INSTRUCTOR:  Nazir Lalani, P.E., M.ASCE

The webinar allows the audience to see this webinar straight from my office, without having to travel. I have attended many ASCE webinars and find that ASCE knows how to put together an effective webinar.   Anonymous Attendee

Purpose and Background

This webinar explores the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis 432: Recent Roadway Geometric Design Research for Improved Safety and Operations as well as other recent publications such as NCHRP Report 707 on Auxiliary Lanes, NCHRP Report 730 on Ramp Terminals and NCHRP Report 422 on Trade-Off Considerations in Highway Geometric Design. Given the abundance of literature on roadway geometric design issues, practitioners have faced challenges identifying the information that they need to do their job effectively.

The webinar, like the Report 432, provides options to practitioners on where to find these sources to help them make more informed decisions on geometric design issues that impact safety and operations. NCHRP Synthesis 432 is an update to NCHRP Synthesis 299 that was published in 2001. The report is structured to correspond to chapters in the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, more commonly referred to as the Green Book. Reports 707, 730 and 422 were published in 2011/2012 and provide additional guidance that practitioners find useful.

The webinar reviews NCHRP Synthesis 432 material in other related NCHRP reports on a topic by topic basis, highlighting key findings and important topics of geometric design research throughout the previous decade.

Learning Outcomes

• Recognize key geometric design research topics and findings from the last ten years
• Locate source documents that provide further details on those topics and findings
• Become familiar with key aspects of NCHRP Synthesis 432
• Apply development the most recent research in relation to key topics in the 2011 edition of the AASHTO Green Book
• Learn what NACTO's Urban Street Design Guide has to say

Webinar Benefits

• Improve your understanding of geometric design
• Gain a better understanding of how geometric design affects safety and operations
• Improved understanding of how highway geometry impacts all road users
• Become more knowledgeable about the what the latest research on geometric design has to say

Intended Audience

This webinar benefits transportation professionals (engineers and planners) who work for consultants, cities, counties, and state agencies involved in designing highway projects. This course is designed for individuals with some background or training in designing highways including intersections and interchanges.

Webinar Outline

• Design Controls and Criteria : Design Vehicles, Design Speed, Design Consistency
• Elements of Design: Sight Distance, Horizontal Alignment, Vertical Alignment
• Cross-Section Elements: Traveled Way Width, Lane Width and Shoulders
• Special design considerations for raised medians
• Essential elements to geometric design for complete streets
• Intersections: Alignment, Skew, Auxiliary Lanes, Sight Distance, Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
• Interchanges: Design of Ramps and Ramp Terminals, Alternative Interchange Designs, Pedestrian and Bicycle Facilities
• Summary of Findings and Barriers to Widespread Implementation
• Special considerations for rural two-lane roadways
• Public agency perspectives on geometric design considerations