CEE 4551

Geometric Design of Roads

Moinul Hossain

Week 6
Intersection Design, Layout
And
Bus Stop Design
 Intersection Design
• Objectives

 Ensure safety for all users, including drivers,

passengers, pedestrians, bicyclists, and
others, and,

 Promote efficient movement of all users

(motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, etc.)
through the intersection.

Safety and efficiency are often competing rather

than mutually reinforcing goals 2
 Intersection Design
• AASHTO recommends following elements to be
considered:
 Human factors - Reasonable approach speeds, user expectancy,
decision and reaction times, reinforced natural movement paths and
trajectories, unless doing so presents particular hazard.

 Traffic considerations - Provision of appropriate capacity for all

user demands, distribution of all vehicle types and turning
movements, approach speeds, special requirements for transit
vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists

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 Intersection Design
• AASHTO recommends following elements to be
considered:
 Physical elements - nature of abutting properties; particular
traffic movements generated by parking, pedestrians, driveway
movements, etc.; intersection angle; existence and location of traffic
control devices; sight distances and specific geometric
characteristics, such as curb radii.

 Economic factors - cost improvements (construction, operation,

maintenance); the effects of improvements on the value of abutting
properties; effect of improvements on energy consumption.
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 Intersection Design
• AASHTO recommends following elements to be
considered:
 Functional intersection area - must encompass the full
functional intersection area; includes approach areas that fully
encompass deceleration zones, acceleration zones and queuing
areas (specially for signalized intersections)

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 Intersection Design
• No. of Lanes Required per Leg

 Type of control

 Parking conditions and needs

 Availability of right-of-way

 Considerations of capacity, safety and

efficiency requirements

There is no single solutions and many alternatives

may provide acceptable safety and operation 6
 Intersection Design
• Unsignalized Intersection
 Unsignalized intersections may be operated under basic
rules of the road or under STOP (completely stop at
intersection before crossing) or YIELD (reduce speed
before crossing) control
 Basic rules of road (all drivers must know):
 In absence of control devices, the driver on the left must yield
to the driver on right when the vehicle on the right is approaching
in a manner that my create an impending hazard.
Through vehicles have the right of way over turning vehicles at
uncontrolled intersections.

This lecture is based on Right Hand Drive standard!!!

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 Intersection Design
• Unsignalized Intersection
 Existence of STOP or YIELD controlled intersections need
to consider:
 Should left turn lanes be provided on the major street?

 Should right turn lanes be provided on the major street?

 Should right turn lane be provided on minor approaches?

 How many basic lanes does each minor approach require?

This lecture is based on Right Hand Drive standard!!!

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 Intersection Channelization
Channelization can be provided through the use of painted
markings or by installation of raised channelizing islands. It
depends on:
• Existence of sufficient ROW to accommodate an effective design
• Factors, e.g., terrain, visibility, demand and cost

Channelization supplements other control measures but can

sometimes be used to simplify other elements of control 9
 Intersection Channelization
• Why use channelization at intersections:
 Vehicle paths may be confined so that no more than two
paths cross at any one point

 The angles at which merging, diverging, or weaving

movements occur may be controlled

 Pavement area may be reduced, decreasing the tendency to

wander and narrowing the area of conflict between vehicle
paths

 Clearer indications of proper vehicle paths may be provided

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 Intersection Channelization
• Why use channelization at intersections:
 Predominant movements may be given priority

 Areas of pedestrian refuge may be provided

 Separate storage lanes may be provided to permit

turning vehicles to wait clear of through traffic lanes

 Space may be provided for the mounting of traffic control

devices in more visible locations

 Prohibited turns may be physically controlled

 Vehicle speeds may be somewhat reduced 11

 Intersection Design
• Conflicts – 4 Leg Intersection

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Major street (E-W) with a minor cross road (N-S)

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Major SB-EB and EB-SB Movement

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• 4-Leg – Full Channelization for Right Turns

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Major arterial with major generators
W S

Major arterial is fed by two major generators (e.g., large

shopping centers) on opposite sides of the roadway 16
Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Major arterial with major generators - Conflicts

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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Channelizing Right Turns
 Applicable when ‘right turn
on red’ is allowed.

 No acceleration or deceleration
lanes
 Problem: Queued vehicles may
block access to right turns

Simple Channelized Right Turn

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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Channelizing Right Turns
 'D' should be long enough to
encompass the longest expected
queue plus one vehicle
 'Ld' allows right-turning vehicles
to decelerate
 'La' allows right-turning vehicles to
accelerate Channelized Right Turn with
Acceleration and
Deceleration lanes
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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Channelizing Right Turns

 Generally requires a right turn

demand of 500 veh/h or more

Channelized Right Turn with

Acceleration and Deceleration lanes
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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Intersection at Skewed Angles
 Intersection with junction angle less than 600 or
more than 1200
 particularly hazardous when uncontrolled and
combined with high intersection approach speed

A Skewed Angle Rural Intersection 21

Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Intersection at Skewed Angles
Solutions:
Both signalized and
unsignalized intersections
work best when the angle of
the intersection is 900.
Or,
Sight distances are easier to
define, and drivers expect
intersections at right angle.

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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Intersection at Skewed Angles

Solutions:

A Skewed Angle Rural Intersection 23

Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Intersection at Skewed Angles

Problem:
Original odd-angle intersection

Solutions:

Realignment 1
Higher volume

Realignment 2
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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Conflicts at T-Intersections

Vehicular movement

Pedestrian movement

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• T-Intersections - Signalized

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• T-Intersections - Signalized

Right turns are completely eliminated from the signal plan as

volumes are sufficient to allow lane drops or additions for the
right-turning movements
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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Offset T-Intersections
 High volume offset intersections cause high safety concern

 Drivers need more sight distance (as compared to perfectly-aligned

900 intersection) to observe vehicles approaching from the right

 Obstructions by buildings

 Distorts the normal trajectory of all movements

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Offset T-Intersections – Safety concerns (Right offset)
 Left turn trajectory in conflict with the through
movement at a very early stage of the turning
movement (a)
 Pedestrians either remains longer time exposed
due to a diagonal path or are met by the left
turning vehicles in an unusual location after
completing the turning movement (b)
 Heightened risk of sideswipe crashes as vehicles
cross between the offset legs. Since the
required angular path is not necessarily
obvious, more vehicles stray from their lane
during crossing. 29
Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Offset T-Intersections - Solutions (Right offset)

 Signalized intersection:
 Designate one existing lane as exclusive
turning lane and provide a fully protected
left-turn phase in the direction of the
offset
 Provide each of the offset legs with an
exclusive signal phase (extreme measure)
 For pedestrians:
 Clearly designate the intended path they
are to take by marking, signs and
pedestrian signals
 Barriers can be placed at normal street
corner locations, preventing pedestrians
from entering the street at an
inappropriate or unintended location

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Offset T-Intersections - Solutions (Right & Left offset)
 Dashed lane and centerline
markings may be added through
the intersection to help vehicles
follow appropriate paths

 Conflicts at a left-offset intersection

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Special Treatment for Heavy Left-Turn Movement
 Creates two new intersections
 Either signal or STOP sign required
W
 Queues should not block egress
from either of the jug-handle lanes
 Sufficient ROW needed
 Existing local streets may be used to
form a jug-handle pattern

Jug handle
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 Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Special Treatment for Heavy Left-Turn Movement

 Generally combined with

surface diamond ramps to W

handle right turns from the

cross street
 Queuing can become a problem
 High ROW requirements

Surface roof lamp

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Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Special Treatment for Heavy Left-Turn Movement

Continuous flow intersections did not become popular due to

high ROW requirements 34
Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Transform Left-Turns into U-turns

 U-turn section should be located at sufficient

distance to avoid too long queue formation
 Lane change requirements should be taken into
consideration 35
Intersection Channelization - Examples
• Intersection at Skewed Angles

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout
 Roundabouts are near-
circular intersections at
grade
 They have lower speeds,
provide for easier decision
making than conventional
intersections.
 They require less
maintenance than traffic
signals.
 They calm traffic by
reducing vehicle speeds
using geometric design 37
 Intersection Design
• Roundabout
 They have fewer conflict points
 Well designed roundabouts can reduce crashes
(especially fatal and severe injury collisions), traffic
delays, fuel consumption, and air pollution.

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Intersection Design

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout – Mini Roundabouts
 Replacing a STOP controlled or uncontrolled
intersection with mini roundabout increases capacity
and reduces delay

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout – Single Lane Roundabouts
 Single lane entries and only one circular lane

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout – Multilane Roundabouts
 at least one entry or exit with two or more lanes and
more than one circulating lane

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout – Inscribed Circle Diameter (ICD)

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout – Stopping Sight Distance

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 Intersection Design
• Roundabout

Signing and Pavement Marking

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 Bus Stop Design
• Things to Consider

 Proximity to adjacent junctions;

 Proximity to pedestrian crossings;

 Bends or crests in the road;

 On-street parking;

 Existing accesses to residential and business

properties; and,

 Footway or verge width 46

 Bus Stop Design
• Standards for location selection
 No resident has to walk more than 400m from their home
to the bus stop;
 The majority of residents have no more than 200m to walk
between their homes and the bus stop;
 In the case of residences designed specifically for the
elderly and mobility impaired, there should be not more
than 100m between the development and the bus stop;
and,
 Where there are gradients, the suggested walking distances
should be reduced by 10m for every 1m rise or fall.
 To maximize the catchment area, and wherever possible,
the bus stop should be located close to the junction of the
side road to meet the standards described above
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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops near junction

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops near junction

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops near Signal Controlled Crossings

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops on opposite sides of a two-lane
carriageway

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops – Other Common Configurations

Combination bus bay – lane used for left turn/parking

Double bus stops 52

 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops – Multiple Stands

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 Bus Stop Design
• Typical Bus Lay-by

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops – Other Common Configurations

Saw tooth bus lay-by

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Bus lay-by on high speed roads
 Bus Stop Design
• Bus Lay-by with Bicycle Lane

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus Lay-by with Bicycle Lane

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus Lay-by with Bicycle Lane

Bicyclist must yield

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 Bus Stop Design
• Information at Bus Stops (minimum)
 Stop name;
 Which buses stop there;
 Where they go;
 How frequent they are; and,
 The time of first and last buses.

Bus stop pole and Flag

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Displaying Time Table
 Bus Stop Design
• Information of Bus Arrival

Electronic Real-time Time Table

Mobile Apps for Bus Route and Time Table 60

 Bus Stop Design
• Bus Stop Facilities

700 mm
Pedal Cycle parking facility along
bus stops
Bus stop with perch seats 61
 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops – All Weather – Full Features

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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus stops
– Easy Access Kerb

Bus Stop and Flag

Easy access radius and

transition kerbs
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 Bus Stop Design
• Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)

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 Concluding Remarks
• For further details consult

 AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design of

Highways and Streets

 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

 Manual of Traffic Signal Design

 Traffic Detector Handbook

 Highway Capacity Manual

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