IMPROVED COMMUNICATION OF A LEFT EXIT LANE DROP USING PAVEMENT MARKINGS. INTERIM REPORT

This project investigated the operations and safety characteristics of left exit lane drops. As generally recognized, constructing left exits is to be avoided; however, when present, suggestions on methods to improve safety and operations are valuable. One alternative for better communicating to motorists the presence of a left exit lane drop is with pavement markings. Lane drop pavement markings, pavement arrows, and raised pavement markings were evaluated at one site to determine their effectiveness during daytime and evening operations. Erratic maneuvers were reduced by 40% during daylight operations, and by 34% during evening operations. The predominant type of erratic maneuver within 300 ft (91.5 m) of the gore was the lane change through the gore area. The most common type of erratic maneuver upstream of the gore area was the two-lane lane change. The study site, which was 1240 ft (378 m) in length, experienced a 31% reduction in lane changes (64% for the 300 ft (91.5 m) nearest the gore) between the before and after periods during daylight operations. Examining the data by zone (which were typically 100 ft (30.5 m) in length) showed a significant reduction in lane changes per hour in the 700 ft (213.5 m) nearest to the gore, with fluctuations in the remaining zones (between 700 and 1200 ft (213.5 and 366 m) upstream of the gore) for both daylight and evening operations. The data indicated that motorists performed their lane changes, into or out of the exit-only lane, further upstream of the gore in the after period than in the before period.

• Record URL:
  • https://library.ctr.utexas.edu/hostedpdfs/tti/1232-27.pdf
• Record URL:
  • https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/82198
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Research study title: Urban Highway Operations Research and Implementation Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Texas Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System, 1600 E Lamar Boulevard
  Arlington, TX  United States  76011

  Texas Department of Transportation

  Research and Technology Transfer Office, P.O. Box 5051
  Austin, TX  United States  78763-5051

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Fitzpatrick, K
  • Lance, M
  • Urbanik II, Thomas
• Publication Date: 1994-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 62 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arrows (Signals); Before and after studies; Days; Gore area; Lane changing; Lane drops; Measures of effectiveness; Night; Problem drivers; Raised road markings; Reckless drivers; Road markings
• Uncontrolled Terms: Effectiveness
• Old TRIS Terms: Arrow (Traffic control); Erratic driving behavior; Gore; Left exits; Raised traffic markings
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00676587
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA/TX-94/1232-27, Res Rept 1232-27, TTI: 0-1232
• Contract Numbers: Study 0-1232
• Files: NTL, TRIS, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 18 1995 12:00AM