Identification of Access Management Problem Locations Along Arterial Corridors in Small and Medium-Sized Communities Using Geospatial and Remotely-Sensed Data

Access management is a key transportation safety and operational issue facing many small and medium-sized communities. Access management involves careful planning and management of direct access from land development to highway transportation facilities, particularly via private driveways. Failure to properly manage access results in increased rates of property damage and personal injury crashes, increased congestion, and lower travel speeds. Poorly managed arterial roadways have crash rates approximately 40 to 50 percent higher than well-managed routes. This paper describes a process for identifying current and potential access management problems through the use of readily available geographic information systems (GIS) technology. A number of data sources and types can be effectively integrated using GIS, including digital orthophotography, land use data, roadway characteristic data, traffic flow data, and crash data. The resulting GIS project can then be used to identify access management problems along arterial and collector roadways. The results are highly visual, which aids with efforts to educate and involve decision-makers, businesspersons, property owners, and the general public. Guidelines are presented, including the resolution required for aerial photography to be used effectively in identifying access characteristics along corridors. This paper includes example problem identification results from Ames, a small metropolitan community with a population just above 50,000 persons located in central Iowa.