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(soft instrumental intro)

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- [Presenter] When the Texas
Department of Transportation

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builds a roadway, it always
strives to balance mobility

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and safety during design and
maintenance of the facility,

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but as populations and
road use change over time,

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that initial design, whether
it's the lane configuration

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or the cross sections,
often needs to change

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in order to better accommodate traffic.

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Researchers with the Texas
A&M Transportation Institute

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recently completed a project
working with TxDOT Districts

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to update the state's roadway
cross sections guidance

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for the department's Roadway
Design Manual revisions.

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- TxDOT has long been looking
for a way to best utilize

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the pavement and the right
of way that they have

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on the roadways and as
traffic volumes change,

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the idea is do we have enough
lanes and the right type

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of lanes that best meet
the needs for that roadway?

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- So, most of the research
was done just using data,

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crash data in ADT
information and looking at

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maybe some before and
after data on some roads

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that had undergone some conversions

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to see what happened after.

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- It was primarily a review
of existing guidance,

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research findings and conclusions,
not only from research

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that was done here in the
state by TTI and others,

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but elsewhere across the state

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and even some international guidance.

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- So, the real benefit
of the research has given

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the department a better way to
balance safety and mobility.

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So, you would think
instinctively you always need

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more lanes out there, but
sometimes by reducing lanes

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or adding a two-way left
turn lane in lieu of maybe

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two through lanes can
provide some additional

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safety benefits and that safety benefit

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may be of better value to both the public

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and the department.

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- The key piece of
implementation is the table

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that we've recommended,
either in its current form

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or with any additional
changes that TxDOT might see

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to refine it to be included
in the next edition

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of the Roadway Design Manual,

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which is already under some review.

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And so, the timing is good

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and that this fits with other edits

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that they're already considering.

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The biggest benefit to
TxDOT is that it builds

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on previous research to help them identify

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fairly, in a fairly straightforward manner

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what the optimal cross section

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for a given roadway should be,

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streamlines that and optimizes the chances

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that TxDOT is putting the best

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and most appropriate number
of lanes on the roadway

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for what's needed.

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For the driving public, the benefits then

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are that they have a roadway

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that better serves their
needs, that provides

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a turning lane where
there's lots of driveways

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or maybe it provides
passing where there's not

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very many passing opportunities
on a current two-lane road

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where a super two is appropriate,

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and hopefully, gets them from place

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to place safer and more efficiently.

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- [Presenter] For more information

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and to find the publications
for this project, please visit

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the TxDOT research library
at the link shown below.