A new access density definition and its correlation with crash rates by microscopic traffic simulation method

Better access management can improve highway safety by reducing potential crashes and conflicts. To make adequate access management decisions, it is essential to understand the impact of different access types on roadway safety, usually represented by the crash rate of a roadway segment. The objective of this paper is to propose a new access density definition reflecting the impact of traffic speed variation of different access types. The traffic speed variation was obtained from a microscopic traffic simulation software package TSIS-CORSIM. A sample roadway Temple Terrace Highway was selected to perform traffic simulation. Access Weight was obtained from traffic speed variation, and access density was obtained from access weight. The proposed access density was then compared with the existing definition by analyzing their correlations with crash rates on one suburban street in Temple Terrace, Florida. The comparison demonstrates that crash rates are more highly correlated with the proposed access density than that in the previous study, which is helpful for Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and transportation consulting companies to regulate the construction, management and design of roadway segments. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.