DEVELOPMENT OF GEOMETRIC DESIGN STANDARDS FOR LOW-VOLUME ROADS IN CANADA

Approximately 76 percent of the road system in Canada has been classified as rural local roads that carry low traffic volumes. In the past, a uniform set of geometric design standards for roads was not available in Canada. The lack of national standards for low-volume roads resulted in agencies developing their own. These standards may not have been compatible with the required function of the road and also had the effect of nonuniform treatment of roads between road jurisdictions. Transportation planners and designers were faced with the problem of reducing national standards, which were originally developed for a higher classification of roads, to meet economic constraints. It became evident that there was a need to find ways to construct these roads more economically and to maintain their safety and effectiveness. As a result, the Roads and Transportation Association of Canada initiated a project to develop a national set of geometric design standards for low-volume roads. A separate chapter for low-volume roads is now included in the "Manual of Geometric Design Standards for Canadian Roads". A discussion is presented of the approach used to develop the geometric design standards for low-volume roads, the results and findings, and future research that should be performed to further refine the standards.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1987/1106v2/1106v2-027.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=DEVELOPMENT+OF+GEOMETRIC+DESIGN+STANDARDS+FOR+LOW-VOLUME+ROADS+IN+CANADA&author=D.+Bews&author=G.+Smith&author=G.+Tencha&publication_year=1987
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309044545
• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper appeared in Transportation Research Record N1106, Fourth International Conference on Low-Volume Roads, Volume 2. 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
• Authors:
  • Bews, D
  • Smith, G
  • Tencha, G
• Conference:
  • International Conference on Low Volume Roads, 4th, 1987, Ithaca, New York, USA
• Publication Date: 1987-8

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 225-234
• Monograph Title: FOURTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LOW-VOLUME ROADS. VOLUME 2
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 1106
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design standards; Geometric design; Low volume roads; Rural highways
• Geographic Terms: Canada
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00473153
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309044545
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 30 1987 12:00AM