SUBURBAN HIGHWAY CROSS SECTIONS: MEDIAN VERSUS TWO-WAY LEFT-TURN LANE DESIGNS. FINAL REPORT

The purpose of this study was to examine the existing state of the art with regard to the selection of a roadway cross-section for a suburban arterial road. The goal was to develop guidelines to choose between alternative treatments in different situations with respect to land use, traffic volume, travel speed, etc. The primary focus of this research was on arterial highways in developing suburban areas, and two alternative treatments -- nontraversable medians and two-way left-turn lanes (TWLTLs). Several mathematical models were examined, but were found to be not universally applicable. The following investigations were performed to gain additional information: (1) a survey of highway design engineers of different state departments of transportation to identify their experience and preference; (2) an analysis of accidents on Tennessee highways with TWLTLs and medians, respectively; and (3) an analysis of traffic delay on road segments with a TWLTL and a median, respectively, using the simulation model known as NETSIM.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This research was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation's University Transportation Centers Program.
• Corporate Authors:

  Southeastern Transportation Center

  University of Tennessee
  309 Conference Center Building
  Knoxville, TN  United States  37996-4133
• Authors:
  • Chatterjee, A
  • Margiotta, R
  • Mukherjee, D
  • Venigalla, M
• Publication Date: 1991-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 89 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Arterial highways; Crash analysis; Cross sections; Data collection; Highway engineers; Highways; Mathematical models; Medians; Simulation; State of the art studies; Suburbs; Surveys; Traffic crashes; Traffic delays; Two way left turn lanes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Suburban highways
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00669005
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 18 1994 12:00AM