BENEFIT-COST EVALUATION OF LEFT-TURN LANES ON UNCONTROLLED APPROACHES OF RURAL INTERSECTIONS (ABRIDGMENT)

Left-turn lanes are provided on uncontrolled approaches of rural intersections to improve the safety and efficiency of traffic operations on these approaches. Although the safety and operational effects of left-turn lanes are well recognized, there are no generally accepted guidelines that define the circumstances under which the costs of these lanes are justified by the benefits they provide. The objectives of this were (a) to evaluate the benefits and costs of left-turn lanes on the uncontrolled approaches of intersections of rural two-lane highways and (b) to determine the traffic volumes that warrant these lanes in Nebraska. The road-user cost savings associated with the reductions in accidents, stops, delay, and fuel consumption provided by left-turn lanes were evaluated over a range of traffic volumes and compared with the costs of left-turn lanes over the same range. The safety effectiveness of the lanes was based on accident experience on rural two-lane highways in Nebraska. The NETSIM traffic simulation model was used to determine their operational effectiveness. Volumes for which the road-user cost savings exceeded the lane costs were determined to warrant left-turn lanes. The warrants developed in this research are limited to prevailing conditions typical of those on rural two-lane highways in Nebraska. However, the procedure used to develop these warrants is applicable to other locations.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1985/1026/1026-005.pdf
• Summary URL:
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• 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. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Operational Effects of Geometrics.
• Corporate Authors:

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• Authors:
  • McCoy, Patrick T
  • Hoppe, Weldon J
  • Dvorak, Dennis V
• Publication Date: 1985

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 40-43
• Monograph Title: Evaluation Methods and Design and Operational Effects of Geometrics
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1026
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Crash rates; Fuel consumption; Intersections; Left turn lanes; Safety; Traffic delays; Traffic volume
• Subject Areas: Design; Energy; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00457199
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309039169
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-039 596
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Aug 31 1990 12:00AM