A Proposed Performance-based Highway Design Process: Incorporating Safety Considerations

This paper describes how current highway design practice in the United States allows for flexibility in the application of geometric design principals. However, current design practices lack a formal methodology, which results in varying degrees of application by region, agency and individual. While the consequences of design flexibility (i.e., construction cost, capacity, highway safety, etc.) are recognized, an improved method of quantifying and comparing the consequences of design decisions is needed in order to allow for more informed decision making. This paper proposes a performance-based design process that can be implemented using the tools, research, and published design documentation that already exists within the highway engineering community. This process capitalizes on existing workflow for increased acceptance among professionals. Implementation will lead to an improved understanding of the impacts to safety and other outcomes caused by relaxing design standards to accommodate existing right of way (ROW), environmental constraints, and other items traditionally viewed as constraints. This paper presents a proposed performance-based highway design process that is demonstrated using highway safety as the measurable outcome. The proposed process can be extended to include other highway engineering performance outcomes such as vehicle capacity, but this paper focuses solely on the safety performance of highway alternatives.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9781845645205
• Corporate Authors:

  WIT Press

  Ashurst Lodge
  Ashurst, Southampton  United Kingdom  SO40 7AA
• Authors:
  • Carrigan, C E
  • Ray, M H
• Conference:
  • 17th International Conference on Urban Transport and the Environment
  • Location: Pisa , Italy
  • Date: 2011-6-6 to 2011-6-8
• Publication Date: 2011-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References;
• Pagination: 517-528
• Monograph Title: Urban Transport XVII. Urban Transport and the Environment in the 21st Century

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Environmental impacts; Geometric design; Highway capacity; Highway design; Highway safety; Right of way (Land)
• Uncontrolled Terms: Performance based design
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; I22: Design of Pavements, Railways and Guideways; I82: Accidents and Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01354052
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9781845645205
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Oct 19 2011 12:52PM