Ronald W Eck

Older-driver perception of problems at unsignalized intersections on divided highways

West Virginia has one of the oldest populations in the country. As the Appalachian Development Highway System expands, many older drivers are, for the first time in their driving experience, encountering at-grade intersections on high-speed divided roadways. Because older drivers generally demonstrate an increased accident involvement at at-grade intersections, a study was undertaken to assess understanding by West Virginia’s older drivers of the associated geometric design features and traffic control devices. A self-administered survey was completed by 172 participants at 15 senior centers in counties that have corridor highways within their boundaries. Respondents ranged in age from 50 to 91. Almost two-thirds of the respondents were female. About 44% of respondents indicated that they voluntarily limited their driving, mainly because of difficulties driving at night. Overall, crossing the divided highway was perceived as less difficult than making left turns. Making left turns onto the divided highway was perceived as the more difficult of the turning movements. Approximately one-half of the participants indicated that they did not have problems making left turns onto the divided highway. Large trucks and rudeness or dangerous actions of other drivers were the most commonly cited dislikes about sections of divided highway. Responses indicated a lack of understanding about how to drive through the middle of the at-grade intersection. This issue can be addressed through traffic engineering techniques such as delineation or channelization and through development of driver educational materials.

Assessment and mitigation measures for graffiti on highway structures

Highway structures are public works facilities that are inherently accessible, to a certain degree, to the general public at all hours of the day and every day of the year. As a result, some highway structures are susceptible to graffiti. Graffiti on highway structures is a significant problem throughout the United States. Not only is graffiti an eyesore to the traveling public, it presents a hazard to the perpetrator and a liability exposure for transportation agencies because highway structures span high elevations and are in close proximity to motor vehicle traffic. The most common methods for combating graffiti include washing the surface of the structure with high-pressure water sprays, repainting the surface, and sandblasting. Although each of these methods can, in most cases, effectively remove the graffiti, the solution is often temporary; more graffiti is likely to appear in the future at the same site. Further, these measures can be quite costly, especially if they have to be repeated on numerous occasions to remove recurring graffiti. Results of a comprehensive survey of transportation agencies are presented and analyzed. The survey was designed to assess the nature and extent of the graffiti problem as well as to identify some solutions to the problem and identify various preventive as well as removal techniques. The study focuses on current graffiti prevention and removal policies and various other graffiti-removal techniques that are undertaken by different state departments of transportation to mitigate graffiti problems in their states.

Using Medical Records in Non-Motor-Vehicle Pedestrian Accident Identification and Countermeasure Development

A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using emergency room and emergency medical service records in quantifying rural non-motor-vehicle pedestrian accidents and in developing countermeasures to reduce injuries resulting from such accidents. A literature review indicated that although non-motor-vehicle pedestrian accidents are a significant injury problem in the United States, there does not appear to be an effective process for collecting data about those accidents that corresponds to the data collection methods used at present for motor-vehicle accidents. A multistep process for obtaining detailed pedestrian accident data using a combination of medical records and telephone surveys is described. Data collection was time consuming and labor intensive. Therefore, it was concluded that it is not practical for traffic engineers to use medical records on a routine basis for pedestrian accident analysis. The method outlined yields a data base rich in details about pedestrian fall accidents, making it valuable in research. Whereas the results of the telephone survey did not produce a large enough sample size to extrapolate to pedestrian accidents in general, they did point out the importance of surface condition to pedestrian safety. Two general types of surface-condition problems were identified: slippery surfaces caused by accumulation of snow and ice and surface holes or openings.

SPECIFICATIONS FOR AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READING EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION PLANNING

Recent technological advances in computer hardware, software, and image processing have led to the development of an automated license plate reader (ALPR). This equipment was developed primarily for enforcement and security applications, such as monitoring parking garages or border crossings. Because license plate data are used in several transportation planning studies, ALPRs have the potential to increase the quality and efficiency of many typical activities of transportation planning agencies. The key performance attributes of an ALPR with respect to the specific needs of transportation planning are determined. The following general needs are investigated: (a) the specific license plate data requirements of transportation planning studies; (b) the effect of the equipment on traffic operations and safety; and (c) special equipment characteristics required because of the temporary nature of transportation planning and the constraints of transportation planning agencies. In addition, an existing ALPR was tested in situations likely to be encountered in transportation planning applications. Technical specifications for an ALPR for transportation planning are developed. These specifications can be used to provide motivation and direction for the future development of an ALPR for transportation planning. Finally, the technical challenges to developing the ALPR are discussed.

TEAMWORK AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER IN LOW-VOLUME ROAD SAFETY

The roles of teams and technology transfer in enhancing safety on low-volume roads are addressed. Roadway safety is a multidisciplinary science involving several elements: (a) the three components of the roadway system—people, vehicle, and roadway; (b) the agencies and groups that plan, design, build, and use roads and promote roadway safety; and (c) the public health and safety communities that are concerned with injury prevention, response, treatment, and rehabilitation. Often the people working within these separate elements are characterized by interests, methods, and means limited by the boundaries, real or perceived, of their disciplines, organizations, and cultures. The application of technology transfer and teamwork enhances the efficacy of efforts to focus these elements on issues and problems related to roadway safety. Three broad topics are discussed. First, the importance of integrating the efforts of technical and nontechnical people and organizations through the development and management of multidisciplinary working groups and teams is explained. An associated topic is the conflict and ambiguity expected with expertise roles, boundary roles, and culture. Second, the importance of technology transfer in establishing and maintaining roadway systems used by motor vehicles, nonmotorized vehicles, and pedestrians and in educating and training engineers, engineering technicians, and the general population to design, build, maintain, and use roads safely is highlighted. Third, the importance of existing agencies in providing an organizational infrastructure that may either facilitate or hinder roadway safety planning and operations is described.

Considering and Applying Driveway Design for All Users

NCHRP Project 15-35, Geometric Design of Driveways, was initiated to help address the lack of comprehensive research and national design guidance for the design of driveway connections to roadways. The research initiated with this project included an extensive literature review, a survey of state agencies and contacts with interest groups, and fieldwork to measure traffic attributes. The project produced two publications: a research report on the NCHRP website and NCHRP Report 659: Guide for the Geometric Design of Driveways. This paper considers the following topics: (a) What design issues were identified? Current design practices may not adequately consider the range of all driveway users: bicyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. The paper discusses the vulnerability of various users on the basis of historical crash data. (b) What user attributes were found? The research produced information about the driveway grades at which the undersides of vehicles may drag and the speeds at which vehicles on urban arterials entered commercial driveways having radii ranging from 13 to 20 ft. (c) What design practices were recommended? The guide presents a number of design practices to better meet the needs of all users. This paper provides useful information for design consultants and local government professionals.

Multimodal Driveway Design

Driveways are the link between public roadways and the abutting activities that they serve. Driveways serve a wide range of activities in a variety of contexts. Driveway design guidelines have traditionally focused on accommodating motor vehicles, but in recent years, growing emphasis has been placed on a broader range of issues, such as better managing access and accommodating all modes, including pedestrians and bicyclists. How well driveways are designed affects the safety and mobility of not only motorists but also bicyclists and pedestrians. This paper draws from research performed for NCHRP Project 15–35, Geometric Design of Driveways. It discusses multimodal driveway design considerations and provides design guidelines that recognize the needs of pedestrians (including those with disabilities and transit users) and bicyclists.

Guide for the Geometric Design of Driveways

This report presents guidelines that will be of use to state departments of transportation, local governments, and consultants for the geometric design of driveways. It contains driveway-related terms and definitions, basic geometric controls, a summary of access spacing principles, and detailed discussions of various geometric design elements. The objective of the research was to develop recommendations for the geometric design of driveways that consider standard engineering practice and accessibility needs and provide for safe and efficient travel by motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists on the affected roadway.

Traffic Effects of Fairs and Festivals on Low-Volume Roads

Special events, including sporting events, concerts, historical re-enactments, and fairs and festivals, can generate large volumes of traffic such that congestion and associated problems occur on low-volume roads. In particular, theme-oriented fairs and festivals, such as arts and crafts fairs and wine and jazz festivals, are growing in number and popularity throughout the United States. Quantifying and understanding the traffic characteristics of fairs and festivals would be useful in predicting how such events will affect traffic flow on a low-volume road, planning traffic management, and predicting parking needs. One specific need is for trip-generation data for estimating the magnitude and nature of travel associated with theme-oriented fairs and festivals. Background data were collected for a number of West Virginia events on low-volume roads through interviews and questionnaires. Five categories of theme-oriented fairs and festivals were identified: food and drink, arts and crafts, cultural heritage, historical, and performing arts. The number of booths was recommended as the best independent variable to use in calculating trip-generation rates. Attendance and vehicular data were collected and analyzed. Vehicle occupancy for theme-oriented fairs and festivals was determined to be 2.33 people per vehicle. Trip-generation rates and corresponding statistics were determined for 2-day (Saturday and Sunday) and 3-day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) events. Implications of the study results for low-volume road managers were considered.

COOPERATIVE EFFORT TO PROMOTE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTAIN LOW-VOLUME ROAD SAFETY AND OPERATIONS: INTERMODAL CASE STUDY

The principal function of low-volume roads is to provide access to land uses adjacent to the road. The roads are important to industry for hauling raw materials and to local residents. Low-volume roads often intersect railroads, creating a grade crossing. This creates the potential for conflicts between modes and introduces delays for motorists when long trains occupy a crossing. These conflicts can reach unacceptable levels. Presented is a case study of one such situation. The George’s Creek area in Maryland is a significant producer of bituminous coal. A local coal operator wanted to ship coal via train to the port of Baltimore. Clearly, this would be a boost to the local economy. A rail line already served the area; however, there were no coal-loading facilities. The quantity of coal produced did not justify construction of such facilities. Thus it was decided to load the train by using mobile equipment. This required the train to block a low-volume road grade crossing for significant periods on a quarterly basis. Residents were concerned about access to their homes, emergency vehicle access, and grade crossing safety. Through communication, coordination, and cooperation among the mine operator, the railroad, and the local jurisdiction, a plan was developed wherein the mine was able to ship its coal by rail and local residents had safe access to their homes and emergency vehicle service. Implementation of the solution is detailed. Critical issues are identified and their resolution discussed. Lessons learned and suggestions for other locations facing similar problems are included.