Urban Intersection Design Guide: Volume 1 - Guidelines

Intersections are an important part of a highway facility because the efficiency, safety, speed, cost of operation, and capacity of the facility depend on their design to a great extent. Each intersection involves through- or cross-traffic movements on one or more of the highways and may involve turning movements between these highways. Such movements may be facilitated by various geometric designs and traffic controls, depending on the type of intersection. The main objective of intersection design is to facilitate the convenience, comfort, and safety of people traversing the intersection while enhancing the efficient movement of motor vehicles, buses, trucks, bicycles, and pedestrians. In order to design intersections that are both functional and effective, designers need current information regarding intersection design that is easily accessible and in a user-friendly format. The prime objective of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Project 0-4365 is to produce this reference document, the Urban Intersection Design Guide, to provide this information. This document is presented in two volumes, of which this is Volume 1 - Guidelines. This project is designed to provide TxDOT and other interested parties with useful and practical information on operations and design for intersections.