PROCEDURES MANUAL FOR ROADSIDE HAZARD INVENTORY AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES

THE NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM (NCHRP) PROJECT 20-7, TASK ORDER 1 PROPOSED A PROBABILISTIC MODEL TO BE USED AS A MANAGEMENT TOOL IN ESTABLISHING THE PRIORITY FOR ROADSIDE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. IT WAS EXPECTED THAT EACH STATE WOULD ADAPT THE RESEARCH FINDINGS TO ITS OWN SPECIFIC NEEDS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STRUCTURE. THIS REPORT COVERS A PHASE OF RESEARCH TO DEVELOP A FORMALIZED IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURE COMPATIBLE WITH TEXAS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT POLICY, TO PROGRAM ROADSIDE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ON CONTROLLED ACCESS HIGHWAYS BASED ON THE GENERALIZED NCHRP 20-7 RESEARCH. THE EXTREMELY LARGE NUMBER OF HAZARDS THAT MUST BE INVENTORIED AND THE FEASIBLE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES NECESSITATE USE OF A SYSTEMATIC CODING PROCEDURE FOR EVENTUAL ANALYSIS BY COMPUTER. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, A ROADSIDE HAZARD INVENTORY FORM AND A ROADSIDE HAZARD IMPROVEMENT FORM WERE DEVELOPED TO ACCOMMODATE APPLICABLE HAZARDS LOCATED WITHIN THE 30-FT. RECOVERY ZONE ADJACENT TO THE ROADWAY. THIS REPORT INCLUDES DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE USE OF EACH FORM AND DISCUSSION OF THE DATA INPUT/OUTPUT FORMAT. SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR SELECTED HAZARDS ARE PRESENTED TO ILLUSTRATE THE MANNER IN WHICH THE FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED AND THE OUTPUT IS SHOWN AND INTERPRETED.