Comment:
Prioritization of the 13 Controlling Criteria: This section of the report applies the existing traffic operational and safety relationships from Section 2 and the new relationships from the research presented in Section 4 to prioritize the 13 controlling criteria for specific roadway types. The discussion begins by presenting the ranking of the 13 controlling criteria from a recent survey of highway agencies, followed by presentation of the priorities developed in this research.

Last Updated (Year): 2014

Year Produced: 2014

Abstract:

"In 1985, the FHWA designated 13 specific design elements as controlling criteria for roadway design (see Mitigation Strategies for Design Exceptions). The 13 controlling criteria are (1) design speed, (2) lane width, (3) shoulder width, (4) bridge width, (5) structural capacity, (6) horizontal alignment, (7) vertical alignment, (8) grade, (9) stopping sight distance, (10) cross slope, (11) superelevation, (12) vertical clearance, and (13) horizontal clearance. Federally assisted highway construction and reconstruction projects must meet the established design criteria for these elements, or a formal design exception must be prepared and approved. Different procedures apply to rehabilitation projects, but these design elements are still key considerations in design. Since their designation, the 13 controlling criteria and their pplication have not been reconsidered as new knowledge has been gained about the relationships between geometric design elements and safety and operations.
In NCHRP Project 17-53, MRIGlobal and their subcontractors (Quincy Engineering and HQE, Inc.) investigated what is known about the safety and operational effects of the 13 controlling and other important geometric design criteria. Several small studies were done to augment the information found in the literature. This information was used to assess the sensitivity of safety and operations to design decisions for these criteria for different types of roads. The research also addressed how to reduce confusion related to the definitions of the controlling criteria."

For:Walking, Biking

The E's:Evaluation, Engineering

Ped Bike Activity:

• Planning
• Design

Ped Bike Topic:

• Traffic Control Devices
• Traffic Calming
• Tools
• Planning Processes
• Planning
• Built environment
• Assessment

Urban Context:Urban, Suburban, Rural, Highway, Arterial

Resource Type:

• Guidance

Link to Content Source:

NCHRP Report 783: Evaluation of the 13 Controlling Criteria for Geometric Design