EVALUATION OF A NEW PASSING ZONE GORE DESIGN. FINAL REPORT

The purpose of this research study was to determine the effects that a new passing zone's gore design had on traffic characteristics. The new gore design consisted of a painted gore at the beginning of the passing zone which guides the traffic into the right lane, therefore directing the slow-moving vehicles out of the left lane. The project's three objectives were to determine if the new gore design: is more efficient than the old design by allowing more vehicles to pass; reduces illegal and erratic maneuvers; and has any effect on the safety of the roadway. The major findings of the study were that when the new passing zone gore design was implemented the passing efficiency within the passing zone actually decreased at the .4 mile site while it increased slightly at the .9 mile site. Also, the number of illegal or erratic maneuvers, which included passes on the right and platoon leaders staying left or going through the gore, was reduced at the longer site while at the shorter site they increased. Finally, safety seemed not to be affected by either passes on the right or going through the painted gore. From these findings came the following recommendations: 1) the new passing zone gore design should not be implemented at this time on passing zones of one-half mile or less in length; 2) the new passing zone gore design could be implemented on passing zones of greater than one-half mile; and 3) further research dealing with such factors as total passes, different passing zone lengths, etc., should be carried out to determine more specifically the effects of this new design on the traffic characteristics.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.nj.gov/transportation/business/research/reports/FHWA-NJ-1989-003-7728.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  New Jersey Department of Transportation

  1035 Parkway Avenue
  Trenton, NJ  United States  08625

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • BATZ, T M
• Publication Date: 1988-8

Media Info

• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 56 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Design; Gore area; Highway safety; Measures of effectiveness; Passing zones; Problem drivers; Reckless drivers; Road markings; Slow moving vehicles
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Erratic driving behavior; Gore; Traffic marking
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00489640
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/NJ-89-004-7733, 89-004-7733
• Contract Numbers: Study 7733
• Files: ITRD, ARRB, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Nov 30 1990 12:00AM