OTREC is pleased to welcome Jim Gattis, a professor of civil engineering at the University of Arkansas, to give a special seminar at Portland State University on Tuesday, May 17th at 3pm. (Learn more about Dr. Gattis and his upcoming visit to OSU and PSU from OTREC’s news story.)
What: Free seminar/webinar, “Driveway Design: Lessons from an NCHRP Project”
When: Tuesday, May 17th, 3pm
Who: Dr. Jim Gattis, University of Arkansas
Where: Portland State Engineering Building (1930 SW 4th Ave), Room 315 (“ITS Lab”)
Webcast: mms://131.252.216.254:1800 or stream 2 (requires windows media player)
Presentation Abstract:
When roadway designers mention driveways, they are usually referring to the area of the driveway near its connection with the main roadway. The design of these driveway connections may seem rather insignificant in the overall scheme of things. However, past studies have reported that between 10 and 20% of all urban roadway collisions are related to driveways. Along urban arterial roadways, research has shown that the frequency of driveways affects both the crash rates and traffic flow quality. Clearly, the design of driveways can affect safety, mobility, and trip quality.
During the NCHRP 15-35 research project, the research team synthesized findings from previous studies and conducted new field research to provide a basis for the recently-published Guide for the Geometric Design of Driveways. This presentation explains some of these findings that have a practical application for roadway design engineers.
3 responses to “Apparently, Driveways Matter”
As the comedian Gallagher noted, why is it that we drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway? :)
But seriously–driveways, where they meet the street, are intersections, with all the impacts for traffic and pedestrians that are implied. And many of them are poorly engineered, with blind corners, disruptions to the sidewalk, no provisions for left turns, etc. Part of that, I suspect, is the longstanding legal regime by which any property owner has the right to connect to a street adjoining his property wherever he likes–one of the key innovations of freeways, beyond grade-separation, was the withdrawal of this right of access. (Many modern “access-mitigation” projects involve the creation of easements along the edges of properties which prohibit the property owner or successors from connecting to the road, for which the property owner is compensated).
why is it that we drive on a parkway, and park on a driveway?
If a train station is where the train stops, what’s a workstation?
If pro is the opposite of con, what’s the opposite of progress? :)