The design of at-grade intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings is challenging because... more The design of at-grade intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings is challenging because of the interaction between the two geometric features. Their designs can have a critical effect on safety and operation at both features. This report provides background information regarding a number of issues related to the following specific areas: traffic control devices, signal interconnection, channelization, high-profile or "hump" crossings, and illumination.
This document is the culmination of the ninth offering of an innovative transportation engineerin... more This document is the culmination of the ninth offering of an innovative transportation engineering graduate course at Texas A&M University entitled, "Advanced Surface Transportation Systems". The ninth offering of the course was presented during the summer 1999 term. As part of the course, a Mentors Program provides students with unique learning experiences. Six top-level transportation professionals from private enterprise and departments of transportation, who are leaders in their field and who have extensive experience with Intelligent Transportation Systems, were invited to Texas A&M University to present a 1½-day Symposium on Advanced Surface Transportation Systems at the beginning of the summer term. Immediately following the Symposium, the students enrolled in the course participated in a Forum and a Workshop with the transportation professionals and course instructor. Each student had discussions with the transportation professionals and the course instructor to identify a topic area for a term paper. Based on mutual interests, each student was assigned to one of the professionals who served as a mentor (along with the course instructor) for the remainder of the summer term. Each student worked with his/her mentor and course instructor to identify a topic area and objectives for a term paper. In addition to discussions with the course instructor, the students (communicating via telephone, fax, email, and mail) worked directly with the mentors throughout the term while preparing their term papers. The mentors returned to the Texas A&M University campus near the end of the summer term to hear and critique the students' presentations.
This paper describes how a recent research project investigating the effectiveness of various tre... more This paper describes how a recent research project investigating the effectiveness of various treatments at unsignalized pedestrian crossings utilized a variety of methods to collect the necessary data for the project. These methods included video recording, the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal observations, handwritten drawings, traditional measurements by hand, and digital photography. The data obtained through these various methods were integrated into a comprehensive compilation of information about each site studied in the project. As a result, the reduction and analysis of the data were greatly improved and the ability to produce detailed and extensive findings was significantly enhanced.
Thousands of crashes occur in work zones each year, leading to numerous fatalities and injuries. ... more Thousands of crashes occur in work zones each year, leading to numerous fatalities and injuries. A sizeable portion of these crashes can be attributed to excessive speed, which emphasizes the need to motivate drivers to comply with speed limits in work zones. Motivating drivers to comply with traffic regulations is an extremely important yet challenging task in reducing the potential for conflicts and is critical to the safety of both motorists and workers. This research project was conducted to determine effective measures to motivate and encourage drivers to observe posted speed limits in work zones. Findings from literature and a survey of Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel indicate that a wide variety of methods have been tested to improve compliance. Methods for establishing work zone speed limits differ from state to state. Survey respondents widely regarded enforcement as the most effective treatment, but desired other effective methods to reduce costs and improve w...
The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffi... more The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffic associated with the energy sector, including the unique characteristics of heavy trucks. Researchers reviewed existing conditions on select rural two-lane highways along with recent literature to develop the following two-page briefing sheets: Length and Spacing of Super 2 Passing Lanes. Operational Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors. Safety Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors. Signing and Marking on Super 2 Corridors. Turn Lanes on Rural Highways.
This report summarizes the series of “Traffic around Schools” workshops conducted throughout the ... more This report summarizes the series of “Traffic around Schools” workshops conducted throughout the state of Texas to familiarize Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employees and partner agencies with two key products from previous research projects (0-4286 and 0-5470) and other tools and guidance that are available for dealing with problems around schools. The research team held half-day workshops in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Pharr, San Antonio, and Dallas that were attended by over 150 participants representing 36 agencies. The workshops were well received and helped to highlight and emphasize the importance of multi-agency/multi-disciplinary cooperation in the planning, design, and operation of school sites in order to provide safe and efficient transportation access. One of the focus areas of the project and associated workshops was how agencies can effectively deal with the use of reduced speed school zones around schools. Researchers solicited and synthesized feedback fro...
Texas is exploring the use of managed lanes in congested urban corridors. This report discusses t... more Texas is exploring the use of managed lanes in congested urban corridors. This report discusses the findings from an evaluation of managed lane ramp design issues. Most of the recent literature regarding ramp design has focused on ramp design speed and truck performance. To have an appreciation for current department of transportation practices, a search of each state's design manual was conducted via the Internet. Of the 23 states that had all or part of their design manuals online, 12 had some material available concerning the design of ramps. The potential managed lane system in Texas could contain elements of systems that are currently in use in other communities. As part of this research project, members of the research team visited the New Jersey Turnpike. Simulation was used to obtain an appreciation of the effects on corridor operations when several pairs of ramps are modeled. Speed was the primary measure of effectiveness used to evaluate the effects of different ramp s...
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts a... more The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) or the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation, nor is it intended for construction, bidding, or permit purposes.
Most of the crashes in rural areas occur away from intersections and driveways (60%), while most ... more Most of the crashes in rural areas occur away from intersections and driveways (60%), while most urban crashes occur at or are related to either intersections or driveways (57%). The distribution of crashes by first harmful event also clearly shows an urban versus rural division. In urban areas, most of the crashes involve another vehicle (81%) while only about half in the rural area involve another vehicle (51%). Striking a fixed object is more common in rural areas (25%) than in urban areas (14%). This document provides transportation practitioners with information on crash characteristics for rural roads in Texas. It also presents discussion on low-cost safety treatments used on highways and at intersections along with their known effectiveness. Treatments discussed for highways include: rumble strips, passing improvements, two-way left-turn lanes, lane or shoulder widening, pavement edge drop-off improvements, pavement markings, mowing, skid resistance improvements, side slope f...
Speeds of vehicles at end of controlling curve are slightly higher than speeds at midpoint, indic... more Speeds of vehicles at end of controlling curve are slightly higher than speeds at midpoint, indicating that vehicles accelerate while traversing controlling curve on ramp proper Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at midpoint of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at end of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence lane position at midpoint of controlling curve include: As vehicles traverse an entrance loop ramp, passenger vehicles and trucks are positioned approximately an equal distance from inside lane line › Aside from offtracking issues associated with larger trucks, there are no major concerns associated with differences between lane positions of trucks and passenger vehicles Key roadway and/or cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at beginning of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds include at midpoint of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence lane position at midpoint of controlling curve include: Trucks are typically positioned farther away from inside lane line than passenger vehicles, and most passenger vehicles are positioned within travel lane › Positioning of trucks does not raise concerns about encroachment onto inside shoulder of exit ramp
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the elderly (age 65 and older) people represe... more Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the elderly (age 65 and older) people represented 12% of the total population in 2005. Bicycling is becoming popular among people of all groups. In 2016, 130 elderly bicyclists were killed (20% higher than 2014) on the U.S. roadways. The sharp rise of elderly bicyclist fatal crashes calls for a rigorous study to determine the key associated factors in elderly bicyclist crashes. Graphical methods, such as joint correspondence analysis (JCA), are useful in identifying the association patterns from a complex data set with multiple variables by producing a proximity map of the variable categories in a low dimensional plane. This study used 3 years (2014 to 2016) of data on elderly bicyclist fatal crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in the U.S. to determine the key associations between the contributing factors by using JCA. Some of the key findings include bicyclist fatal crashes on roadways with high posted speed...
Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2011
Page 1. 34 Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2223... more Page 1. 34 Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2223, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC, 2011, pp. 34–42. DOI: 10.3141/2223-05 rural ...
... On a 35 mph roadway, the best compliance rate observed for a treatment that is not showing a ... more ... On a 35 mph roadway, the best compliance rate observed for a treatment that is not showing a red indication is approximately 58 percent. Files: HRIS. Media Type: Print. Pagination: 13p. Authors: Brewer, Marcus A. Fitzpatrick, Kay. Texas Transportation Institute. Turner, Shawn M ...
Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2011
Speed-change lanes (SCLs) at freeway ramp terminals are critical elements in freeway design, as t... more Speed-change lanes (SCLs) at freeway ramp terminals are critical elements in freeway design, as they provide the necessary access between the freeway and the adjacent local street network. Prevailing guidelines for the design of SCLs are well established and ...
The design of at-grade intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings is challenging because... more The design of at-grade intersections near highway-railroad grade crossings is challenging because of the interaction between the two geometric features. Their designs can have a critical effect on safety and operation at both features. This report provides background information regarding a number of issues related to the following specific areas: traffic control devices, signal interconnection, channelization, high-profile or "hump" crossings, and illumination.
This document is the culmination of the ninth offering of an innovative transportation engineerin... more This document is the culmination of the ninth offering of an innovative transportation engineering graduate course at Texas A&M University entitled, "Advanced Surface Transportation Systems". The ninth offering of the course was presented during the summer 1999 term. As part of the course, a Mentors Program provides students with unique learning experiences. Six top-level transportation professionals from private enterprise and departments of transportation, who are leaders in their field and who have extensive experience with Intelligent Transportation Systems, were invited to Texas A&M University to present a 1½-day Symposium on Advanced Surface Transportation Systems at the beginning of the summer term. Immediately following the Symposium, the students enrolled in the course participated in a Forum and a Workshop with the transportation professionals and course instructor. Each student had discussions with the transportation professionals and the course instructor to identify a topic area for a term paper. Based on mutual interests, each student was assigned to one of the professionals who served as a mentor (along with the course instructor) for the remainder of the summer term. Each student worked with his/her mentor and course instructor to identify a topic area and objectives for a term paper. In addition to discussions with the course instructor, the students (communicating via telephone, fax, email, and mail) worked directly with the mentors throughout the term while preparing their term papers. The mentors returned to the Texas A&M University campus near the end of the summer term to hear and critique the students' presentations.
This paper describes how a recent research project investigating the effectiveness of various tre... more This paper describes how a recent research project investigating the effectiveness of various treatments at unsignalized pedestrian crossings utilized a variety of methods to collect the necessary data for the project. These methods included video recording, the use of personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal observations, handwritten drawings, traditional measurements by hand, and digital photography. The data obtained through these various methods were integrated into a comprehensive compilation of information about each site studied in the project. As a result, the reduction and analysis of the data were greatly improved and the ability to produce detailed and extensive findings was significantly enhanced.
Thousands of crashes occur in work zones each year, leading to numerous fatalities and injuries. ... more Thousands of crashes occur in work zones each year, leading to numerous fatalities and injuries. A sizeable portion of these crashes can be attributed to excessive speed, which emphasizes the need to motivate drivers to comply with speed limits in work zones. Motivating drivers to comply with traffic regulations is an extremely important yet challenging task in reducing the potential for conflicts and is critical to the safety of both motorists and workers. This research project was conducted to determine effective measures to motivate and encourage drivers to observe posted speed limits in work zones. Findings from literature and a survey of Department of Transportation (DOT) personnel indicate that a wide variety of methods have been tested to improve compliance. Methods for establishing work zone speed limits differ from state to state. Survey respondents widely regarded enforcement as the most effective treatment, but desired other effective methods to reduce costs and improve w...
The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffi... more The safety and operations of Texas rural two-lane highways are being affected by increased traffic associated with the energy sector, including the unique characteristics of heavy trucks. Researchers reviewed existing conditions on select rural two-lane highways along with recent literature to develop the following two-page briefing sheets: Length and Spacing of Super 2 Passing Lanes. Operational Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors. Safety Characteristics of Super 2 Corridors. Signing and Marking on Super 2 Corridors. Turn Lanes on Rural Highways.
This report summarizes the series of “Traffic around Schools” workshops conducted throughout the ... more This report summarizes the series of “Traffic around Schools” workshops conducted throughout the state of Texas to familiarize Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employees and partner agencies with two key products from previous research projects (0-4286 and 0-5470) and other tools and guidance that are available for dealing with problems around schools. The research team held half-day workshops in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Pharr, San Antonio, and Dallas that were attended by over 150 participants representing 36 agencies. The workshops were well received and helped to highlight and emphasize the importance of multi-agency/multi-disciplinary cooperation in the planning, design, and operation of school sites in order to provide safe and efficient transportation access. One of the focus areas of the project and associated workshops was how agencies can effectively deal with the use of reduced speed school zones around schools. Researchers solicited and synthesized feedback fro...
Texas is exploring the use of managed lanes in congested urban corridors. This report discusses t... more Texas is exploring the use of managed lanes in congested urban corridors. This report discusses the findings from an evaluation of managed lane ramp design issues. Most of the recent literature regarding ramp design has focused on ramp design speed and truck performance. To have an appreciation for current department of transportation practices, a search of each state's design manual was conducted via the Internet. Of the 23 states that had all or part of their design manuals online, 12 had some material available concerning the design of ramps. The potential managed lane system in Texas could contain elements of systems that are currently in use in other communities. As part of this research project, members of the research team visited the New Jersey Turnpike. Simulation was used to obtain an appreciation of the effects on corridor operations when several pairs of ramps are modeled. Speed was the primary measure of effectiveness used to evaluate the effects of different ramp s...
The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts a... more The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) or the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation, nor is it intended for construction, bidding, or permit purposes.
Most of the crashes in rural areas occur away from intersections and driveways (60%), while most ... more Most of the crashes in rural areas occur away from intersections and driveways (60%), while most urban crashes occur at or are related to either intersections or driveways (57%). The distribution of crashes by first harmful event also clearly shows an urban versus rural division. In urban areas, most of the crashes involve another vehicle (81%) while only about half in the rural area involve another vehicle (51%). Striking a fixed object is more common in rural areas (25%) than in urban areas (14%). This document provides transportation practitioners with information on crash characteristics for rural roads in Texas. It also presents discussion on low-cost safety treatments used on highways and at intersections along with their known effectiveness. Treatments discussed for highways include: rumble strips, passing improvements, two-way left-turn lanes, lane or shoulder widening, pavement edge drop-off improvements, pavement markings, mowing, skid resistance improvements, side slope f...
Speeds of vehicles at end of controlling curve are slightly higher than speeds at midpoint, indic... more Speeds of vehicles at end of controlling curve are slightly higher than speeds at midpoint, indicating that vehicles accelerate while traversing controlling curve on ramp proper Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at midpoint of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at end of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence lane position at midpoint of controlling curve include: As vehicles traverse an entrance loop ramp, passenger vehicles and trucks are positioned approximately an equal distance from inside lane line › Aside from offtracking issues associated with larger trucks, there are no major concerns associated with differences between lane positions of trucks and passenger vehicles Key roadway and/or cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds at beginning of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence vehicle speeds include at midpoint of controlling curve include: Key roadway and cross-sectional design elements that significantly influence lane position at midpoint of controlling curve include: Trucks are typically positioned farther away from inside lane line than passenger vehicles, and most passenger vehicles are positioned within travel lane › Positioning of trucks does not raise concerns about encroachment onto inside shoulder of exit ramp
Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board
Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the elderly (age 65 and older) people represe... more Estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the elderly (age 65 and older) people represented 12% of the total population in 2005. Bicycling is becoming popular among people of all groups. In 2016, 130 elderly bicyclists were killed (20% higher than 2014) on the U.S. roadways. The sharp rise of elderly bicyclist fatal crashes calls for a rigorous study to determine the key associated factors in elderly bicyclist crashes. Graphical methods, such as joint correspondence analysis (JCA), are useful in identifying the association patterns from a complex data set with multiple variables by producing a proximity map of the variable categories in a low dimensional plane. This study used 3 years (2014 to 2016) of data on elderly bicyclist fatal crashes from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) in the U.S. to determine the key associations between the contributing factors by using JCA. Some of the key findings include bicyclist fatal crashes on roadways with high posted speed...
Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2011
Page 1. 34 Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2223... more Page 1. 34 Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2223, Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, Washington, DC, 2011, pp. 34–42. DOI: 10.3141/2223-05 rural ...
... On a 35 mph roadway, the best compliance rate observed for a treatment that is not showing a ... more ... On a 35 mph roadway, the best compliance rate observed for a treatment that is not showing a red indication is approximately 58 percent. Files: HRIS. Media Type: Print. Pagination: 13p. Authors: Brewer, Marcus A. Fitzpatrick, Kay. Texas Transportation Institute. Turner, Shawn M ...
Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board, 2011
Speed-change lanes (SCLs) at freeway ramp terminals are critical elements in freeway design, as t... more Speed-change lanes (SCLs) at freeway ramp terminals are critical elements in freeway design, as they provide the necessary access between the freeway and the adjacent local street network. Prevailing guidelines for the design of SCLs are well established and ...
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