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Many members of White River Citizens United are active in many different, ongoing efforts to make White River Township a better place for everyone to live. WRCU members have been meeting with city, county, and state officials about access management along State Road 135. These efforts have received positive feedback from the officials, some of whom were amazed that citizens learned as much about the topic as they had. For an existing example of access management, look at how Marlin Drive (on the west side of SR135 between Fairview and Smith Valley Road) connects Kroger with Menards. This helps reduce the congestion of State Road 135 and allows for less curb cuts along an already-congested road. They have collected the below information as an introduction to the topic of access management. Importance of Access Management With fewer new arterial roadways being built, the need for effective systems management strategies is greater than ever before. Access management is particularly attractive as it offers a variety of benefits to a broad range of stakeholders. By managing roadway access, government agencies can increase public safety, extend the life of major roadways, reduce traffic congestion, support alternative transportation modes, and even improve the appearance and quality of the built environment. Without access management, the function and character of major roadway corridors can deteriorate rapidly. Failure to manage access is associated with the following adverse social, economic, and environmental impacts: An increase in vehicular crashes, More collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists, Accelerated reduction in roadway efficiency, Unsightly commercial strip development, Degradation of scenic landscapes, More cut-through traffic in residential areas due to overburdened arterials, Homes and businesses adversely impacted by a continuous cycle of widening roads, and Increased commute times, fuel consumption, and vehicular emissions as numerous driveways and traffic signals intensify congestion and delays along major roads. Not only is this costly for government agencies and the public, but it also adversely affects corridor businesses. Closely spaced and poorly designed driveways make it more difficult for customers to enter and exit businesses safely. Access to corner businesses may be blocked by queuing traffic. Customers begin to patronize businesses with safer, more convenient access and avoid businesses in areas of poor access design. Gradually the older developed areas begin to deteriorate due to access and aesthetic problems, and investment moves to newer better-managed corridors. After access problems have been created, they are difficult to solve. Reconstructing an arterial roadway is costly and disruptive to the public and abutting homes and businesses. The shallow property depth, multiple owners, and right-of-way limitations common to older corridors generally preclude effective redesign of access and site circulation. In some cases, a new arterial or bypass must be built to replace the functionally obsolescent roadway, and the process begins again in a new location. Access management programs can help stop this cycle of functional obsolescence, thereby protecting both the public and private investment in major roadway corridors. Elements of a Comprehensive Program The manual provides specific guidance to state, regional and local agencies on developing and implementing an access management program or corridor access management plan. Comprehensive, system-wide access management programs involve the following key elements: Classifying roadways into a logical hierarchy according to function, Planning, designing, and maintaining roadway systems based on functional classification and road geometry, Defining acceptable levels of access for each class of roadway to preserve its function, including criteria for the spacing of signalized and unsignalized access points, Applying appropriate geometric design criteria and traffic engineering analysis to each allowable access point, and Establishing policies, regulations, and permitting procedures to carry out and support the program. State and local agencies may adopt specific policies, directives, regulations, or guidelines that are directly or indirectly related to access management. Access management regulations may address a variety of issues, such as access spacing and design, and are more enforceable than guidelines. Local agencies also establish land development regulations that affect access outcomes, such as subdivision regulations and lot dimensional requirements. Another option is for state transportation agencies or local governments to acquire property access rights through purchase or eminent domain. The acquisition of access rights, while often costly and time consuming, is a strong and long lasting solution. Some aspects of access management are addressed at the development review stage, in response to a request for a development or connection permit. This may be accomplished through the subdivision or site plan review process of local agencies or during the access permitting process of state agencies. Larger developments are often required to submit a traffic impact assessment to assist the agency in its review. Access management is also addressed through roadway design. Geometric design features, such as interchanges, frontage roads, medians, median openings, auxiliary lanes, driveway design, and intersection channelization are used to manage access and vehicular turning movements. Geometric design criteria are normally included in design manuals and design objectives are advanced through the roadway improvement process. Principles of Access Management Access management programs seek to limit and consolidate access along major roadways, while promoting a supporting street system and unified access and circulation systems for development. The result is a roadway that functions safely and efficiently for its useful life, and a more attractive corridor. The goals of access management are accomplished by applying the following principles: Provide a Specialized Roadway System: Different types of roadways serve different functions. It is important to design and manage roadways according to the primary functions that they are expected to serve. Limit Direct Access to Major Roadways: Roadways that serve higher volumes of regional through traffic need more access control to preserve their traffic function. Frequent and direct property access is more compatible with the function of local and collector roadways. Promote Intersection Hierarchy: An efficient transportation network provides appropriate transitions from one classification of roadway to another. For example, freeways connect to arterials through an interchange that is designed for the transition. Extending this concept to other roadways results in a series of intersection types that range from the junction of two major arterial roadways, to a residential driveway connecting to a local street.
intersections and signals on major roadways enhances the ability to coordinate signals and to ensure continuous movement of traffic at the desired speed. Failure to carefully locate access connections or median openings that later become signalized, can cause substantial increases in arterial travel times. In addition, poor signal placement may lead to delays that cannot be overcome by computerized signal timing systems. Preserve the Functional Area of Intersections and Interchanges: The functional area of an intersection or interchange is the area that is critical to its safe and efficient operation. 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. Limit the Number of Conflict Points: Drivers make more mistakes and are more likely to have collisions when they are presented with the complex driving situations created by numerous conflict points. Conversely, simplifying the driving task contributes to improved traffic operations and fewer collisions. A less complex driving environment is accomplished by limiting the number and type of conflicts between vehicles, vehicles and pedestrians, and vehicles and bicyclists. Separate Conflict Areas: Drivers need sufficient time to address one set of potential conflicts before facing another. The necessary spacing between conflict areas increases as travel speed increases, to provide drivers adequate perception and reaction time. Separating conflict areas helps to simplify the driving task and contributes to improved traffic operations and safety. Remove Turning Vehicles from Through Traffic Lanes: Turning lanes allow drivers to decelerate gradually out of the through lane and wait in a protected area for an opportunity to complete a turn. This reduces the severity and duration of conflict between turning vehicles and through traffic and improves the safety and efficiency of roadway intersections. Use Nontraversable Medians to Manage Left-Turn Movements: Medians channel turning movements on major roadways to controlled locations. Research has shown that the majority of access-related crashes involve left turns. Therefore, nontraversable medians and other techniques that minimize left turns or reduce the driver workload can be especially effective in improving roadway safety. Provide a Supporting Street and Circulation System: Well-planned communities provide a supporting network of local and collector streets to accommodate development, as well as unified property access and circulation systems. Interconnected street and circulation systems support alternative modes of transportation and provide alternative routes for bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers. Alternatively, commercial strip development with separate driveways for each business forces even short trips onto arterial roadways, thereby reducing safety and impeding mobility. |
an alliance of White River Township neighborhood associations and individuals |
WRCU Testimony to the joint Indiana House and Senate Regulatory Flexibility Study Committee on the matter of the Bargersville Water Utility rate increase process |
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