A decision support tool for selecting traffic control devices.

PDFTech ReportSWUTC/15/600451-00008-1600451-00008-1DTRT12-G-UTC06Case studiesDecision support systemsPerformance measurementSurveysTraffic control devicesUnited StatesTexas A&M Transportation InstituteRobertson, JamesHawkins Jr, H GeneTexas A&M Transportation InstituteSouthwest Region University Transportation Center (U.S.)United States. Dept. of Transportation. Research and Innovative Technology AdministrationUniversity Transportation Centers Program (U.S.)US Transportation CollectionThe Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and transportation profession continue updating andpublishing the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). However, it is beyond the scope ofthe MUTCD to provide the breadth of knowledge necessary for evaluating traffic control devices (TCDs)as part of the larger transportation system. In this report, researchers use existing theory and a survey oftransportation professionals to develop a decision support tool for use in selecting TCDs. To accomplishthis, researchers first use a survey of transportation professionals to evaluate the relative importance ofsafety, mobility, environmental sustainability, and economic activity when selecting TCDs. Thisinvestigation leads researchers to conclude that the best solution meets local needs and desires, conforms toengineering principles and practice, and provides an engineering benefit. Additionally, this investigationfinds that safety and mobility are the engineering benefits driving the selection of TCDs. Next, researchersuse a portion of the same survey of transportation professionals to evaluate the importance of crashes,driver compliance, and mobility when ranking transportation alternatives. This investigation finds thatcompliance is a reasonable surrogate measure of safety in the absence of crash data. Additionally, withinthis evaluation, researchers identify performance measures for use in selecting traffic control devices.Finally, researchers use the relative importance of agency objectives evaluation and the identifiedperformance measures to develop a decision support tool for use in selecting TCDs. Researchersdemonstrate the use of this decision support tool with a case study