AASHTO Policy on Geometric

Design of Highways and Streets

2001

Highlights and Major Changes

Since the 1994 Edition

1
Units of Measurement
• Both metric and U.S. customary
units are used
• In Text
– Metric first, followed by U.S. customary in
square brackets: 80 km/h [50 mph]
• In Exhibits
– Separate exhibits for metric and U.S.
customary units are presented where needed
2
Units of Measurement

• Metric values are those that would be

used if the policy were entirely metric
• U.S. customary values are those that
would be used if the policy were
entirely U.S. customary
– Users should work entirely in one system of
measurement or the other
– Do not attempt to convert values!
3
Research

• 2001 Green Book based on latest

research projects, including:
– NCHRP 375 – Median Intersection Design
– NCHRP 383 – Intersection Sight Distance
– NCHRP 400 – Stopping Sight Distance
– NCHRP 420 – Access Management
– NCHRP 439 – Superelevation and Transitions
– Highway Capacity Manual 2000
4
Additional Research

• Also:
– NCHRP 240 – Toll Plazas
– NCHRP 241 – Truck Operating Characteristics
– NCHRP 264 – Roundabouts
– Transportation Research Circular 430

5
Chapter 1 – Highway Functions

• No major changes

10
Chapter 2 – Design Controls and Criteria
• New design speed definition
“…a selected speed used to determine the various
geometric design features of the roadway. …should
be logical with respect to topography, anticipated
operating speed, adjacent land use, and functional
classification.”
• Old design speed definition
“...maximum safe speed that can be maintained over
a specific section of highway when conditions are so
favorable that the design features of the highway
govern.”
11
Chapter 2 – Design Controls and Criteria

• Revised design vehicle dimensions to

better reflect the existing fleet
• New design vehicle turning templates
• Additional information on access
control and access management, older
drivers, and pedestrians
• Corresponding design speeds in metric
and U.S. customary units are specified
8
Chapter 2 – Design Controls and Criteria
• Revised Dimensions for Selected Design Vehicles
P SU WB 50
90 AASHTO 90 AASHTO 90 AASHTO
01 AASHTO 01 AASHTO 01 AASHTO

Height 4.25 4.25 13.5 11 - 13.5 13.5 13.5

Width 7 7 8.5 8 8.5 8.5
Length 19 19 30 30 55 55
Front Overhang 3 3 4 4 3 3
Rear Overhang 5 5 6 6 2 2
WB 1 11 11 20 20 20 14.6
WB 2 30 35.4
Min Turning Radius 24 24 42 42 45 45
Min Inside Radius 13.8 14.4 24.4 28.3 19.2 17

9
Chapter 3 – Elements of Design
• Extends range of design speeds
considered
– 20 to 130 km/h [15 to 80 mph]
• Incorporates superelevation criteria and
updates transitions and spirals based on
research in NCHRP Report 439
• Charts for critical length of grade based on
a 120 kg/kW [200 lb/hp] truck, rather than a
180 kg/kW [300 lb/hp] truck
10
Chapter 3 – Elements of Design

• Revised Turning Roadway Widths

based on Updated Design Vehicle
Dimensions

11
Design Widths for Turning Roadways (feet)
Traveled Way Width
RADIUS To 1-LANE Case I-C
Inside of
Curve 90 AASHTO
01 AASHTO

50 23 23
75 19 20
100 18 18
150 17 17
200 16 16
300 16 15
400 16 15
500 15 15
Tangent 15 14
12
Design Widths for Turning Roadways (feet)
Traveled Way Width
RADIUS To 1-LANE Case II - B
Inside of Provision for Passing Stalled Vehicle

Curve 90 AASHTO
01 AASHTO

50 25 26
75 23 23
100 22 22
150 21 21
200 21 20
300 20 20
400 20 19
500 20 19
Tangent 19 18
13
Design Widths for Turning Roadways (feet)
Traveled Way Width
RADIUS To 2-LANE Case III-A
Inside of Includes 2' deduction for shoulder.

Curve 90 AASHTO
01 AASHTO

50 29 29
75 27 27
100 26 26
150 25 24
200 25 24
300 24 24
400 24 24
500 24 24
Tangent 24 24
14
 Chapter 3 – Elements of Design
• Stopping Sight Distance Criteria revised based
on NCHRP Report 400
– initial speed equal to design speed (no reduction to
average running speed)
– based on deceleration rates for controlled braking rather
than locked-wheel braking
– deceleration rate is 3.4 m/s2 [11.2 ft/s2 ], independent of
speed

15
Chapter 3 – Elements of Design
Stopping Sight Distance
90 AASHTO
Design
Speed low 01 AASHTO
upper
er

15 80
20 125 125 115
25 150 150 155
30 200 200 200
35 225 250 250
40 275 325 305
45 325 400 360
50 400 475 425
55 450 550 495
60 525 650 570
65 550 725 645
70 625 850 730
75 820
80 910

20
 Stopping Sight Distance

1000 90 AASHTO lower

900
01 AASHTO
800
PPM Freeways Interstate
700
Stopping Sight Distance -

PPM New/Reconstr Arterials

600
PPM RRR C
500
400
300
Feet

200
100
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Design Speed - mph

17
Chapter 3 – Elements of Design
• Vertical Curve Design Criteria revised
based on NCHRP Report 400
– driver eye height: 1,080 mm [3.5 ft], rather
than 1,070 mm [3.5 ft]
– object height: 600 mm [2.0 ft], which
represents vehicle tail light height, rather
than 150 mm [6 in], which represented an
arbitrary object height
• Improved discussion of sight distance at
undercrossings
18
 Vertical Curve Design Criteria
Eye Height Object Height
’90 AASHTO = 3.5’ ’90 AASHTO = 6”
’01 AASHTO = 3.5’ ’01 AASHTO = 2.0’

19
 K Value - Crest Vertical Curves
90 AASHTO PPM
Design
Speed lower 01 AASHTO Freeways New and Reconstr RRR
upper
Interstate Other Arterials Collectors A B C

15 3
20 10 10 7
25 20 20 12
30 30 30 19 30 30 30 30 20
35 40 50 29 50 40 43 36 30
40 60 80 44 70 60 68 55 43
45 80 120 61 110 90 80 92 79 59
50 110 120 160 84 150 130 120 126 120 79
55 150 220 114 220 190 170 150 166 152 103
60 190 310 151 300 250 230 190 211 207 133
65 230 400 193 380 320 280 230 280 228 156
70 290 540 247 500 400 370 358 294 203
75 312
80 384

20
 K Value - Crest Vertical Curves
600
90 AASHTOlower

500 01 AASHTO

PPM Freeways Interstate

K-Value - Crest Vert Curves

400
PPM New and Reconstr Arterials

300 PPM RRRC

200

100

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Design Speed - mph

21
 K Value - Sag Vertical Curves
90 AASHTO PPM
Design
Speed lower 01 AASHTO Freeways New and Reconstr RRR
upper
Interstate Other Arterials Collectors A B C
15 10
20 20 20 17
25 30 30 26
30 40 40 37 40 40 36 36 28
35 50 50 49 50 50 46 41 36
40 60 70 64 60 60 62 54 46
45 70 90 79 80 80 70 75 69 57
50 90 110 96 100 90 90 92 89 69
55 100 130 115 130 120 110 100 108 103 81
60 120 160 136 150 140 130 120 125 123 94
65 130 180 157 170 160 150 130 147 130 104
70 150 220 181 200 180 170 169 151 122
75 206
80 231

22
 K Value - Sag Vertical Curves
250

90 AASHTOlower

200 01 AASHTO
K Value - Sag Vert Curves

PPM Freeways Interstate

150 PPM New and Reconstr Arterials

PPM RRRC

100

50

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Design Speed mph

23
Chapter 4 – Cross Section Elements

• Curb terminology changed

– “vertical curb” replaces “barrier curb”
– “sloping curb” replaces “mountable curb”

24
Chapter 4 – Cross Section Elements

• Eliminates material on parabolic

cross sections
• Discusses sidewalk curb ramps and
ADA compliance
• Incorporates research on median
width and median opening design
from NCHRP Report 375

25
Chapter 5 – Local Roads and Streets

• Includes discussions of:

– ADA compliance
– new AASHTO bicycle guide
– proposed AASHTO pedestrian guide
(currently in preparation)
• Refers to forthcoming AASHTO report
– Guidelines for Geometric Design of Very Low
Volume Local Roads (< 400 ADT)
30
Chapter 6 – Collector Roads and Streets

• Includes discussions of:

– ADA compliance
– new AASHTO bicycle guide
– proposed AASHTO pedestrian guide
• Eliminates material on parabolic
cross sections

27
Chapter 6 – Collector Roads and Streets

• Incorporates research on median

width and median opening design
from NCHRP Report 375
• Incorporates revised discussions of:
– traffic control devices
– erosion control

28
Chapter 7 – Rural and Urban Arterials

• Incorporates research on median width

and median opening design from NCHRP
Report 375
• Incorporates research on access
management from NCHRP Report 420
• Places more emphasis on design to
accommodate pedestrians and bicycles
in the arterial environment
02 33
Chapter 8 – Freeways

• No major changes

34
Chapter 9 – Intersections
• Chapter title changed from
“At-Grade Intersections”
• Explicitly defines the functional area of
an intersection
– includes the distance a vehicle travels during
perception-reaction and maneuvering (braking
and lane changing), and the space needed for
storage (to accommodate the longest queue
expected most often)
31
Chapter 9 – Intersections

• Includes discussions of:

– access management near intersections
– modern roundabouts
• Includes expanded discussion of offset
left-turn lanes
– advantages include better visibility, reduced
conflicts and the ability to serve more vehicles.

32
Chapter 9 – Intersections

• Includes revised intersection sight

distance criteria based on NCHRP
Report 383
– revised criteria for uncontrolled intersections
– new gap acceptance criteria for entering or
crossing major roads
– limited sight distances for signals and all-way
stops
33
 Intersection Sight Distance
Length of SD Leg Along Major Road Length of SD Leg Along Major Road

Major Road

a
a = driver eye setback
Minor Road
1990 AASHTO: a = 20’

2001 AASHTO: a = 17.8' desirable

a = 14.4' minimum

34
 Length of Sight Distance Leg along Major Road
Index 546 and 90 01 AASHT O - 2 Lane Intersection -
AASHTO
Design Speed Right Turn &
Left Turn Maneuver
Left and Right Turn Crossing Maneuver

15 170 145
20 225 195
25 280 240
30 380 335 290
35 470 390 335
40 580 445 385
45 710 500 430
50 840 555 480
55 990 610 530
60 1150 665 575
65 1350 720 625
70 775 670
75 830 720
80 885 765

35
 Intersection Sight Distance
1600
Index 546 and 90 AASHTO

1400
Florida Greenbook W = 50' - based
on Crossing Maneuver
1200
Length of Sight Distance Leg

01 AASHTO - 2 Lane Intersection -

Left Turn Maneuver
1000
01 AASHTO - 2 Lane Intersection -
Right Turn & Crossing Maneuver
800

600

400
Feet

200

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Design Speed - mph

40
Chapter 10 – Grade Separations and
Interchanges
• Places more emphasis on design to
accommodate pedestrians and bicycles
at interchanges
• Includes expanded discussion of Single
Point Urban Interchanges (SPUIs)
• Increases emphasis on access
management on interchange
crossroads
37
Chapter 10 – Grade Separations and
Interchanges
• Expands discussion of superelevation
and cross slope within interchanges
• Addresses two-lane entrance ramps

38