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ACCESS MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

Access management is the process of regulating interchanges, intersections, driveways and median openings to a roadway.

The primary objective is to enable access to land uses while maintaining roadway safety and mobility, and just as important, controlling access location, design, spacing and operation.

Through access management, municipalities can increase corridor travel efficiencies, improve safety, decrease conflict points, provide a friendlier bike/ pedestrian environment, and enhance corridor character.

Examples of poor access management include high- volume corridors lined with individual driveways; continuous turning lanes used as acceleration lanes; and congestion caused by constant turning.

Successful access management requires the cooperation of officials, professionals, landowners and the public.

Addressing poor access management may require revising existing ordinances; assessing the problem through a comprehensive plan or other local planning efforts; or multi-municipal and/or PennDOT coordination.

In 2006, PennDOT published Access Management: Model Ordinances for Pennsylvania Municipalities Handbook, which sets goals and includes model ordinances.

The handbook also outlines 10 principles for an access management system:

Provide a specialized roadway system;
Limit direct access to major roadways;
Promote intersection hierarchy;
Locate signals to promote through movements;
Preserve the functional area of intersection and interchanges;
Limit the number of conflict points;
Separate conflict areas;
Remove turning vehicles from through-traffic lanes;
Use non-traversable medians to manage turn movements;
Provide a supporting street and circulation system.

In 2014, the Transportation Research Board published “The Access Management Manual” (2nd Edition). This document must be ordered from the organization.

It focuses on engineering solutions and best design practices for access management along corridors.

It provides a menu of options for municipal engineers and planners to choose from when implementing an access management program.

In 2016, an accompanying book was published entitled “Access Management Application Guidelines,” which focuses on applying access management concepts to communities.

BENEFITS

More efficient travel along corridors due to increased capacity;
Better roadway safety;
Provision of adequate bike/pedestrian facilities;
Opportunities to create better spatial character.

DRAWBACKS

Pushback from property owners concerned that limiting access will hinder economic development;
Some strategies can be expensive through the study and planning process to improvement implementation;
Implementation could be difficult on existing corridors due to established HOP’s.

RESOURCES

Example Plans

Supporting Documents

RELATED FACT SHEETS

Complete Streets
Traffic Calming

TIPS TO CONSIDER

Contact your local metropolitan planning organization (MPO) and/or PennDOT for access management policies and to identify state roads;
Contact your MPO for technical support (Harrisburg Area Transportation Study for Cumberland, Dauphin and Perry counties);
Engage landowners early in the process.