Access Management Manual

The Access Management Manual provides technical information on access management techniques, together with information on how access management programs can be effectively developed and administered. It addresses issues of relevance to state, regional, and local practitioners, and the variety of circumstances or situational factors that agencies may face. It also presents access management comprehensively, an effort to integrate planning and engineering practices, and the transportation and land use decisions that contribute to access outcomes. Practical information on a range of issues and applications was incorporated throughout the various chapters, drawing upon the knowledge of the many experienced practitioners that participated in development of the Manual. In particular, the Manual provides detailed information on the following: Principles and effects of access management; Steps in developing an access management program or corridor access management plan; Access management techniques and the potential advantages, disadvantages, applications and examples of each technique; How to develop and assign access categories to roadways based on their classification and level of importance; The role of states, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and local governments in access management; The inter-relationship of land development and access and how to address access management in the context of comprehensive planning and land development regulation; The rationale for access spacing standards and how to choose an appropriate spacing standard for connections, signals, corner clearance at intersections, and interchange areas; Location and design guidance for access features, such as driveways, medians, auxiliary lanes, and service roads; When to consider a median versus a continuous two-way left turn lane; Case examples of agency policies, plans, practices and programs; State statute and regulatory prototypes; The permitting and administrative process and how to handle deviations from access spacing standards; How to work with the public on access management issues; and Legal considerations that guide program development and implementation.