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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22670.
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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 REPORT 737 Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transition Zones for Rural Highways Darren J. Torbic David K. Gilmore Karin M. Bauer Courtney D. Bokenkroger Douglas W. Harwood Lindsay M. Lucas MRIGlobal Kansas City, MO Robert J. Frazier Christopher S. Kinzel David L. Petree Michael D. Forsberg HDR Engineering, Inc. Kansas City, MO Subscriber Categories Design  •  Operations and Traffic Management TRANSPORTAT ION RESEARCH BOARD WASHINGTON, D.C. 2012 www.TRB.org  Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM Systematic, well-designed research provides the most effective approach to the solution of many problems facing highway administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local interest and can best be studied by highway departments individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation develops increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research. In recognition of these needs, the highway administrators of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials initiated in 1962 an objective national highway research program employing modern scientific techniques. This program is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of the Association and it receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration, United States Department of Transportation. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies was requested by the Association to administer the research program because of the Board’s recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. The Board is uniquely suited for this purpose as it maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; it possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; its relationship to the National Research Council is an insurance of objectivity; it maintains a full-time research correlation staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those who are in a position to use them. The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators of the highway and transportation departments and by committees of AASHTO. Each year, specific areas of research needs to be included in the program are proposed to the National Research Council and the Board by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Research projects to fulfill these needs are defined by the Board, and qualified research agencies are selected from those that have submitted proposals. Administration and surveillance of research contracts are the responsibilities of the National Research Council and the Transportation Research Board. The needs for highway research are many, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program can make significant contributions to the solution of 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 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 at: http://www.national-academies.org/trb/bookstore Printed in the United States of America NCHRP REPORT 737 Project 15-40 ISSN 0077-5614 ISBN 978-0-309-25874-6 Library of Congress Control Number 2012953585 © 2012 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, FAA, FHWA, FMCSA, FTA, or Transit Development Corporation 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 project that is the subject of this report was a part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program, conducted by the Transportation Research Board with the approval of the Governing Board of the National Research Council. The members of the technical panel selected to monitor this project and to review this report were chosen for their special competencies and with regard for appropriate balance. The 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 Governing Board of the National Research Council. 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 Research Council, or the program sponsors. The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies, the National Research Council, and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. On the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences. The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering. The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, on its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine. The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council. The Transportation Research Board is one of six major divisions of the National Research Council. The mission of the Transporta- tion Research Board is to provide leadership in transportation innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. The Board’s varied activities annually engage about 7,000 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. The program is supported by state transportation departments, federal agencies including the component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individu- als interested in the development of transportation. www.TRB.org www.national-academies.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 research reported herein was performed under NCHRP Project 15-40. This report was prepared by Dr. Darren J. Torbic, Mr. David K. Gilmore, Ms. Karin M. Bauer, Ms. Courtney D. Bokenkroger, Mr. Douglas W. Harwood, and Ms. Lindsay M. Lucas of MRIGlobal (formerly Midwest Research Institute) and Mr. Robert J. Frazier, Mr. Christopher S. Kinzel, Mr. David L. Petree, and Mr. Michael D. Forsberg of HDR Engineering, Inc. The authors wish to thank the state departments of transportation of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and Virginia for their assistance in this research. CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP REPORT 737 Christopher W. Jenks, Director, Cooperative Research Programs Crawford F. Jencks, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs B. Ray Derr, Senior Program Officer Andréa Harrell, Senior Program Assistant Eileen P. Delaney, Director of Publications Scott E. Hitchcock, Editor NCHRP PROJECT 15-40 PANEL Field of Design—Area of General Design Philip J. Clark, Bergmann Associates, Rexford, NY (Chair) Kent R. Belleque, Oregon DOT, Salem, OR Jaydeepkumar P. “Jaydeep” Chaudhari, Western Transportation Institute, Bozeman, MT Kazim Mamdani, California DOT, San Diego, CA Kris S. Norton, Kansas DOT, Topeka, KS Fabio Saccon, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Downsview, ON Valerie J. Southern, VJS-TC, LLC, Fairfax, VA Eric Tabacek, Maryland State Highway Administration, Hanover, MD Brooke Struve, FHWA Liaison Stephen F. Maher, TRB Liaison

This report presents guidance for designing the transition from a high-speed rural high- way to a lower-speed section, typically approaching a small town. The report includes a methodology for assessing these highway sections and a catalog of potential treatments for addressing problems. It will be useful to geometric designers and traffic engineers respon- sible for these situations. The TRB website includes two significant products derived from this project. The first is a spreadsheet that can be used to create a straight-line diagram of a site that brings together all of the relevant information for analysis. The second is a Design Guidance document that a transportation agency can adapt to meet its own purposes and needs. As rural and other high-speed highways approach built-up areas, there is usually a transi- tion zone where drivers are encouraged and expected to reduce their speed to one suitable for the environment they are entering. A common example is a rural highway that passes through a small community or hamlet where 55-mph speeds are neither safe nor acceptable to that community. Design standards and policies exist for both the high-speed and low-speed envi- ronments, but differences between the two make design of the transition zone problematic. Many communities would like to use the transition zone as a gateway to the community and they often have unrealistic expectations as to the magnitude of speed reduction. The design of the transition zone must attempt to meet many objectives while maintaining safety. In NCHRP Project 15-40, MRIGlobal and HDR Engineering reviewed existing literature, including NCHRP Synthesis 412: Speed Reduction Techniques for Rural High-to-Low Speed Transitions, to identify techniques that demonstrate an effective and safe reduction in speed and document their effectiveness. Field research was performed to develop additional infor- mation on the effectiveness of roundabouts, transverse pavement markings, and welcome signs at community entrances. The researchers then developed a process for analyzing the transition zone, for selecting appropriate techniques to address issues in the zone, and for evaluating the effectiveness of the techniques after implementation. These materials were brought together in this report. The following items are available on the TRB website (http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/ TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2721): • Appendix A—Vehicle Speed Profiles • Appendix B—Design Guidance Document • Appendix C—Potential Changes for Consideration in the Next Editions of the Green Book and Roadside Design Guide • Transition Zone Straight Line Diagram Workbook (Microsoft Excel spreadsheet) F O R E W O R D By B. Ray Derr Staff Officer Transportation Research Board

1  Summary 3 Section 1  Introduction 3 1.1 Background 4 1.2 Research Objective and Scope 4 1.3 Overview of Research Methodology 5 1.4 Outline of Report 6 Section 2  Literature Review 6 2.1 Key Findings from NCHRP Synthesis 412 7 2.2 Summary of Existing Practice and Research 14 2.3 Summary of International Guidelines 14 2.3.1 Australia/New Zealand 17 2.3.2 United Kingdom 19 2.3.3 Germany 21 2.3.4 Netherlands 23 Section 3  Field Studies 23 3.1 Treatment and Site Selection 26 3.2 Speed Study 26 3.2.1 Speed Data Collection Methodology 28 3.2.2 Descriptive Speed Statistics 35 3.2.3 Analysis Approach 36 3.2.4 Analysis Results 43 3.3 Crash Data Analysis 44 3.3.1 Severity Level 46 3.3.2 Collision Type 46 3.3.3 Overall Summary of Crash Analysis 49 Section 4  Design Guidance 50 4.1 Relationship of Design Guidance to Other Documents 50 4.2 Definitions of the Transition Zone Study Area 50 4.2.1 Geographic Definition of the Transition Zone Area 52 4.2.2 Preliminary Identification of Transition Zone Study Area 53 4.3 Transition Zone Assessment 53 4.3.1 Analytical Framework 54 4.3.2 Project Identification Phase 62 4.3.3 Detailed Assessment Phase 63 4.3.4 User Groups and Stakeholder Input 64 4.3.5 Lessons Learned 64 4.4 Transition Zone Treatments 65 4.4.1 Guiding Principles for Transition Zone Design 65 4.4.2 Catalog of Transition Zone Treatments C O N T E N T S

69 4.4.3 Design Concepts 74 4.4.4 Community Zone Treatments 74 4.4.5 Examples of Implemented Transition Zone Treatments 74 4.4.6 Working Example of Transition Zone Design 79 4.5 Evaluating the Effectiveness of Transition Zone Treatments 80 4.5.1 Before/After Speed Study 81 4.5.2 Before/After Safety Study 82 4.5.3 Lessons Learned 82 4.5.4 Evaluating a Single Project 82 4.6 Legal/Liability Issues 84 Section 5  Conclusions 86 Section 6  References

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TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 737: Design Guidance for High-Speed to Low-Speed Transitions Zones for Rural Highways presents guidance for designing the transition from a high-speed rural highway to a lower-speed section, typically approaching a small town.

The report includes a methodology for assessing these highway sections and a catalog of potential treatments for addressing problems.

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