RIGHT OF WAY

Right of way 0is a term first used to describe the right to

travel unhindered, to access a route regardless of land ownership or any other legality.

Right of way 0is a strip of land that is granted, through an

easement or other mechanism, for transportation purposes, such as for a trail, driveway, rail line or highway.

Right of way

0is a right to make a way over a piece of land, usually to and from another piece of land.

The right of way may be limited.

0If one person owns a piece of land which is bordered on all sides by lands owned by others, a court will be obliged to grant the right of way to those approved by the owner or owners of the isolated land area. It is also common practice for the public to be granted the right of way on a path or track which is in common use for a lengthy period of time.

Public right of way is not restricted by land ownership and grants travel access to all.

Right of way categories

Category A: These are Grade-Separated or Exclusive Right-of-way

It is a fully controlled right-of-way without grade crossings or any legal access by other vehicles. In some

ways, this category resembles a freeway system.

Right of way categories

Category B: Type of Right-of-way that are Longitudinal physically

Right-of-way that are separated from other traffic, but with grade crossing for vehicles and

pedestrians, including regular street intersections.

Right of way categories

Category C: Surface streets with Mixed Traffic

Most bus systems and streetcar systems…

ROAD ALIGNMENT

The geometric design of highways involves three elements

0Vertical Alignment0Horizontal Alignment0Cross Section

Design Speed is the determining factor of in the selection of the alignment needed for the motorist to have sufficient sight distance to safely stop or reduce speed as required by

changing traffic and environmental conditions.

A safe design ensures that traffic can flow at a uniform speed while travelling on a roadway

which changes in a horizontal or vertical direction.

The design of the vertical alignment (including tangent grades and sag or crest

vertical curves) is influenced by consideration of terrain, cost and safety. Generally, crash rates for downgrades are higher than for

upgrades.

The design of the horizontal alignment (which consists of level tangents connected by

circular curves) is influenced by design speed and super-elevation of the curve itself. Crash rates for horizontal curves are higher than on tangent sections, with rates ranging between

1.5 and 4 times greater than on straight sections.

Several factors appear to influence the safety performance of horizontal curves

0Traffic volume and Mix0Geometric figures of the curve0Cross-section0Roadside hazards0Stopping sight distance0Vertical alignment superimposed on horizontal alignment0Distance between curves and between curves and the nearest

intersection or bridge0Pavement friction0Traffic control devices

The improvement of horizontal curve design involves three steps

0Problems must be identified based on crash history and roadway conditions

0Improvements should be evaluated and implemented

0Before and after studies of crash performance should be conducted to assess the effectiveness of the changes.

 CURVE

WIDENING

The carriageway widths should be increased on low-radius curves to allow for the swept paths of longer vehicles, and the necessary tolerances in lateral locations as vehicles

follow a curved path.

The carriageway widths should be increased on low-radius curves to allow for the swept paths of longer

vehicles, and the necessary tolerances in lateral locations as vehicles follow a curved path.

Widening should be applied on the inside of a curve and be gradually introduced over the length of the

transition curve or the super-elevation development length.

Vehicle occupies more space on curve than on straight

Pavement widening is used to:0 Maintain lateral clearance of vehicles0 Improve sight distance

The amount of widening depends on:0Radius of curve0Width of lane on straight0Vehicle clearance0Vehicle length0Track width

On transitioned curves, widening is applied equally on either side of road

On plain circular curves, widening is usually only done on the inside of the curve and achieves same

effect as a transition

Curve Radius (m) 20 30 40 60

Increased in width (m) 1.5 1.0 0.75 0.50

Table 1.0 Curve Widening, single-lane roads with 3.0 m basic width

Curve Radius (m) < 50 50-149 150-299 300-500

Increased in width (m) 1.5 1.0 0.75 0.50

Table 1.1 Curve Widening, two-lane roads with3.0 m basic width

The lane widening in curves (widening in each lane).

  Increase in width (m) for Normal Lane width (m)

Curve Radius (m)

2.75 3.00 3.35 3.50

< 50 1.00 1.00 0.65 0.5050 - 100 0.75 0.75 0.40 0.25

100 - 250 0.50 0.50 0.25  250 - 750 0.25 0.25    

Table 1.2 General Curve Widening