Relationship between Access Management and Other Physical Roadway Characteristics and Safety

Abstract

In the past, one of the primary focus areas for access management research has been on the physical characteristics of a roadway (i.e., signal spacing, unsignalized access spacing, and median openings) and their associated safety benefits. Although the literature has documented these characteristics as a function of safety, previous research has not investigated the specific relationships between the various other physical characteristics of the arterial roadway network and safety. The objective of this research was to examine the relationships between physical characteristics of the arterial roadway network (including access management related characteristics) and safety. Additionally, a process whereby these relationships could be identified not only for crash rates, but for collision type and crash severity (as a function of crash frequency) was developed. Statistical analyses showed that the specific access management related characteristics were positively related with increased crash rate and severity. Furthermore, land use was identified to play a significant role in the safety of arterial roadways as arterial roadway segments with adjacent commercial land use tended to have higher crash rates and severity.