AN EVALUATION OF A FEDERAL AID SAFETY PROJECT

AN EVALUATION IS PRESENTED OF A FEDERAL AID SAFETY PROJECT IN THE CITY OF LANSING, MICHIGAN, WHICH HAD A TRUNK LINE ACCIDENT REDUCTION OF 65 TO 33 FROM THE YEAR BEFORE THE IMPROVEMENT TO THE YEAR AFTER THE IMPROVEMENT. THE PROJECT CONSISTED OF WIDENING THE BUSINESS LOOP OF I-96 FROM FOUR TO FIVE LANES TO PROVIDE A CENTER LANE FOR LEFT TURNS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF ROADSIDE CONTROL. THIS BUSINESS LOOP IS DEVELOPED INDUSTRIALLY AND COMMERCIALLY FROM THE DOWNTOWN AREA SOUTH THROUGH AN INTERSECTION CONNECTING WITH I-96. EACH OF THE FOUR LEGS OF THIS INTERSECTION PREVIOUSLY CARRIED FOUR LANES OF TWO-WAY TRAFFIC. PREVIOUS TO THE IMPROVEMENT, THIS INTERSECTION HAD ONE OF THE HIGHEST ACCIDENT RATES IN THE CITY. THIS SPOT IMPROVEMENT PROJECT RELIEVED OPERATIONAL PROBLEMS AND IMPROVED SAFETY AT THE INTERSECTION. THE SAFETY PROJECT REDUCED ACCIDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE TYPE WHICH INVOLVED THE LEFT TURN OPERATION. IT ALSO INCREASED THE EFFICIENCY OF LANE USAGE AT THE INTERSECTION, SINCE MOTORISTS IN THE LEFT THROUGH LANE NO LONGER NEEDED TO SLOW DOWN FOR LEFT TURNING VEHICLES.