From the Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting in Birmingham, AL

1. Applications of
Access Management
in Alabama
Jeff Stephenson, PE, PTOE
Scott Cothron, PE
Southern District
ITE 2009 Annual Meeting
Birmingham, AL

2. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

3. Evolution of Access Management in AL
 ITE Service Project
Introduction to
Principles of Access
Management
Short course taught
regionally in
Alabama (2004)
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

4. Evolution of Access Management in AL
 Specific projects to address access management
(ongoing)
Cobbs Ford Road
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

5. Evolution of Access Management in AL
 Development of Statewide Access Management
Policy (expected to start this summer)
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

6. Evolution of Access Management in AL
 ITE Service Project Introduction to Principles of Access
Management short course taught regionally in Alabama (2004)
EDUCATION
 Specific projects to address access management (ongoing)
ENGINEERING
 Development of Statewide Access Management Policy
(expected to start this summer)
ENFORCEMENT
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

7. EDUCATION
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

8. What is Access Management?
 The planning, design, and implementation of
various land use and transportation
strategies to maintain traffic flow and safety
along a primary roadway, while still
considering access needs of various land
uses and development types.
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

9. In other words…
 Controlling the location, type, and design of
driveways and public streets along a primary
roadway to provide an adequate balance
between traffic movement and access.
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

10. Roadway Life Cycle
Arterial
Improved
Deteriorated Increased
Level of Service Accessibility
More Traffic Higher Land
Conflicts Values
Increased Changed
Traffic Land Use
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

11. Effects of Poor Access Management
 Congestion, possible gridlock
 Frustrated drivers
 Frequent traffic crashes
 Continuous strip development
 Decreased property values
 Commercial establishments struggling to survive
 Complaints about congestion, noise, safety
 Pressure on government to improve streets
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

12. Benefits of Access Management
 Preserves street capacity
 Reduces traffic crashes
 Preserves value of adjacent property
 Manages congestion
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

13. Access Management Techniques
 Increase spacing between signals,
intersections, and median openings
 Careful attention to driveway location,
spacing, and design
 Exclusive turning lanes
 Median treatments/channelization
 Service and frontage roads
 Shared access
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

14. In today’s world…
 Existing road system is
congested, but highway
construction funding is
shrinking
 Need to protect and
better utilize our existing
road system
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

15. Why manage access?
 Access management is the key to preserving
the traffic movement function of an arterial
roadway!!!
 It’s a reasonable trade-off between providing
service to a property (development) and
servicing traffic (roadway).
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

16. Opportunities for Access Management
 Designing a new roadway
 Widening an existing roadway
 Retrofitting an existing roadway
 Accommodating development along an
existing roadway
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

17. ENGINEERING
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

18. Widening an existing roadway
 EXAMPLE:
SR-181 Baldwin County
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

19. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

20. Traffic Signal Spacing
 55 mph design speed
 Signal spacing at 2,600 feet or one-half mile
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

21. Median Opening Spacing
 55 mph design speed
 1,300 feet, measured from the center of openings
along the travel way
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

22. Driveway Spacing
 55 mph design speed
 Spacing of 660 feet for a median divided section and
500 feet for a five lane (center turn lane) section
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

23. Grouped Parcels
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

24. Retrofitting an existing roadway
 EXAMPLE:
SR-160 Blount County
Hayden, AL
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

25. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

26. 3 schools located
within ½ mile
2 of those schools have
direct access to SR-160
Hayden High School
Hayden Middle School
4th school opened
Hayden Elementary School
2007-2008
½ mile to east
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

27. CONGESTION!!
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

28. Existing Traffic Flow
Hayden Elementary School
Hayden Middle School
Hayden High School BUS FLOW SEPARATE NORTH
Buses FROM VEHICLE FLOW
iv e
e Dr
re
n tT
Be
d
Ro a
o od
Atw
SRO ad SRO
Ro
ry
er
sF
an
De
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

29. Proposed Traffic Flow
Hayden Elementary School
Hayden Middle School
Hayden High School NORTH
START TWO-LANE
Buses
ONE-WAY
(W/ GUIDE SIGNAGE)
iv e
e Dr WIDEN ROAD
re IN CURVE
n tT
Be
d
Ro a
o od
Atw
SRO ad SRO
Ro
ry
er
TURN LANES, sF
INCREASE RADIUS an
De
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

30. SR-160 @ Bent Tree – Improvements
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

31. SR-160 @ Bent Tree – Increased Radius
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

32. Retrofitting an existing roadway
 EXAMPLE:
SR-21 Calhoun County
Oxford, AL
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

33. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

34. SR-21 - Plaza Lane to I-20 EB Ramps
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

35. SR-21 - Plaza Lane to I-20 EB Ramps
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

36. SR-21 - I-20 EB Ramps to Recreation Drive
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

37. SR-21 - I-20 EB Ramps to Recreation Drive
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

38. SR-21 - Recreation Drive to US-78
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

39. SR-21 - Recreation Drive to US-78
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

40. SR-21 - US-78 to Snow Street
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

41. SR-21 - US-78 to Snow Street
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

42. Accommodating development
 EXAMPLE:
Cobbs Ford Road
Prattville, AL
Cobbs Ford Road
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

43. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

44. Cobbs Ford Road (BEFORE)
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

45. Cobbs Ford Road (AFTER)
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

46. ENFORCEMENT
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

47. Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

48. Enforcement of Access Management Plans
 Up to MUNICIPALITIES to enforce
– this is why it is so important for them to be involved in the
project planning
 Usually adopted by municipalities and incorporated
into their current zoning/site plan approval process
 While projects are in progress, designer should be
available to consult with municipalities on
applications received during project design
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

49. What’s next for Alabama?
 ALDOT will be working to develop a
Statewide Access Management Policy Manual
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL

50. How did your
state do it?
Southern District ITE 2009 Annual Meeting - Birmingham, AL