Design and Planning Process for Green Roadways
After sixty years of a transportation planning approach based on the concept that more paving is better, we may finally be at the cusp of a new era. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Policy on Design of Urban
- PDF / 6,150,801 Bytes
- 18 Pages / 612 x 720 pts Page_size
- 70 Downloads / 246 Views
Design and Planning Process for Green Roadways
After sixty years of a transportation planning approach based on the concept that more paving is better, we may finally be at the cusp of a new era. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials’ (AASHTO) Policy on Design of Urban Highways and Arterial Streets (2011), commonly known as the “Red Book,” advocates a design approach where highways have a “tailor-made design for the unique set of conditions along the segment.” This sentiment is at the heart of a green roadways approach. During the 1990s highway design changed rapidly throughout the United States. Highway designers and builders learned they must be more sensitive to the impact of highways on the environment and communities. “In the past, the transportation engineers would show up at a meeting and tell everyone what we needed to do,” says Wes Hughen, a transportation engineer with Tennessee Department of Transportation. “We have changed how we approach projects and we have gotten a lot better at listening to what people want.” A number of different design and planning approaches can be used for transportation projects. These approaches are often parts of a more holistic approach to creating green roadways. One reason there are different design and planning approaches is that so many professions are involved in creating a
green road. The key is to integrate these processes to make sure that all perspectives are addressed for each transportation project.
Overview of the Process of Planning and Designing a Green Road There are many different approaches to designing a road at the site level, but they can all be simplified into four major steps: research, inventory/analysis, synthesis, and implementation. These steps are best applied at specific locations where the emphasis is on implementing a project, rather than broad, planninglevel studies. Research–One of the initial steps in the design process is to determine the focus and extent of a transportation project. For a project to meet its stated goals, it needs to be considered within a broader context. This involves understanding local and regional transportation trends and patterns and anticipated changes that could affect transportation infrastructure. Researching analogous transportation projects may provide insight on possible approaches and solutions for a specific project. Inventory/Analysis–Effective transportation design and planning begins with a sound base of information
J.L. Sipes and M.L. Sipes, Creating Green Roadways: Integrating Cultural, Natural, and Visual Resources into Transportation, DOI 10.5822/978-1-59726-322-1_4, © 2013 James L. Sipes and Matthew L. Sipes
79
80 creating green roadways
on the opportunities and constraints for each transportation project. For every project, designers and planners conduct an initial inventory and analysis of a corridor and adjacent areas. This information serves as the foundation from which decisions are made. The inventory phase includes identifying significant cultural, n
Data Loading...
