STUDY OF WIDTH AND DENSITY OF DELINEATION DESIGN ELEMENTS FOR SPECIAL-USE LANES

The results of a two-part study that investigated the effects of varying roadway delineation width and the density of design elements within the roadway line on driver lane-change behavior are reported. The width study consisted of a controlled field experiment in which drivers indicated their decisions on whether to cross 1-, 2-, and 3-ft delineation treatments laid on a closed section of roadway. In the second part of the study, a laboratory experiment, the number of elements in the line design was varied by overlaying various drawings onto a highway scene and showing these slides to subjects to elicit their lane-choice responses. The designs tested were generated from previous work related to delineation treatments for high-occupancy vehicle lanes, which often operate as special-use lanes during rush hours and then revert to general use during off-peak hours. Delineation markings must thus appear prohibitive at one time and permissive at another. Width of line was found to have relatively little effect on the prohibitive or permissive meaning of delineation treatments. Density of design elements, however, was found to be an important determinant of permissiveness or prohibitiveness in that the widely spaced elements invited lane crossover more than densely spaced ones. The study findings appear to be applicable not only to delineation designs for special-use lanes but also as general design parameters in the application of roadway markings. (Author)

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1980/782/782-007.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=STUDY+OF+WIDTH+AND+DENSITY+OF+DELINEATION+DESIGN+ELEMENTS+FOR+SPECIAL-USE+LANES&author=B.+Knapp&author=R.+Pain&publication_year=1980
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/0309031729
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on User Information Systems. 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:
  • Knapp, Beverly G
  • Pain, Richard F
• Conference:
  • 59th Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board
  • Location: Washington District of Columbia, United States
  • Date: 1980-1-21 to 1980-1-25
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 40-46
• Monograph Title: Human Factors and Motorist Information Needs
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 782
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Behavior; Density; Design; Drivers; High occupancy vehicle lanes; Highway delineators; Highway design; Road markings; Traffic lanes; Width
• Old TRIS Terms: Highway delineation; Reserved lanes; Traffic marking
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00335181
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309031729
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Sep 16 1981 12:00AM