responsive people. real partners. access management:main street or the highway? presented by: dan...
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Responsive People. Real Partners.
ACCESS MANAGEMENT:MAIN ACCESS MANAGEMENT:MAIN STREET OR THE HIGHWAY?STREET OR THE HIGHWAY?
Presented by: Dan Cohen/Tim Preece
Responsive People. Real Partners.
ACCESS MANAGEMENT
What It Is
Why It Isn’t
What Business Says
The Evidence Says
What To Do
WHAT IT IS
The careful planning of the location, design, and operation of driveways, median openings, interchanges, and street connections. (Florida DOT)
“Access Management is the process that provides access to land development while simultaneously preserving the flow of traffic on the surrounding road system in terms of safety, capacity, and speed”. (FHWA)
Increasing Access
Incr
ea
sing
Mo
bili
tyFreeway
Major Arterial
Minor Arterial
Major Collector
Minor Collector
Local Street
WHAT IT IS
Access Mobility
More access = less mobility
Less access = more mobility
WHAT IT IS
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT IT IS
Road improvement techniques and projects Driveway permitting
– Prior to new development
– Prior to expanded development
Land use regulations– Subdivision regulations, such as joint or cross
access regulations
– Zoning
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT IT IS Access management should maintain the
functional integrity of the roadway system Roadways are classified for access control
based upon their level of importance to regional mobility
The challenge tends to be greatest on arterial roads-demand for individual property access conflicts with demand for through traffic movement
Controlled access (high level of access management)
WHAT IT IS
High level of access (low level of access management)
WHAT IT IS
Levels of access control
WHAT IT IS
New roadways and rural roadways do not appear to need access management.
Unmanaged access results in high levels of access, but low levels of mobility.
Development demands driveways and street intersections.
Access Unmanaged…
WHAT IT IS
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WHY IT ISN’T
Businesses and developers perceive access management as a threat to their success
It is difficult to coordinate
Why access doesn’t get managed
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHY IT ISN’T
After the road is fixed, this location will no longer be viable for a restaurant
The current highway is congested, but that’s good for our auto dealership. Although car dealerships are primarily a destination business, there is a certain amount of impulse purchasing involved
Our parcels will no longer be good locations due to reduced visibility from the roadway.
You might hear:
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WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Customers will not be able to find or reach my business
My customers will complain My business sales will suffer Development will stagnate after access is
managed Land values will decline Land will become un-developable
Responsive People. Real Partners.
In point of fact: Access management tends to expand the “market
reach” of businesses because it preserves travel speed on the network
Business sales do not seem to depend much at all on details of access
Land values depend on accessibility and other factors, and on not how access is managed– “Location, location, location”
Highest and best use for land is either stable or increases when access is managed
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
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WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Increase in Average Speed
Increase in Market Area
0 NA
+10% +23%
+20% +56%
+30% +122%
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WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Areas with mature Access Management programs:
Colorado
Michigan
Florida
Maine
Iowa
many others…
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Access Management Techniques
Access spacing
Driveway spacing
Safe turning lanes
Median treatments
Right-of-way management (preservation, site distances,
driveway design)
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
Three major benefits of access management:
Increased roadway capacity
Reduced crashes
Shortened travel time for motorists
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
The results:
78% of drivers felt safer1
84% of drivers felt traffic moved better1
Most businesses report sales as least as high as
they were before access management projects.
Significant crash rate reductions (25%-58%)2
1 - Drivers surveyed in central Florida by Ivey Harris & Walls, 1995.2 – Long, Gan, Morrison, University of Florida, 1993; and NCHRP Report 420, 2000.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
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WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS Key research studies on this topic… Texas
– Documented changes in property values in a limited number of improved urban arterial corridors.
– Key Finding—Property values along improved corridors continued to rise.
Kansas– Conducted “Before” vs. “After” studies of a limited
number of parcels from around Kansas that were involved in litigation.
– Key Finding—Relatively minor changes in access (< 1 mile) were not sufficient to cause significant changes in land use and value.
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS 1955 Report to President Eisenhower, “A Ten Year National
Highway Program "One of its principal features in the provision for adequate right
of way is to permit control of access to the highway itself. Otherwise, experience shows that the facility becomes prematurely obsolete due to developments crowding against the roadway which make if unfit for the purposes for which it was designed. Control of access to the degree required by traffic conditions is essential to the protection of life and property. It is also essential to preserve the capacity of the highway. So far as the investment of funds in major roads is concerned, provisions for control of access to the extent required by traffic is fundamental."
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT THE EVIDENCE SAYS
In 1907 the U.S. Supreme court deemed access control was a property rights issue controlled by the sovereign power of the states not the federal government.– Sauer v. City of New York 206 US 536 (1907)
So, Why Not?
How is Access Management achieved?
State and local policies, directives and guidelines
Enforceable regulations, codes and guidelines
Acquisition of access rights
Land development regulations
Development review and impact assessments
Good geometric design criteria
Understanding of access implications by business and property owners
Federal Highway Administration, Office of Operations – Office of Travel Management
WHAT TO DO
Is Access Management enforceable in Georgia?
Georgia law entitles land owners to access to adjacent roadways unless otherwise compensated
The Georgia DOT has the authority to regulate access
The Georgia DOT has the authority to purchase access rights
Local governments have the authority to regulate driveway design and connections
Alfred R. Politzer, Growth Management Law Final Report, Prof. Reuter and Prof. Juergensmeyer
WHAT TO DO
Driveway permits do not override local regulatory requirements
Local government has the authority to enact policies and regulations that are stricter than GDOT
Alfred R. Politzer, Growth Management Law Final Report, Prof. Reuter and Prof. Juergensmeyer
WHAT TO DO
In Georgia…
“The Department has the responsibility of providing safe and efficient transportation while providing reasonable access to adjacent property through access management.”
“Roadways that serve higher volumes of regional through traffic need more access control to preserve their traffic function.”
Georgia DOT, TOPPS Policy 4A-4, Granting Breaks in Access Control and 4A-3, Establishing Access Control.
WHAT TO DO
In Georgia…
Georgia DOT, Regulations for Driveway and Encroachment Control
Median Crossover Spacing (ft)
Area Type Desirable Minimum
Rural 2640 1320
Urban 1320 660
WHAT TO DO
In Florida…
Florida DOT, Access Management Classification System and Standards.
Median Opening Spacing (ft)
Access Class Directional Full
2 1320 2640
3 1320 2640
4 n/a n/a
5 660 1320
Design FeaturesRestrictive w/ service roads
restrictive
non-restrictive
restrictive
6 n/a n/aNon-restrictive
7 330 660both
WHAT TO DO
Should we have stronger state regulations?
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT TO DO
Tends to be greatest on arterial roads-demand for individual property access conflicts with demand for through traffic movement
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT TO DO Planning solutions should include:
– Description of existing conditions: types of roads; public transportation; location and condition of transportation facilities, bike routes, and sidewalks; the community’s place in the region; and issues of regional concern.
– Traffic counts for major roads and intersections.– Description of existing sidewalk and trail
network. – Identification of current problems with access
(driveways) on roadways by examining accident patterns.
Responsive People. Real Partners.
WHAT TO DO– Identification of nodal development / zoning
strategies to limit the amount of development along less developed, rural roads.
– Incorporation of access management strategies as part of site plan review and subdivision regulations to ensure that development along highways does not significantly reduce traffic safety and carrying capacity.
– Recommendation for traffic impact analysis for all Site Plan Review and Subdivision applications exceeding a prescribed threshold.
Responsive People. Real Partners.
Requirements known early in planning stage
Determine feasibility of development based on requirements and criteria
Efficient financing of project Prepare final site plans meeting all
agencies’ requirements
WHAT TO DO
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What are local governments doing?
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Questions?
