I. Introduction
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) funded a domestic access management scan tour that took place October 2 to 6, 2006. The scan tour involved the assessment of access management outcomes and lessons learned in Dakota County, Minnesota; the Gateway 1 Corridor, Maine; and Brewer, Maine. There were five participants on the tour that were selected based on recommendation and expression of interest through FHWA. One of the participants works for a state department of transportation and four others work for county level organizations in various states. It is FHWA's hope that the participants will be able to apply the lessons learned in their local jurisdiction and broader professional networks.
A. Scan Tour Purpose and Background
This document presents the findings from the access management scan tour to assist local jurisdictions in developing and implementing access management practices. This document also highlights best practices and effective access management policies, guidelines, and procedures collected from the locations visited on the tour.
Locations for this scan tour were selected based upon the experience, knowledge, and recommendations of the staff at FHWA and the consultant team. Three locations were selected and include Dakota County, Minnesota; Gateway 1 Corridor, Maine; and Brewer, Maine.
1. Dakota County, Minnesota
Dakota County, Minnesota, was selected as a tour location due to their successful efforts in planning and implementing access management practices and strategies both before and during the development of land within the county.
Dakota County is a developing suburban county in the Twin Cities area. Dakota County has an average population of 400,000, with 440 centerline miles and 1070 lane miles including multiple river crossings. They are also the only county in Minnesota with plat approval authority.
In 1997, Dakota County, in cooperation with Scott County, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT), the Metropolitan Council, and the cities of Apple Valley, Burnsville, Lakeville, Prior Lake, Rosemount, Savage, and Shakopee, commissioned a study of County Highway (CH) 42 from near Hastings to Shakopee. In Dakota and Scott Counties, CH 42 is a multi-lane, urban arterial roadway that is an integral component of the regional road system. CH 42 is functionally classified as a non-freeway principal arterial roadway. The purpose of this study was to develop an overall blueprint to guide future planning for roadway improvements along the CH 42 corridor from Hastings to Shakopee.
County Highway 42 provides a good example of how Dakota County is implementing access management.
The primary function of CH 42 is to accommodate the movement of through traffic (traffic using CH 42 to get to destinations outside of the corridor). However, the high level of commercial development along the corridor has generated large traffic volumes that have raised concerns regarding travel speeds, intersection delays, and motorist safety.
The plan provided a blue print for access management showing where access would be approved, denied, and alternative access provided.
2. Gateway 1 Corridor, Maine
Gateway 1 Corridor, Maine, was selected as an example of an area that shows success in gaining support and cooperation from all 21 existing towns along the Gateway 1 Corridor. They have shown achievement in implementing access management practices and strategies among the 21 towns while maintaining the desired aesthetics of each town.
Gateway 1 is an innovative land use and transportation planning project for the Route 1 corridor, from Brunswick to Prospect, Maine, involving approximately 21 towns along a 100 mile corridor. With the careful implementation of access management practices, Maine is preserving quality of life by balancing community growth and local values with transportation needs. Gateway 1 is an extensive project for Maine, and one tool being used is the Memorandum of Understanding. This memorandum was created to solicit agreement from all 21 towns to work together to develop a comprehensive long-range plan, including access management. All 21 towns signed the memorandum and are actively working together to implement access management along the Gateway 1 Corridor as part of this plan.
3. Brewer, Maine
The city of Brewer, Maine, was selected as a local example of implementing access management practices in a previously developed area. They have taken many actions to redevelop existing areas where attention to access management practices is needed for the safety and movement of traffic.
Brewer's access management program has taken action in promoting traffic flow along their main corridor by providing for alternative access for local business, requiring shared accesses between businesses, and taking other alternative approaches to reduce any back ups and improve safety on the local roads.
B. Contents
This document has been structured in case study format, broken down by the three tour locations visited. Within each section, the following is discussed:
- Why was the location selected?
- What does the access management program contain?
- What is the access management program enabled by?
- What is unique to that location's area or access management program?
- What are the outcomes of the access management program?
- Location example.
- What are the lessons learned, broken down by successes and challenges?
- What would we do if we had it to do over again?
- What are our risks going forward?
- Other background.
- Team conclusions.
- Important links.
