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Enhancing Freeway Safety Prediction Models

What Was the Need?

Safety prediction models have been developed for urban freeway segments in Texas and elsewhere to apply to cross sections up to 10 lanes wide. These models are documented resources such as TxDOT’s Roadway Safety Design Workbook and the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), and applied in several spreadsheet-based analysis tools. These tools are acknowledged in the Project Development Process Manual and have been used by various district personnel, particularly in the evaluation of project alternatives or analysis of design exceptions. However, additional research is needed to address knowledge gaps as well as to develop updated local calibration factors for the models. Specifically, safety prediction models do not exist for 12-lane freeway segments or freeway segments with managed lanes (such as high-occupancy-vehicle or high-occupancy-toll lanes).

Project Summary

This research project will develop new safety prediction models for 12-lane freeway segments and segments with managed lanes, and also derive local calibration factors for models for urban freeway segments with 4-10 lanes. The project will also develop an analysis tool to help practitioners implement the new models to facilitate analysis of complex urban freeway configurations, such as cases where an urban freeway widening project requires challenging tradeoffs between narrowing lanes or inside or outside shoulders.

Project Number

0-7067

Status

Completed

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Project Details

Start Date

12/9/2019

End Date

6/30/2022

Performing Institution(s)

Texas A & M Transportation Institute (TTI)

Research Team

RS: Mike Pratt

Sponsor

Project Manager

Shelley Pridgen

Contract Specialist

Tami Graham

TxDOT Advisor

Michael Hyzak, BRG
Farhan Khan, DES
Khalid Jamil, DES

Amount Funded

$275,000

Publications from this Project

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Functional Area

Safety and Operations

Index Terms

Forecasting
Freeways
Highway safety
Urban highways

Lead University

TTI

Researcher

Pratt, Michael P. (Michael Paul)

TxDOT District

DES

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Record Added:

6/18/2020

Record Updated:

10/12/2023 5:30 AM EDT

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