Technical Issues Encountered in Developing a Comprehensive Access Management Program in the State of Texas

While preparing to develop and implement a comprehensive access management program, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently sponsored research through the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to provide recommendations for modifications to the Design Division "Roadway Design Manual." The research also includes a provision to produce an "Access Management Guidebook for Texas" for use by planners and engineers when planning, designing, and reviewing highway projects and access requests. This paper describes some of the technical issues that emerged in the research related to roadway access classification, unsignalized access spacing criteria, and median alternatives. Specifically, in terms of roadway access classification, considerations include what type of access classification system (if any) is necessary to develop a successful program. For unsignalized access spacing and median alternatives, technical questions were related to what unsignalized access (driveway) spacing criteria and median opening guidelines are most applicable for adoption in Texas and why. This paper presents the results of these and other technical issues that have been encountered, describes some of the background on access management, outlines some of the alternatives used in existing access management programs in other states, and provides some of the pros and cons of each of these alternatives, as they relate to Texas. Finally, the paper provides the current status of the comprehensive access management program in Texas. The research and experiences that have emerged as a result of this project are expected to be useful to engineers and planners not only within Texas, but in other states that are developing or modifying comprehensive access management programs as well.

• Record URL:
  http://accessmanagement.info/sites/default/files/AM02%20paper.pdf
• 
• Corporate Authors:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Schultz, Grant G
  • Eisele, William L
  • Frawley, William E
• Conference:
  • Fifth National Conference on Access Management
  • Location: Austin Texas, United States
  • Date: 2002-6-23 to 2002-6-26
• Publication Date: 2002

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 209-230
• Monograph Title: Fifth National Conference on Access Management, June 23-26, 2002, Austin, Texas

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Access control (Transportation); Alternatives analysis; Classification; Driveways; Manuals; Median openings; Spacing
• Geographic Terms: Texas
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01046232
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Apr 18 2007 1:27PM