COST-EFFECTIVENESS EVALUATION OF RURAL INTERSECTION LEVELS OF ILLUMINATION

Lighting is often installed at rural intersections to improve the safety of night traffic operations at these locations. However, there are no generally accepted design criteria that define the levels of illumination required at rural intersections. The objective of this research was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of rural intersection levels of illumination. Six lighting systems were installed at a rural, unchannelized intersection of two two-lane highways. Speedprofile and traffic-conflict studies were conducted on an uncontrolled approach to the intersection. The studies were conducted at night at each level of illumination as well as with no lighting. The data were analyzed to determine the safety- and cost-effectiveness of each level of illumination. The results of the research indicated that, for a given luminaire wattage, two-luminaire systems provided safer traffic operations than did one-luminaire systems; and the safest operations were observed under a two 200watt high-pressure-sodium (HPS) luminaire system. The results of the cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that lighting was not warranted at rural intersections with main highway average daily traffic less than 3,250 vehicles per day. At higher volume intersections a two 200-watt HPS luminaire system was the most cost-effective.

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/996/996-008.pdf
• Summary URL:
  https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=COST-EFFECTIVENESS+EVALUATION+OF+RURAL+INTERSECTION+LEVELS+OF+ILLUMINATION&author=K.+Anderson&author=W.+Hoppe&author=P.+McCoy&author=R.+Price&publication_year=1984
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • 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. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Visibility.
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  Transportation Research Board

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• Authors:
  • Anderson, Kyle A
  • Hoppe, Weldon J
  • McCoy, Patrick T
  • Price, Ramon E
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 44-47
• Monograph Title: MOTORIST INFORMATION NEEDS AND VISIBILITY FACTORS
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 996
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Average daily traffic; Cost effectiveness; Intersections; Luminous intensity; Rural highways; Street lighting; Traffic conflicts; Traffic safety; Two lane highways
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00450258
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309038057
• Report/Paper Numbers: HS-038 913
• Files: HSL, TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Nov 30 1985 12:00AM