SURVEY ON SHOULDER DESIGN AND OPERATION PRACTICES

A QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY OF THE DESIGN AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS OF HIGHWAY SHOULDERS (QUESTIONS WERE DESIGNED TO OBTAIN COMPARABLE DATA ON SHOULDER DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS RELATING TO WARRANTS AND GUIDELINES, USE OF EDGELINES, SHOULDER WIDTHS, AND SRUCTURAL QUALITY OF SHOULDERS AS COMPARED WITH THAT OF MAIN LANES), REVEALED SEVERAL FACTORS CONCERNING DESIGN, CRITERIA AND OPERATION PRACTICES. THERE WAS GENERAL AGREEMENT ON THE NEED FOR GOOD SHOULDERS AND ON SHOULDER CRITERIA FOR THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM. THERE WAS DISSENT AND LACK OF CONSISTENCY IN OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON DESIGN CRITERIA, THE USE OF SHOULDER AREA TO FACILITATE PASSING MANEUVER, LATERAL PLACEMENT OF EDGELINES AND SHOULDER WIDTH. THE PAUCITY OF RESEARCH IN AREAS SUCH AS NATURAL CONTRAST, EDGELINE PLACEMENT, AND SHOULDER WIDTH IS NOTED, AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS FOR SHOULDER DESIGN IS URGED.