Florida Department of TRANSPORTATION Wrong Way Driving - Statewide Initiative District 7 Safety Summit Traffic Engineering and Operations office January 13, 2015
Overview At the instance of the Secretary, in the Spring of 2013, Central Office Traffic Ops began the statewide effort to address the Wrong Way Crash effort. CO conversed with Districts on the use of Signing and pavements, and other methods. CO staff performed a road safety audit and discussed with Design Office. Statewide Crash Evaluation and a Human Factors Studies were initiated; both are in progress. CO suggested to and initiated the Turnpike and D3 for pilot projects for implementation. Turnpike began the effort on HEFT while D3 initiated the Tally I-10 Project. CO actively coordinated with D3 and assisted with the Tallahassee I-10 deployment. D1 developed a signing and marking plan for an I-4 interchange. D4 made several improvements to address the wrong way concerns. D5 working to address wrong way entries at tight diamond interchanges. D7 began a District-wide evaluation and implementation. Traffic Engineering Research Laboratory performed evaluations for a R RRFB and Red RPMs. Red Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons ( R RRFB) being tested in D7, Tampa. In-road red reflective pavement markers (RMPs), as a stop line, will soon be tested in D3.
Pilot Projects FTE and District 3 Central Office worked with FTE and D3 to develop the pilot projects 10 interchanges on HEFT; 5 more on Sawgrass Expressway Mainly signing and pavement marking (S&PM) countermeasures HEFT S&PM effort complete; Sawgrass Expressway pilot being implemented Radar detection (Tapco devices and Wavetronix)
Pilot Projects FTE and District 3 D3 s implementation with 3 interchanges @ 4 I-10 ramps in Tallahassee (Cap Circle NW, US 27, Thomasville Rd/Cap Circle NE) D3 s S&PM implementation completed; electronic devices (Unipart Dorman) installed. On both projects, designers prepared S&PM plans with WWD detection
Pilot Projects in Florida I-10 (D3) 4 locations include: SR 263 (Capital Circle NW) SR 63 (US 27/N Monroe St) SR 61 (Thomasville Rd) SR 261 (US 319/Capital Circle NE) Installations include: LED-illuminated WRONG WAY signs and vehicle detection Enhanced DO NOT ENTER and static WRONG WAY signage Overhead WRONG WAY signage Enhanced signage (no right-turn, left-turn, no U-turn) and pavement markings on cross streets Median curb extensions to discourage early left-turns Wrong way arrows (RRPMs)
Pilot Project on the Turnpike Turnpike project includes 15 off-ramps 10 on HEFT 5 on Sawgrass Expressway Installations expected to be completed soon Installations include: Two radar (one front-facing, one rear-facing) Camera (rear-facing to confirm WW activity and license plate capture) LED-illuminated wrong way signs activated by forward radar Solar power TAPCO communication software
D4 - WWD Crash Treatments Interchanges that we assessed/investigated to make sure they are properly marked and signed to current standard are as follows: I-75: 12 interchanges I-95: 64 interchanges Sign improvement work completed at 40 of the 76 interchanges included sign installation, sign replacement (damaged/faded sign), and adjust sign position. Types of signs: No Turns, No Right Turn, No Left Turn, Do Not Enter, One Way, and Wrong Way. Installed RPM s and Wrong Way Arrows per standard on specific ramps at a 16 of the76 interchanges.
D5 - WWD Crash Treatments Concerned with wrong way access at tight diamond interchanges for many years. Particularly concerned with mainline left turn lanes that extend through the second signalized intersection. Drivers confuse the left turn location and turn prematurely onto the off-ramp rather than at the on-ramp. To address this, different pavement markings are being used. Rather than left arrows in the left turn lane, a combination of straight arrows and the word RAMP up through the off-ramp intersection, then changing to left turn arrows. Seen less wrong way movements at some of our tight diamond interchanges; examples: I-4 at SR 423 I-4 at SR 426 I-95 at SR 40 I-75 at SR 44 I-95 at SR 50
D7 - WWD Crash Treatments D7 District study completed in April 2014; $640K construction project to enhance signing & marking @ all interchanges within Tampa Bay issued in June 2014. Construction will start in early Oct. 2014. Per FHP news release (9/7/14), all 3 recent fatal crashes involved drunk/drug drivers making U-turn along I-275; drivers entering on correct approach. Super short term (2 months) Traffic service requests to maintenance office to upgrade substandard WWD signs Short term (5 months) Use DBPB contract to enhance signing & marking @ off-ramps along I-275 corridor in Hillsborough & Pinellas Counties Mid tem (12 months) Use RRFB & wrong way detection technology to create pilot WWD detection & awareness device Long term (12+ months) Working with HQ to develop WWD Education, Enforcement, Ramp Geometry & ITS treatment
Arterial Treatments : E Bears Ave @ I-275 Dual Lefts - Current: Potential Left-Turn Movement into the Off-ramps from I-275 Dual Left Arrows in Left Turn Lanes pointing to an off-ramp
Option 1 Place Interstate Shied with Straight Arrow, ONLY Remove Turn Arrows; place straight arrows, ONLY, Shield
Option 2 - TO RAMP Markings Replace Left Turn Arrows with RAMP and Straight Arrow
Plan View of an I-275 Interchange
Current Framework Circular Greens
Straight Arrows in Lieu of Circular Greens
No Left Turns; Pavement Shields facing arterial traffic on signal mast arm and post-mounted. Pavement shields to designate lane use for on-ramp access.
One Way, Do Not Enter Signs ONLY arrow in the rightmost arterial lane adjacent to off-ramp. facing arterial traffic at the ramp terminus. and signs combination at ramp terminus and immediately adjacent to the arterials.
Wrong Way, Large Overhead Signs Install WRONG WAY signs on the left and right side of the off-ramp Install a large WRONG WAY sign on the backside of an existing overhead structure
Detection-triggered Electronic Signs Wrong Way signs with beacons for better visibility at night. Turnpike TAPCO devices which detect wrong way movements District 3 s Unipart Dorman Signs in Tallahassee
Wrong Way Advisory / Blinker-sign with Detection
Detection and Software Interaction Blinker Sign by TAPCO Sawgrass Installation began 9/9/14 HEFT Installation will follow after Sawgrass completion BlinkLink Alert Software has been installed Testing of Ramps and alert software will continue through formal deployment TAPCO Reps onsite in late Sept. to validate installations Alert Software Notification TAPCO Highlighted Sign Covered for Testing
Proposed S&PM Plan
Click to view D7 RRFB Video click to view
Statewide Study Statewide Study initiated to evaluate Wrong Way Driving (WWD) Scope includes: Review and analysis of WWD-related crash data for the last 3 to 5 years; Review field conditions at about 40 locations where fatal crashes occurred along limited access facilities; Develop countermeasures for implementation; and Provide recommendation for handling WWD incidence. A separate Human Factors Study is underway with FSU to understand the reasons for drivers making the wrong-way decision
Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary 280 statewide wrong way crashes (2009-2013) 30% PDO 52% Injury (411 injuries) 70 18% Fatality (75 fatalities) FL Wrong Way Crashes by Year 60 50 40 30 Fatal Injury PDO 20 10 0 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
0:00 1:00 2:00 3:00 4:00 5:00 6:00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary Wrong way crashes skew toward weekend days 61% occurred Friday through Sunday 1.7 times more than expected on Saturday and Sunday Wrong way crashes skew toward early morning hours (12am to 6am) 55% of total wrong way crashes 4.1 times more than expected 70% of fatal wrong way crashes 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 PDO Injury Fatality PDO Injury Fatality
Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary 45% of wrong way crashes involved alcohol/drugs Consistent with literature review findings (approx. 50%) Proportion 16 times more than all freeway/expressway crashes Potentially under-reported 180 160 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 0 None Alcohol Involved Drugs Involved Alcohol and Drugs Undetermined
Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary 71% of wrong way crashes occurred under dark conditions Only 29% of all crashes on freeways/expressways occurred under dark conditions
Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary 60 Young drivers represented in the majority of drivers at fault 42% under 30 years old Similar to typical freeway crash trends (50% less than 30 years old) Older drivers represented in 4.6% of wrong way crashes 3.35 times more than expected 50 40 30 20 10 0 19 and Under 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-39 40-44 45-49 50-54 55-59 60-64 65-69 70-74 75-79 80-84 85 and Over
Florida Wrong Way Crash Summary Majority of wrong way crashes occur in urban areas 76% urban, 24% rural Comparative to all freeway/expressway crash trend 83% urban, 17% rural 90% 83% 80% 76% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 24% 17% 0% Wrong Way Crashes All Crashes Urban Areas Rural Areas
Field Review Locations 40 Interchange Locations for Field Review Considerations Focus on locations linked to wrong way entry High Crash Score (see next slide for methodology) Crash Score per Million Vehicles per Day Statewide district representation Estimated distribution from crash history D1, D3: 3 locations D4, D7: 4 locations D5, D6: 6 locations D2, D8: 7 locations Area type representation (urban vs. rural) Crashes history 76% urban, 24% rural Interchange type representation Diamond, partial diamond, partial cloverleaf, and trumpet
Interchange Field Reviews General Observations Pavement Markings RPMs and the thermoplastic (wrong way arrows, stop bars) were present. Turning guide (skip) stripes were observed at many intersections, providing guidance to motorists of the appropriate intersection turn maneuvers. Left turn arrows were occasionally painted in turn lanes extending through the upstream ramp intersection. In other instances, a straight arrow with a RAMP pavement marking message was used in advance of the upstream (first) ramp intersection. Lighting The lighting levels varied among the locations from no lighting, to interchange (flood) lighting only, to both interchange and street-level lighting. The interchanges providing the greatest nighttime visibility included street-level lighting at the on-ramps.
Systemic Wrong Way Countermeasures General systemic countermeasures include increasing FDOT s minimum standards to include: MUTCD optional signs 2nd wrong way sign, turn restriction signs, one-way signs Lower (4-ft) mounting height for wrong way signs Add vertical retroreflective strip on sign supports (see MUTCD Figure 2A-1[E]). Type 11 retroreflective sheeting on all wrong way related signs Higher standard of interchange guide signing on crossroad (e.g. overhead v. side-mount, green sign v. shield) 2-ft by 4-ft skip (guide) stripes for left turns between ramps entrances/exits and crossstreets Painted (yellow) median nose Where appropriate, shape median openings to restrict/deter wrong way turning movements (quick curb may be used as needed in retrofit situations)
Level 1a Countermeasures Level 1a MUTCD and FDOT Minimum Requirements Proper signing sequences and level of interchange guide signage on crossroad. Stop bars at end of exit ramps. Keep right signs, as appropriate, on side-by-side exit and entrance ramps Ramp and crossroad lighting (Ref: PPM) WW Arrows on exit ramp (Ref: Std Index 17345)
Level 1b Countermeasures Level 1b Proposed FDOT Minimum Requirements MUTCD optional signs 2 nd wrong way sign, turn restriction signs, one-way signs Lower (4-ft) mounting height for wrong way signs Add vertical retroreflective strip on sign supports (see MUTCD Figure 2A-1[E]). Type 11 retroreflective sheeting on all wrong way related signs Higher standard of interchange guide signing on crossroad (e.g. overhead v. sidemount, green sign v. shield) 2-ft by 4-ft skip (guide) stripes for left turns between ramps entrances/exits and cross-streets Painted (yellow) median nose Where appropriate, shape median openings to restrict/deter wrong way turning movements (quick curb may be used as needed in retrofit situations)
Level 2 Countermeasures Level 2 Enhanced Static Treatments & Signal Indications Over-sized signs, particularly on multi-lane exit ramps 2 nd set of wrong way signs at staggered height, if ramp length allows Retroreflective sheeting border around wrong way warning signs (see MUTCD Figure 2A-1[D]) Wrong-way signs on the back of existing structures (overhead signs, toll booths, etc.) Replace circular green with through green arrow indications on outside lane signal heads (where appropriate) to deter wrong way right turns onto exit ramps
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