Incorporating Geometric Design Into Access Permit Regulations

• Authored by:  Philip B. Demosthenes
• Event:  2008 National Conference on Access Management

We know that highways are the most dangerous facilities s on the face of the earth. AND we know that access related crashes represent over 55 percent of all reported accidents. We need to become more focused on Highway safety improvements In the last 10 years, over 430,000 dead. Guides and manuals are not enforceable – its actually the agencies engineering authority, usually through the chief engineer. It’s the opinion of the chief engineer, using guides and manuals as references, as compared to the wishes of the property owner. BUT THIS only answers the engineering questions, not larger issues such as number of accesses, location, function of roadway. All these are harder to reach as purely engineering. And everything is opinion and can be easily challenged. Access Rules are Law. The disagreement is with the law, not agency engineering opinion. Enforcement of a law, not an engineering judgement. Cannot make it simpler than this. The rest of the presentation is simply to further explain with this is true.