Considering and Applying Driveway Design for All Users

Abstract

NCHRP Project 15-35, Geometric Design of Driveways, was initiated to help address the lack of comprehensive research and national design guidance for the design of driveway connections to roadways. The research initiated with this project included an extensive literature review, a survey of state agencies and contacts with interest groups, and fieldwork to measure traffic attributes. The project produced two publications: a research report on the NCHRP website and NCHRP Report 659: Guide for the Geometric Design of Driveways. This paper considers the following topics: (a) What design issues were identified? Current design practices may not adequately consider the range of all driveway users: bicyclists, motorists, and pedestrians. The paper discusses the vulnerability of various users on the basis of historical crash data. (b) What user attributes were found? The research produced information about the driveway grades at which the undersides of vehicles may drag and the speeds at which vehicles on urban arterials entered commercial driveways having radii ranging from 13 to 20 ft. (c) What design practices were recommended? The guide presents a number of design practices to better meet the needs of all users. This paper provides useful information for design consultants and local government professionals.

Income and Racial Disparity and the Role of the Built Environment in Pedestrian Injuries

“…Arterial roads are primarily designed for vehicular mobility and typically have high vehicle speeds to accommodate large traffic volumes; traffic conflicts between high-speed vehicles and pedestrians may lead to increased injury severity. Although not tested in this study, previous research has recognized that driveway access points are often conflict-heavy locations for vehicles entering driveways and maintaining a fairly high rate of speed and pedestrians walking across these driveways (Gattis et al 2013).…”

“…However, for urban areas with more conflicts among road users, narrower roads with lower speed limits are preferable (Ukkusuri et al 2012; Wier et al 2009). Previous research has also found that driveway access points can create conflicts between vehicles entering driveways at high speeds and pedestrians walking across those driveways (Gattis et al 2013). Additionally, traffic-generating land uses (e.g., commercial use) and transit stops have also been shown to increase traffic crashes.…”