HIGHWAY INTERCHANGES AND LAND-USE CONTROLS

REASONS ARE DISCUSSED FOR THE DEMAND OF LAND-USE CONTROLS. ONE CONTENTION IS THAT LOCATIONS NEAR INTERCHANGES ARE DESIRABLE BECAUSE OF THEIR KEY POSITIONS WITH REGARD TO MAJOR ROUTES LEADING IN SEVERAL DIRECTIONS. HOWEVER, A LOCATION TOO CLOSE TO AN INTERCHANGE VERY OFTEN IS NOT DESIRABLE BECAUSE OF: (1) EXCESSIVE TRAFFIC CONGESTION AT SUCH LOCATIONS, (2) DIFFICULTY OF ACCESS AND EGRESS AT SUCH POINTS DUE TO THE HEAVY TRAFFIC AND THE OFTEN COMPLICATED AND CONFUSING LAYOUT, AND (3) EXCESSIVE NOISE AT SUCH LOCATIONS. RESEARCH IS BEING CONDUCTED ON THE FOLLOWING KINDS OF PROBLEMS: (1) TO DETERMINE THE SENSITIVE OR AFFECTED AREA OF THE INTERCHANGE, (2) TO DETERMINE THE TYPES OF LAND-USES THAT OCCUR AT DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERCHANGES, RURAL AND URBAN, (3) TO DETERMINE HOW THESE LAND-USES ARE RELATED TO TRAFFIC GENERATION AT THESE FOCAL POINTS, (4) TO DETERMINE THE TYPES OF ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES THAT ARE DESIRABLE AT INTERCHANGE POINTS, (5) TO UTILIZE THE DATA FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF PREDICTED MODELS OF LAND DEVELOPMENT AT INTERCHANGE POINTS, (6) TO AID IN THE COORDINATION OF HIGHWAY TRANSPORTATION WITH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT HIGHWAY PROBLEMS CAN BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT BY CREATING A TRANSPORTATION ORIENTED PLANNING AND DEVELOPING DISTRICT FOR THE INTERCHANGE AREA. THREE TRANSPORTATION ORIENTED CONSIDERATIONS SHOULD BE PARAMOUNT IN THESE DISTRICTS: (1) BALANCING THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND THE LAND-USE IT SERVES TO OBTAIN DESIRABLE LOCATION FOR HEAVY TRAFFIC GENERATORS, TO ENCOURAGE BUFFER AND TRANSITION ZONES BETWEEN INCOMPATIBLE LAND-USES, AND TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE OFF-STREET PARKING AND LOADING, (2) SECURING THE OPTIMUM AMOUNT OF ACCESS CONTROL TO LIMIT ACCESS TO MAJOR FEEDER ROADS, AND TO PROMOTE SEPARATION OF TRAFFIC WITH RESPECT TO TYPE AND CLASSIFICATION AND TRIP PURPOSE AND DESTINATION, AND (3) RESERVING AND ACQUIRING RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR FUTURE USE TO PROVIDE FOR FUTURE EXPANSION OF THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE INTERCHANGE AREA AND FOR FUTURE FRONTAGE ROADS. THE FOLLOWING POSSIBLE CONTROL MEASURES AND MEASURES THOUGHT TO BE PERTINENT TO HIGHWAY INTERCHANGE PROBLEMS ARE DEFINED AND DISCUSSED: LAND USE CONTROLS FOR EMINENT DOMAIN AND PURCHASE, EASEMENTS, POLICE POWER, AND CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENTS. THE COMMON LAW DOCTRINE OF NUISANCE LAW IS DISCUSSED. IT IS SUGGESTED THAT LAND-USE CONTROLS MAY BE USED AT HIGHWAY INTERCHANGES TO BALANCE THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND THE LAND-USE IT SERVES, SECURE THE OPTIMUM AMOUNT OF ACCESS CONTROL, AND RESERVE AND ACQUIRE RIGHT-OF-WAY FOR FUTURE USE.