TRB STUDY ON GEOMETRIC DESIGN STANDARDS FOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS

The Federal-Aid Highway Act (1976) authorized the use of federal funds for resurfacing, restoration, and rehabilitation (RRR) projects on existing federal-aid system highways under the Federal-Aid RRR Program. RRR activities fall into two classes: repairs of road surfaces and improvements in highway geometric characteristics. Concerns over highway deterioration have been directed largely at the first class, and concerns over highway safety have focused on geometric characteristics, such as lane widths, shoulder widths, horizontal curvature, vertical grades and curves, superelevations, and cross slopes. Of the 3 federal aid administrative systems (primary, secondary, urban), the primary system receives about 60% of non-interstate federal funding of which at least 40% must be spent on RRR. This system is predominantly made up of rural 2-lane roads. With regard to RRR geometric standards, the FHWA, over the years, considered a number of alternative policies, and in 1982 settled on permitting states to develop their own RRR standards subject to FHWA approval. The states were thus permitted to continue using new construction standards with case-by-case exemptions. In the debate on RRR standards, safety was considered from 2 different standpoints: the effect of the standards on safety; and the role of safety as an objective of the RRR program. In an effort to address the safety/cost-effectiveness issue, the Surface Transportation Assistnace Act of 1982 directed the National Research Council to conduct a study to determine the minimum standards that should be applied to RRR projects. This is being accomplished through the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Initial TRB Study activities include field visits to state highway agencies, and efforts to define the relationships between roadway features and highway safety. The study committee will then define RRR alternatives with respect to a variety of impact categories including safety, cost, highway condition, administrative burden, environmental consequences and legal implications.

• Record URL:
  • https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trnews/trnews111-003.pdf
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/07386826
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Skinner Jr, R E
• Publication Date: 1984-3

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Photos; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 16-19
• Serial:
  • TR News
  • Issue Number: 111
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0738-6826
  • Serial URL: https://doi.org/10.17226/895

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alternatives analysis; Cost effectiveness; Design standards; Driver rehabilitation; Federal aid highways; Geometric curves; Geometric design; Highway grades; Highway safety; Highways; Impacts; Improvements; Primary highways; Repairing; Resurfacing; Road shoulders; Rural highways; Slopes; Superelevation; Traffic lanes; Width
• Uncontrolled Terms: Cross-slope; Horizontal curvature; Rehabilitation; Repairs; Restoration
• Old TRIS Terms: Traffic lane width
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00386681
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Jul 30 1984 12:00AM