Shoulder Lane as a Travel Lane

General Description:

Wide shoulders can be used as travel lanes by restriping the facility.  Some roadside improvements need to be made for safety reasons.  These improvements may include expanding the shoulder and grading and improving slopes along the road.  Please see the Geometric Alterations and Considerations page for more information.  This modification can potentially increase the facility’s capacity.

Effects of Solution:

¨ Increase Passenger Throughput

þ Increase Roadway Capacity (Adds lanes to a facility)

¨ Manage System Efficiency

¨ Reduce Local Demand

Examples of Implementation:

No specific examples available at the time of publication.

Cost/Financial Information:

Source: A Toolbox for Alleviating Traffic Congestion and Enhancing Mobility, Institute of Transportation Engineers.  (Cost/financial information is estimated, and will vary based on size and scope of project, number of units, etc.)

Costs will vary depending upon whether or not a full-size shoulder lane is available or not.  If not, the costs are similar to building an additional lane, as noted below.

Capital Cost Operating Cost

Using Shoulder as Lane                   $.5-1.5 mil/lane-mile             $12K/mile

Additional Resources:

A Toolbox for Alleviating Traffic Congestion and Enhancing Mobility, available for order at http://www.ite.org/bookstore/index.asp

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