Abstract
Public opposition to alternative intersection/interchange designs can be a large barrier to their implementation, even when they have safety and efficiency benefits. This study evaluated the factors influencing perceptions for four alternative designs: the roundabout, the restricted crossing U-turn, the displaced left turn, and the diverging diamond interchange. A survey was designed and distributed to 1,000 adults residing in the State of Indiana. The survey solicited participant acceptance of and driver confidence with alternative designs. Bivariate ordered probit models were estimated to evaluate the impact of socio-demographic and trip-making characteristics on public perception. The findings suggest that respondents who are younger, male, highly educated, who travel more often or for farther distances, and who rate their own driving ability highly, are more likely to accept and be confident using alternative designs. The results of this study can inform future outreach efforts by improving transportation agency understanding of public opinions and primary concerns regarding these designs and provide potential paths for improving public perception.
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Data Availability Statement
Some or all data, models, or code generated used during the study are proprietary or confidential in nature and may only be provided with restrictions. This study involved human subjects and data is subject to confidentiality terms for participant privacy as agreed upon with the Purdue University Institutional Review Board (IRB).
Acknowledgments
This research was funded by the Joint Transportation Research Program administered by the Indiana Department of Transportation and Purdue University. The contents of this paper reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and accuracy of the data presented herein. The authors would additionally like to thank the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and the Fairfax County (VA) Department of Transportation (FCDOT) for allowing us to use public outreach materials they developed in the survey. The authors would lastly like to thank undergraduate research assistant Elizabeth Rosenzweig for her valuable assistance in conducting descriptive statistical analysis of the survey instrument.
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Published In
Journal of Transportation Engineering, Part A: Systems
Volume 148 • Issue 9 • September 2022
Copyright
© 2022 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: May 10, 2021
Accepted: Mar 10, 2022
Published online: Jun 20, 2022
Published in print: Sep 1, 2022
Discussion open until: Nov 20, 2022
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