Alternative Intersection Design And Selection

State departments of transportation often encounter public resistance to alternative intersections, with 86% of respondents in a new survey of state DOTs agreeing or strongly agreeing that public resistance hinders their implementation. Public resistance can vary among projects based on intersection type and whether the project was initiated at the local or state level. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Synthesis 550: Alternative Intersection Design and Selection documents the evaluation and selection processes within state departments of transportation (DOTs) for intersection projects. Roundabouts are the most widely implemented type of alternative intersection. Ninety percent of state DOTs that responded to the synthesis survey reported having at least one roundabout in their jurisdiction open and operational. Roundabouts also had the highest reported number of facilities in project development as 88% of respondents indicated there was at least one roundabout under development at their DOT.

As the degradation of service at some conventional intersections increases, there becomes a need for alternative solutions other than expensive interchanges. Under certain traffic and local conditions some alternative intersections are more promising than other solutions. In some cases, the conventional intersection may still be the optimal choice. The presented research focused on developing guidelines that would help planners and designers identify the most promising solutions for further analysis. Although a large number of sources could be found on the research subject, the existing knowledge about performance of alternative intersection design is incomplete. Only a few designs proposed in the past have been applied at a considerable number of locations; other types still await implementation. The available sources are not comprehensive and deal with conditions that might be different from Indiana. The knowledge of the safety impact of these intersections is very limited. A large number of more than 1,300 scenarios were simulated runs performed with VISSIM calibrated to Indiana conditions. The simulated types of intersections included: conventional, roundabouts, jag-handle near-sided and far-sided, median U-turns, and continuous-flow intersection. Except roundabouts, all intersections were signalized to test their capacity limits and delay-based performance. The presented research developed guidelines for using alternative intersection designs. The guidelines compile the existing knowledge found in existing publications and research reports with the simulation experiments performed with VISSIM. The guidelines are ready to use and will help planners and designers determine which intersection types are the most promising under considered conditions and should be considered in a detailed way.

Alternative Intersections and Interchanges (A.I.I.s) are designs that improve operations and safety for motorized traffic by strategically adjusting the geometric features at a given location, working on the general principle of redistributing motor vehicle demand at an intersection in an attempt to limit the need to add capacity with new lanes to improve traffic flow. The TRB National Cooperative Highway Research Program's NCHRP Research Report 948: Guide for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety at Alternative and Other Intersections and Interchanges provides specific guidance for four common A.I.I.s: Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI), Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT), Median U-Turn (MUT), and Displaced Left-Turn (DLT). These designs may involve reversing traffic lanes from their traditional directions, which may introduce confusion and create safety issues for pedestrians and bicyclists. In addition, pedestrian paths and bicycle facilities may cross through islands or take different routes than expected. These new designs are likely to require additional information for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians as well as better accommodations for pedestrians and bicyclists, including pedestrians with disabilities.

TRB's National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 672: Roundabouts: An Informational Guide - Second Edition explores the planning, design, construction, maintenance, and operation of roundabouts. The report also addresses issues that may be useful in helping to explain the trade-offs associated with roundabouts. This report updates the U.S. Federal Highway Administration's Roundabouts: An Informational Guide, based on experience gained in the United States since that guide was published in 2000.