Access management

It is very important on arterial roads where at-grade intersections and private driveways greatly increase the number of conflicts involving vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians.

Planners, engineers, architects, developers, elected officials, citizens and attorneys all play a significant role in access management.

Promote Intersection Hierarchy: An efficient transportation network provides appropriate transitions from one classification of roadway to another.

Failure to carefully locate access connections or median openings that later become signalized, can cause substantial increases in arterial travel times.

This is the area where motorists are responding to the intersection or interchange, decelerating, and maneuvering into the appropriate lane to stop or complete a turn.

Access connections too close to intersections or interchange ramps can cause serious traffic conflicts that result in crashes and congestion.

Separating conflict areas helps to simplify the driving task and contributes to improved traffic operations and safety.

This reduces the severity and duration of conflict between turning vehicles and through traffic and improves the safety and efficiency of roadway intersections.

Therefore, nontraversable medians and other techniques that minimize left turns or reduce the driver workload can be especially effective in improving roadway safety.

Alternatively, commercial strip development with separate driveways for each business forces even short trips onto arterial roadways, thereby reducing safety and impeding mobility.