacts

• Accident Modification Factors

• Economic impacts

Background

• Frontage roads

  • Start two-way (in rural)

• Conversion “pressures”

  • Land development

  • Increased traffic volumes, signal operation

Survey Recommendations

• Complete conversions as quickly as possible

Presentation Outline

• Case Study 1-Nebraska Avenue Lane Diet

  • Before: 4-lane undivided

  • After: 2-lane divided with TWLTL

• Case Study 2-Hillsborough Avenue Median Installation

  • Before: 6-lane with TWLTL

  • After: 6-lane with raised medians

Case Study 1: Discussion

• Significant Safety Improvement

• Improvement of all Analyzed Crash Types

• From Worse to Better than SW Average

Texas DOT

Amarillo Comprehensive Plan 2010

• Amarillo Comprehensive Plan
• “Essential need to safeguard the through traffic function—and capacity and safety—of key arterial and highway corridors”
• Amarillo Downtown Revitalization
• Need for Viable Truck Relief Route for Amarillo

Lessons Learned

• Listen
• Ground Hog Day
• Be Pro-Active

Frank demonstrated the Corridor Visualization Explorer - a new tool developed to easily show the effects of access management decisions on a corridor.

Avoiding the Bypass Blues: Managing Impacts on Small- and Medium-Sized Communities
CUTR

Impacts of Bypass Highways on Small- and Medium-Size Communities

Florida DOT Project (2011)

Objective:  To gain insights on and make recommendations regarding how to study the possible indirect impacts of new bypass highways on land use and other considerations in Florida