PROTECTION OF HIGHWAY UTILITY

ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN FULL AGREEMENT AS TO THE INTERDEPENDENCE OF LAND-USE PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, THERE HAS BEEN A GENERAL LACK OF INFORMATION IN THE PLANNING COMMUNITY AS TO THE INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN HIGHWAY NEEDS AND LAND-USE NEEDS. THE RESEARCH PRESENTED IN THIS REPORT INCLUDES PRAGMATIC GUIDELINES FOR LAND-USE CONTROL AND INTRINSIC HIGHWAY CONTROL DESIGN TECHNIQUES THAT CAN BE UTILIZED TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC INVESTMENT IN THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM AGAINST PREMATURE OBSOLESCENCE OR OPERATIONAL INEFFICIENCY. SOME OF THE GUIDELINES ARE DEVELOPED IN CONSIDERABLE DETAIL. THESE CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES OF LAND-USE AND HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATORS. IN OTHER INSTANCES THE PRINCIPLES ARE DEVELOPED AS A BASE FROM WHICH MORE DETAILED ANALYSIS CAN BE UNDERTAKEN. THE BASIC INTERRELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES AND LAND USE CAN BEST BE ILLUSTRATED BY THE LAND USE---TRANSPORTATION CYCLE: (1) LAND-USE ACTIVITIES GENERATE VEHICULAR TRIPS; (2) THE TRIPS IDENTIFY TRANSPORTATION NEEDS; (3) NEEDS ARE MET BY TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES; (4) THESE FACILITIES PROVIDE ADDITIONAL ACCESS TO LAND; (5) THE PROVISION OF ACCESS ENHANCES LAND VALUE AND AFFECTS THE USE OF THE LAND. THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT IS A SYSTEM, EACH COMPONENT OF WHICH HAS A MEASURABLE INFLUENCE ON OTHER COMPONENTS. THE ANALYSIS, BY DEFINING THE MUTUAL INFLUENCES OF THE LAND-USE AND TRAFFIC-SYSTEM COMPONENTS, SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE CONTROL OF THE LAND USE---TRANSPORTATION CYCLE SO THAT THE INVESTMENT IN HIGHWAY FACILITIES CAN BE OPTIMIZED. IT HAS BEEN CONCLUDED THAT CONTROL OF THE CYCLE IS POSSIBLE, AND THE STUDY DEFINES THE ELEMENTS OF REGUALTION AND ADMINISTRATION THAT CAN BE USED. THE PRESENT STUDY HAS GENERATED A SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTIONS TO SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED IN A PREVIOUS REPORT (NCHRP 31). SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS DEAL WITH NECESSARY ADVANCES IN ANALYSIS AND MEASUREMENT OF CIRCULATION FACTORS. SOME DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PHYSICAL DESIGN OF HIGHWAYS AND PRIVATE DEVELOPMENTS. OTHERS ARE CONCERNED WITH LEGAL OR ADMINISTRATIVE DEVICES TO ENSURE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF GOOD DESIGN AND TO CONTROL THEIR SUBSEQUENT OPERATION. THE STUDY CONCLUDES THAT THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACHIEVING LONG-LIVED HIGHWAY UTILITY ARE RELATIVELY FAVORABLE FOR THE FUTURE. THE BASIC TOOLS AND IMPLEMENTATION TECHNIQUES ARE ALREADY AVAILABLE IN THOSE AREAS WHERE THE PROBLEMS ARE MOST SEVERE. EFFECTIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF CURRENT TOOLS AND OF THE NEW TECHNIQUES PROPOSED IN THIS STUDY CAN FURTHER ENHANCE THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OF HIGHWAY OBSOLESCENCE. /HRB/