Designing Arterial Streets for Safety

While the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1968, through the TOPICS programs, has made funds available for the improvement of urban streets, there is a wide variation in standards for new construction. Minimum standards under the 1957 AASHO Policy on Arterial Highways in Urban Areas were frequently dictated by existing right-of-way restrictions and should be intensively restudied in the light of current conditions. Pending definitive research, major working criteria are suggested for curvature and grade, lateral clearance, curbs and gutters, corner radii, channelization, lane width, median treatment, left turn bays, median openings, border width and right of way widths. Research objectives are specified including pedestrian protection, systems planning for arterial streets, long-range planning for rights-of-way and setback requirements, as well as development of adequate geometric design standards.