The research documented in this report was conducted as part of the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Evaluation of Low-Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund Study (ELCSI-PFS). FHWA established this PFS in 2005 to conduct research on the effectiveness of the safety improvements identified by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program Report 500 Guides as part of the implementation of the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan. The ELCSI-PFS studies provide a crash modification factor and benefit–cost economic analysis for each of the targeted safety strategies identified as priorities by the pooled fund member States.
 

This study evaluates corner clearance at signalized intersections in the State of California and the City of Charlotte, North Carolina. For limited corner clearance on the approach corners, the results indicate statistically significant reductions in total, fatal and injury, and rear-end crashes. The results also indicated reductions in sideswipe and nighttime crashes, and increases in right-angle and turning crashes. This study suggests that removing access on mainline receiving corners to improve corner clearance—with reasonable assumptions for cost, service life, and the value of a statistical life—can be cost effective for reducing crashes at signalized intersections. This document is intended for safety engineers, highway designers, planners, and practitioners at
State and local agencies involved with AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan implementation.