Understanding How We Can Make Commercial Driveways Safer: Exploratory Analysis through Case Studies

Commercial development typically includes offices, shopping centers, gas stations, restaurants, and other uses that generate turning movements and traffic. As a result, commercial driveways and access streets connecting to major roadways are a key source of vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian conflicts. Case studies are one of many methods for understanding the safety effects of commercial driveways. This paper includes six exploratory case studies conducted as a part of a statewide study of commercial driveway crashes in Florida. Case study applications for this safety analysis included: (1) illustrating safety issues with high levels of detail, (2) verifying research findings from high-level analysis, (3) exploring the root causes of identified safety issues, and (4) identifying potential countermeasures for specific safety issues. The case study sites represent a subsection of sites identified as high-crash commercial corridors. The results reveal several safety issues resulting from commercial driveway type and location in relation to intersections and interchange ramps, driveway alignment with median openings, driveway density, and traveler behavior (including motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians). Although conducted in Florida, the approaches, lessons learned, and findings of this study are relevant to understanding commercial driveway safety across the US and internationally.