Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation (2024)

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2024 N A T I O N A L C O O P E R A T I V E H I G H W A Y R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1087 Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation Bastian Schroeder Burak Cesme Pete Jenior Kaitlyn Schaer Paul Ryus Shannon Warchol Sarah Brown Sophia Semensky Nagui Rouphail Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Wilmington, NC Jonathan Reid Arcadis Raleigh, NC Joanna Reagle Justin Ferry Karen Jehanian KMJ, Inc. Ardmore, PA Charles Brown Equitable Cities LLC Somerset, NJ Subscriber Categories Construction • Materials Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Ofcials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state departments of transportation (DOTs) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transporta- tion results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to high- way authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 ini- tiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation, under Agree- ment No. 693JJ31950003. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRB’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive com- mittee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, univer- sities, and industry; TRB’s relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of special- ists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs iden- tified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&I’s recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Direc- tors and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Academies and TRB. The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs. Published research reports of the NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM are available from Transportation Research Board Business Office 500 Fifth Street, NW Washington, DC 20001 and can be ordered through the Internet by going to https://www.mytrb.org/MyTRB/Store/default.aspx Printed in the United States of America NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1087 Project 17-98 ISSN 2572-3766 (Print) ISSN 2572-3774 (Online) ISBN 978-0-309-70936-1 Library of Congress Control Number 2024930147 © 2024 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trade- marks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. COPYRIGHT INFORMATION Authors herein are responsible for the authenticity of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein. Cooperative Research Programs (CRP) grants permission to reproduce material in this publication for classroom and not-for-profit purposes. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. It is expected that those reproducing the material in this document for educational and not-for-profit uses will give appropriate acknowledgment of the source of any reprinted or reproduced material. For other uses of the material, request permission from CRP. NOTICE The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or spec- ifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications. The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

e National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, non- governmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president. e National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. John L. Anderson is president. e National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president. e three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. e National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine. Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org. e Transportation Research Board is one of seven major program divisions of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. e mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. e Board’s varied activities annually engage about 8,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. e program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation. Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

C O O P E R A T I V E R E S E A R C H P R O G R A M S AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The guide was produced under NCHRP Project 17-98, “Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation,” by Kittelson & Associates, Inc.; Arcadis; KMJ, Inc; and Equitable Cities LLC. Kittelson & Associates, Inc. was the contractor for this study. The work undertaken by other project team members occurred under subcontracts with Kittelson & Associates, Inc. Bastian Schroeder, PhD, PE, of Kittelson & Associates, Inc., was the principal investigator. The other authors of this report were Burak Cesme, PhD; Pete Jenior; Kaitlyn Schaffer; Paul Ryus; Shannon Warchol; Sarah Brown; Sophia Semensky; and Nagui Rouphail, PhD, of Kittelson & Associates, Inc. For subcontractor Arcadis, the lead investigator and author was Jonathan Reid, PE, PTOE, RSP. For subcontractor KMJ, Inc, the contributing authors were Joanna Reagle, Justin Ferry, and Karen Jehanian. For subcontractor Equitable Cities LLC, the key author was Charles Brown. The project team acknowledges the contributions of representatives from various state departments of transportation who responded to the project outreach survey about their processes for intersection control evaluation and provided helpful insights to the project team. CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1087 Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program Amir N. Hanna, Senior Program Officer Emily Griswold, Program Coordinator Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications Heather DiAngelis, Associate Director of Publications Janet M. McNaughton, Senior Editor NCHRP PROJECT 17-98 PANEL Field of Traffic—Area of Safety Michelle Nickerson, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Nashville, TN (Chair) Nithin K. Agarwal, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL Marcus H. Januario, Shive-Hattery (formerly), Cedar Rapids, IA Angela J. Kargel, Oregon Department of Transportation, Salem, OR Sanhita Lahiri, Virginia Department of Transportation, Richmond, VA Tobey Reynolds, New Hampshire Department of Transportation, Concord, NH Stuart Samberg, Rummel, Klepper, and Kahl, LLP (RK&K), Glen Allen, VA Kevin Scopoline, Wisconsin Department of Transportation, Madison, WI James S. Sullivan, Mississippi Department of Transportation, Jackson, MS Hillary Nicole Isebrands, FHWA Liaison

NCHRP Research Report 1087: Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation provides informa- tion and guidance on all aspects of intersection control evaluation (ICE) and incorporates enhanced safety screening methods, planning-level capacity methods for innovative inter- sections and interchanges, and a process for incorporating social equity. The information contained in this guide will help highway agencies and other organizations address relevant issues when considering the planning and implementation of intersections of highways and streets. A variety of ICE processes and metrics are used by highway agencies for evaluating inter- section geometry and control alternatives and identifying an optimal geometric and control solution for an intersection. These processes usually address safety; operational, multimodal, and environmental considerations; right-of-way; and cost impacts and other considerations. However, because of the absence of a widely accepted procedure or guide for evaluating new intersections or modifications to an intersection, there was a need to develop a guide that incorporates rational processes, objective performance metrics, and appropriate tools to provide consistent and objective ICE. Under NCHRP Project 17-98, “Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation,” Kittelson & Associates, Inc., was tasked with developing a guide for ICE that includes associated pro- cesses and tools. To accomplish this objective, the research team identified and reviewed the practices and processes used by state departments of transportation for ICE and developed a guide for ICE that incorporates enhanced safety screening methods, planning-level capacity methods for innovative intersections and interchanges, and a process for incorporating social equity and that describes the steps involved in setting up and implementing the recom- mended process. The research team also prepared nine implementation tools to facilitate use of the guide. These tools, as well as NCHRP Web-Only Document 377: Background and Development of a Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation, a research report summarizing the work performed to develop the guide, are available on the National Academies Press website (nap.nationalacademies.org) by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1087: Guide for Intersection Control Evaluation. F O R E W O R D By Amir N. Hanna Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

Note: Photographs, figures, and tables in this report may have been converted from color to grayscale for printing. The electronic version of the report (posted on the web at nap.nationalacademies.org) retains the color versions. 1 Chapter 1 Introduction 1 What Is ICE? 1 Why Use ICE? 3 Who Applies ICE? 3 Intersection Form and Intersection Control 4 How to Use This Guide 7 Chapter 2 Framework for Setting Up ICE 8 Start-Up 9 Style 11 Scale 13 Scope 14 Stages 18 Steps 22 Selection 23 Sequence 24 Chapter 3 Typical ICE Process 24 Introduction 26 Applicability 29 Conducting ICE 29 Process 44 Chapter 4 Implementing ICE 44 Testing and Refining the Draft Process 45 Preimplementation Outreach 45 Implementing the Process 47 Monitoring and Refining the Process 48 Chapter 5 Analysis Methods and Tools 48 ICE Stage 1 57 ICE Stage 2 67 Acronyms and Abbreviations 68 References 71 Appendix Overview of Intersection Form and Control Types C O N T E N T S