Current ICT Project
Investigators:
  Zongzhi Li (Primary)
Project Title:
  Safety Impacts of Highway Shoulder Attributes in Illinois
Start Date: 1/1/2008
End Date: 12/31/2009
Summary of Project:
  This study will analyze the extent to which the presence/absence and width of paved shoulders contribute to vehicle crashes by severity and type; assess the safety effectiveness of shoulder paving; identify, map, locate, and define the potential for safety improvements for individual highway segments; and rank and prioritize highway segments with high potential for safety improvements for rural two-lane and multilane highways in Illinois in the most cost-effective manner.
Objective of Project:
  This study aims to quantify the presence/absence and width of paved shoulders in relation to vehicle crashes by severity and type and to evaluate the safety effectiveness of shoulder paving in reducing vehicle crashes.
Expected Outcome:
  The study will result in a better understanding of crashes and safety performance which occur in the presence/absence of paved shoulders as well as safety performance involving various widths of paved shoulders. A set of shoulder-related SPFs for two-lane and multilane rural roads will be developed for use to identify roadway segments with shoulder performance concerns and AMFs for use in predicting a benefit-cost relationship for proposed shoulder paving improvements. The findings will allow IDOT to update current guidelines and practices, identify critical shoulder improvement locations, assess the magnitude of the problems, and determine the most effective method for analysis.
Click here to check the status of this project.
Last Updated: 11/18/2009