Very Basic Traffic Questions
Very Basic Traffic Questions
(OP)
Hello,
I have been given the task to address a 2 lane road with a continuous turning lane in the center of the road. The turning lane is a 2 way left turn lane. I have been told to remove the center turn lane in all areas where it is not completely necessary. I am defining necessary to mean I keep the turn lane at intersections and in front of major businesses. I have been reviewing the AASHTO Green Book and MUTCD Manual for information about tapers and medians and transition lanes but I feel like I am just grabbing bits of information randomly and trying to piece it together. Am I going about this the right way or is there some sort of formal process to address re-doing lane markings and stripings?
Thanks
I have been given the task to address a 2 lane road with a continuous turning lane in the center of the road. The turning lane is a 2 way left turn lane. I have been told to remove the center turn lane in all areas where it is not completely necessary. I am defining necessary to mean I keep the turn lane at intersections and in front of major businesses. I have been reviewing the AASHTO Green Book and MUTCD Manual for information about tapers and medians and transition lanes but I feel like I am just grabbing bits of information randomly and trying to piece it together. Am I going about this the right way or is there some sort of formal process to address re-doing lane markings and stripings?
Thanks





RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
Then, see if there are any other intersections where safety may be compromised by removing the lane.
Finally are there any junctions leading to areas which may undergo development soon (unlikely but you never know) and where that committed development may cause the junction to go over capacity? Will yuo remove the lane only for it to be reinstated 6 months down the line?
This is by no means exhaustive but gives you a guide as to whether you can justify the left turn lane provision or not.
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
What is the justification for removing it? It seems to me that the cost of maintaining the pavement would be less than the cost to remove it.
Are you trying to get stormwater credits to avoid mitigation of areas where more impervious area is needed?
"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928
"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
ACtrafficengr - The physical pavement dimensions will not change, only the location of the striping will be altered. This is in efforts to widen the area of travel for both north bound and south bound traffic.
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
Debaser - I will leave the turning lane at each intersection. No future development will take place in the area due to very old infrastructure and a depressed economic environment. The main purpose of this endeavor is to remove the center turning lane where there is not an intersection in efforts to widen each lane and increase an area of travel.
ACtrafficengr - The physical pavement dimensions will not change, only the location of the striping will be altered. This is in efforts to widen the area of travel for both north-bound and south-bound traffic.
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928
"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
I'd be wary of what you'll be left with after doing this. I'm envisaging, either a very wide single lane in each direction, with occasional left-turn lanes developed at the junctions, or perhaps two ahead lanes in one direction (the busier?), one of which then changes to become a left-turn lane at some point.
The first layout wouldn't have much capacity benefit over the existing, except perhaps allowing for easier overtaking manoeuvres, and the second layout could result in some unsafe merging/weaving manoeuvres wherever lane 2 became a turning lane.
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions
Could you post a Google maps link? Maybe then we could provide more concrete advice.
"...students of traffic are beginning to realize the false economy of mechanically controlled traffic, and hand work by trained officers will again prevail." - Wm. Phelps Eno, ca. 1928
"I'm searching for the questions, so my answers will make sense." - Stephen Brust
RE: Very Basic Traffic Questions