An Analytical Procedure for Statewide Computation of Available Sight Distance Values Using Datasets Commonly Available to Transportation Agencies
Standard practices for computing sight distance on existing highways for which no design plans are available rely on field-based and labor-intensive procedures. Even current technology meant to streamline the process simply makes manual processes easier but does not replace them. The research team will argue that data sources typically owned by transportation agencies include data elements that can support automated sight distance evaluations processes without the need for field procedures. Data elements that can support the sight distance evaluations include GPS traces from Photolog vehicles and values for lane, shoulder, and median width. The automation idea is not new. For over 25 years, efforts have been made to automate the sight distance computation process. However, most efforts have been limited to the development of procedures and small scale testing. As part of a recent project, the research team was tasked with the creation of a statewide database of deficiencies across the Wisconsin state trunk highway (STH) network. The task prompted the need to review existing practices used to streamline the computation of sight distances and the establishment of computational procedures applicable to existing state-owned datasets. Computational procedures established by the research team were implemented in the R programming language and enabled the computation of available sight distance values along all Wisconsin STH highways without the need for field evaluations. In this paper the computational processes are presented in the form of a practice-ready document that can be used by those who want to implement their own solution.
-
Supplemental Notes:
- This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AFB10 Standing Committee on Geometric Design.
-
Corporate Authors:
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC United States 20001 -
Authors:
- Santiago-Chaparro, Kelvin R
- Bill, Andrea
- Parker, Steven
- Noyce, David A
-
Conference:
- Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
- Location: Washington DC, United States
- Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
- Date: 2017
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; Photos; References;
- Pagination: 16p
- Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Computer algorithms; Data collection; Global Positioning System; Sight distance; Surveying methods and processes; Technological innovations
- Geographic Terms: Wisconsin
- Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01623651
- Record Type: Publication
- Report/Paper Numbers: 17-01154
- Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
- Created Date: Jan 25 2017 3:08PM