Design and Management of Historic Roads (2012)

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ACKNOWLEDGMENT This work was sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, and was conducted in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), which is administered by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies. 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, Transit Development Corporation, or AOC 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. DISCLAIMER The opinions and conclusions expressed or implied in this report are those of the researchers who performed the research. They are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board, the National Research Council, or the program sponsors. The information contained in this document was taken directly from the submission of the author(s). This material has not been edited by TRB.

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Introduction on Purpose and Summary of Content………………..…………………………..i 1.0 Preserving Historic Roads: Starting Out in the Right Direction ............................... 1-1 1.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 Background of Inherent Flexibility ............................................................................... 1-2 1.3 Moving Beyond Common Misconceptions and Using Inherent Flexibility ................. 1-3 1.4 Considerations Critical to Achieving Balanced Outcomes for Historic Roads ............ 1-6 1.5 Putting it All Together: A Hierarchy for Developing Balanced Solutions ................... 1-8 1.6 Hierarchy of Alternatives Matrix .................................................................................. 1-9 2.0 Planning for Balanced Solutions Balanced Solutions: Incorporate Historic Preservation from Project Outset .................................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Integrating Historic Preservation from the Outset of Planning and Project Development ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.3 Both Perspectives Have Important Roles to Play.......................................................... 2-2 2.4 Define Purpose and Need .............................................................................................. 2-2 2.5 Integrating Historic Significance into Planning and Alternatives Analysis Stages ...... 2-6 2.6 Using Established Preservation Guidance to Determine Effect and Define Prudence . 2-8 2.7 Value of Early Assessment of Environmental Risks .................................................... 2-9 2.8 Scope Projects Correctly ............................................................................................... 2-9 3.0 Many Routes Go In the Right Direction: Using Inherent Flexibility ......................... 3-1 3.1 Background on Using Inherent Flexibility .................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Ways to Use Inherent Flexibility .................................................................................. 3-2 3.3 Memorandum of Agreement and Programmatic Agreement ...................................... 3-12 3.4 America‘s Byways (Scenic Byways) Designation ...................................................... 3-13 3.5 Design Exceptions ....................................................................................................... 3-16 3.6 Corridor-Specific Management Plans ......................................................................... 3-17 3.7 Maintenance Manuals or Protocols ............................................................................. 3-18 4.0 Considerations in Defining Historic Roads .................................................................. 4-1 4.1 Why Understanding Historic Significance Is Important ............................................... 4-1 4.2 Defining Historic Roads: Whose Definition of What? ................................................. 4-1 4.3 The Federal Definition of Historic ................................................................................ 4-2

4.4 What Kinds of Roads Meet the Federal Definition of Historic..................................... 4-3 4.5 Is it the Road Itself or Resources Beyond the Road that Makes it Historic? ................ 4-5 4.6 Distinguishing Historic Significance from Historical Character .................................. 4-9 4.7 Determining Which Road Features Are the Significant and Essential Ones .............. 4-10 4.8 Strong Historical Connection Between In-Use Roads and Change ............................ 4-15 4.9 Use Historic Information Through the Entire Project ................................................. 4-16 4.10 Considerations for Making Historic Information Most Useful to the Planning and Project Development Process ...................................................................................... 4-17 4.11 Examples of How Specific Roads Meet National Register Criteria ........................... 4-18 5.0 Highway Design; Past, Present and Balanced .............................................................. 5-1 5.1 Background ................................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 Evolution of Geometric Roadway Design Policy and Criteria ..................................... 5-1 5.3 Green Book Applicability to Existing Streets and Highways ....................................... 5-3 5.4 Balancing Design Criteria with Preservation of Historic Significance ......................... 5-5 5.5 The Thirteen Design Criteria that Control Roadway Design ........................................ 5-6 5.6 Intersections ................................................................................................................ 5-27 5.7 Safety Principles .......................................................................................................... 5-30 5.8 Operations (Roadway Capacity) – TRB Highway Capacity Manual ......................... 5-34 Appendix A: Factors Associated with Intersection Design and Operations