Speaking

Hard Shoulder Running (HSR) is an innovative strategy for squeezing additional capacity out of existing infrastructure, targeting facilities with short-duration peak periods where congestion is noticeable. This presentation will focus on the recently completed HSR design in Ohio, referencing conversations with state DOTs who have implemented HSR and a tour of Michigan's HSR corridor. In addition to defining HSR, the presenter will detail the safety analysis requested by the Federal Highway Administration for the Ohio project and cover lessons learned during design and implementation.

With public agencies facing shrinking funding budgets, planners and engineers must have a practical mindset when planning projects. They must address capacity, safety and multi-modal concerns while still meeting the most basic needs and goals of urban corridors. This session will explore lessons learned on two recent preliminary engineering projects and highlight the benefits of practical design in the planning process to increase capacity, improve safety and create multi-modal corridors on a budget. 

A key consideration when implementing Practical Design solutions is the impact to safety. Safety is also an important metric when selecting a preferred alternative or prioritizing projects. This presentation will use real project examples to illustrate how safety analyses, specifically the quantitative methods in the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), were used to justify and implement Practical Design solutions, evaluate multiple alternatives and prioritize projects.