1 / 33

Low Cost Solutions

Low Cost Solutions. TRAFFIC SAFETY SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT SECTION -. Brian Murphy, PE North Carolina DOT - Traffic Engineering Branch. Missouri Traffic & Safety Conference May 17, 2006. Mendocino Themes. Treat Sites as a System - Not a Spot Start Simple

penda
Download Presentation

Low Cost Solutions

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Low Cost Solutions TRAFFIC SAFETY SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT SECTION - Brian Murphy, PE North Carolina DOT - Traffic Engineering Branch Missouri Traffic & Safety Conference May 17, 2006

  2. Mendocino Themes • Treat Sites as a System - Not a Spot • Start Simple • Evaluate the Effectiveness of Countermeasures

  3. Corridor Reviews

  4. Corridor Reviews • Road Safety Audits • The N.C. Board of Transportation passed a resolution for the development of a program to reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries on two-lane highway facilities with higher than average crash rates • Traffic Safety Unit identifies sections and takes lead role in investigation • Multidisciplinary team • Law Enforcement • Traffic Engineers from other districts • FHWA • Roadway Design Engineer • Locals (e.g. GHSP Safe Community Representative)

  5. Corridor Reviews US 601 From US 74 to the South Carolina State Line Regional Perspective Overall Crash Rate 35% lower than Statewide Average. Fatal Crash Rate 60% higher than Statewide Average.

  6. Corridor Reviews

  7. Corridor Reviews • General Findings • Very Straight Road • Rolling Terrain • Poor Intersection Visibility • Poor Driveway Visibility • Redundant Low Volume Intersections • Poor Intersection Alignment • Unforgiving Roadside • Narrow Right-Of-Way

  8. Corridor Reviews • Recommendations • 18 General Recommendations for the Corridor • 23 Recommendations at Specific Intersections or Driveways • 7 Recommendations for Specific Segments • Example Recommendations • Install arrow board signs at all "T" type intersections • Clear sight triangles at 5 intersections • Install stop bars at all intersections on US 601 • Install continuous shoulder rumble strip on one section

  9. Evaluation

  10. Evaluation • Why Evaluate? • Need to know if countermeasures we implement actually work • Typical way this is measured: “If phone stops ringing, treatment worked” • Need good safety data to make informed decisions • Spend limited taxpayer money wisely • Safety Evaluation Group • Evaluated 130+ projects last year • http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/Safety/ses/projects/completed.html • Evaluate low cost countermeasures, work zone issues, enforcement programs, safety systems (e.g. median barrier) • Develop crash reduction factors based on NC data

  11. Example Spot Safety Evaluation • Location: • NC 210 at SR 1309 (Old Fairground Rd) in Johnston County • Countermeasure: • Installation of a Flashing Traffic Signal • Cost: $15,000 Treatment Intersection

  12. Flasher Evaluation Intended Results: Better Identify Traffic Control Treatment: Flashing Traffic Signal • Determine Treatment and Intended Results

  13. Flasher Evaluation • Determine Measures of Effectiveness • Total Crashes • Frontal Impact Crashes (Target Crashes) • Left turn same roadway, left turn different roadway, right turn same roadway, right turn different roadway, head on, and angle • Specifically looking for crashes where vehicles ran Stop Sign control on SR 1309 (Old Fairground Rd)

  14. Flasher Evaluation • Set up Evaluation Study • Determine Analysis Dates • Project Completion Date: 4/25/1997 • Before Period: 12/1/1990 - 2/28/1997(6 Years, 3 Months) • After Period: 7/1/1997 - 9/30/2003(6 Years, 3 Months) • Pick Comparison Sites • Criteria: • Similar characteristics to Treatment Location (geometry, volume, etc.) • Located near Treatment Location (weather, jurisdiction) • Not affected by Treatment being evaluated • Compare crash trends of Comparison Location to the Treatment Location. If trends are not similar, choose different Comparison Locations.

  15. Flasher Evaluation Comparison Locations Comparison Intersections Treatment Intersection

  16. Flasher Evaluation Looking East on NC 210 Looking North on SR 1309 Looking West on NC 210 Looking South on SR 1309

  17. Flasher Evaluation Before Collision Diagram

  18. Flasher Evaluation After Collision Diagram

  19. Flasher Evaluation • ADT increased over 50 % • In After Period • Approximately 90% of all crashes occurred during AM and PM peak periods • Appears increasing commuter traffic creates problem for motorists crossing NC 210 • Vehicles not stopping at STOP sign • Before: 5 out of 14 crashes • After: 2 out of 19 crashes • Therefore, 17 of 19 Frontal Impact Crashes in the After Period were caused by another factor Results

  20. Flasher Evaluation • Results / Discussion (cntd) • The prevalent crash problem does not appear to have been caused by a lack of recognizing the Stop Sign control condition (as was stated in the Project Justification sheet) • Problem seems to be more gap selection • Access points located close to intersection • Sight distance problems • Problems with vehicles turning into driveway Proper problem identification is key!

  21. Roundabout Evaluation • Location: • NC 751 at SR 1307 (Old Erwin Rd) in Durham County • Countermeasure: • Convert Four Leg Stop Control Intersection to a Roundabout • Cost: $265,000 Treatment Intersection

  22. Roundabout Evaluation

  23. Roundabout Evaluation Before Collision Diagram

  24. Roundabout Evaluation After Collision Diagram

  25. Roundabout Evaluation Results

  26. 4-Way Stop Evaluation • Location: • SR 1001 (Shannon Rd) at SR 1505 (Old Lowery Rd) in Robeson County • Countermeasure: • Convert Four Leg 2- Way Stop Control Intersection to 4-Way Stop Control Treatment Intersection

  27. 4-Way Stop Evaluation Before Collision Diagram

  28. 4-Way Stop Evaluation After Collision Diagram

  29. 4-Way Stop Evaluation • Total Crashes • Reduced 92 - 95 % • Target Crashes • Reduced 91 - 95 % Results

  30. Crash Modification Factors • Goal: • Develop crash modification factors based on North Carolina crash data • Reflects roadway / driver / weather / reportability conditions in North Carolina • Reflects decisions that Traffic Engineers North Carolina are making

  31. Crash Modification Factors • Overhead Flashers • Site Criteria • Rural • Intersection of two two-lane roads • No turn lanes • STOP sign control • At least three years of ‘after’ period crash data available • Resulted in 34 Treatment Sites

  32. Crash Modification Factors D R A F T D R A F T • Crash Modification Factor - Overhead Flashers PRELIMINARY NUMBERS • Safety Performance Function (Minnesota / HSM) • N = Ci e (-9.34 +0.60 ln (ADT1) + 0.61 ln (ADT2)) • Where: • ADT1 = Average Daily Volume on Major Road • ADT2 = Average Daily Volume on Minor Road • Ci = Calibration Factor Based on Local Crash Data = 1.92 NC • Emperical Bayes / Reference Sites • Used same criteria as treatment sites • 170 sites chosen

  33. Contact Information Brian Murphy, PE (919) 733-3915 bgmurphy@dot.state.nc.us Traffic Safety Unit Website: http://www.ncdot.org/doh/preconstruct/traffic/TSU/default.html

More Related