THE 2001 GREEN BOOK Changes - Additions

Prepared by: FHWA Office of Program Administration

1950 1952 1954 1965 1957 1973 1984 1990 1994

Developed by the AASHTO Task Force on Geometric Design

18 Departments of Transportation National Association of County Engineers National League of Cities American Public Works Association Port Authority of NY, NJ Federal Highway Administration

Format
Dual units Metric [US Customary] 8 x 11 page size Bound Volume Exhibits References Updated Speed Range 20 to 130 km/h [15 to 80 mph] Ten Chapters

UNITS
Not exact (soft) conversion Not completely rationalized (hard)

conversion Units developed independently Work in one system only Do not convert from one to other

Research National Cooperative Highway Research Program

375 Median Intersection Design 383 Intersection Sight Distance 400 Stopping Sight Distance 420 Access Management 439 Superelevation and Transitions HCM 2000 Highway Capacity Manual

Other Research/Publications
241 Truck Operating Characteristics 264 Roundabouts Transportation Research Circular 430 Interchange Operations FHWA-RD-97-135 Older Driver Handbook FHWA-RD-00-067 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide

Chapter 1 Highway Functions

No significant changes

Chapter 2 Design Controls and Criteria

Design Vehicles Older Drivers Design Speed Definition Highway Capacity Access Control and Access Management The Pedestrian Safety

Design Vehicles

Four classes of design vehicles: Passenger cars, include: Cars, SUVs, Minivans, Vans, Pickup trucks Buses (Separate category) Trucks Recreation vehicles

Design Vehicle

Consider

bicycles in selecting design vehicle when appropriate Added Considerations in selecting design vehicle provided

Buses Added
Added: Two school bus configurations Intercity bus

City transit bus

Trucks
Turning templates revised Autoturn Centerline turning radius added Revised symbols Typical dimensions Turning characteristics defined Truck tractors added

Older Drivers
. . . should be aware of the capabilities and needs of older road users and consider appropriate measures to aid their performance. Expanded observations Expanded countermeasures which may help alleviate potential problems Older Driver Highway Design Handbook

Speed

Definitions revised Running speed discussion condensed two figures deleted Exhibit corresponding design
speeds in both systems of measurement

Operating Speed
OLD: highest overall speed at which a driver can travel on a given highway under favorable weather conditions and under prevailing traffic conditions without at any time exceeding the safe speed as determined by the design speed on a section by section basis

NEW: the speed at which drivers are observed operating their vehicles during free - flow conditions

Design Speed
OLD: 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. NEW: a selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway.

Speed

Definitions revised Running speed discussion condensed two figures deleted Exhibit 2 - 29 corresponding design
speeds in both systems of measurement

Speed

Establishes:
Low - speed
design: 70 km/h [45 mph] or less design: 80 km/h [50 mph] or more

High - speed

Traffic Flow Relationships

Updated
Exhibit

consistent with 2000 HCM

2 - 30 - Generalized speed volume - density curve replaces two figures

Highway Capacity

Updated based on HCM 2000 Rewritten to eliminate duplication

of material

Exhibit
Refers

2 31 Generalized definitions of Level of Service replaces Level of Service Characteristics user to HCM for details

Access Control Access Management Rewritten

and expanded to incorporate material from NCHRP 420 Includes discussions on: Basic principles Classifications Methods Benefits 3 Exhibits on crash rates added

The Pedestrian Sidewalk part of any street improvement Physical characteristics section replaced
with Characteristics of Persons with Disabilities Mobility, Visual, and Developmental Added 600 mm [2 ft] detectable warning strips at bottom of sidewalk ramps Listed 7 measures to reduce pedestrian vehicle conflicts Eliminates HCM duplication Level of service generalized

Safety Deleted tables and figure with accident Emphasizes access control in reducing

data

crashes Include adequate shoulders in narrow medians for: Emergency stops Use of emergency vehicles Added to list of factors to be considered in rural intersection design: Crossroad sight distance Type of highway

Chapter 3 Elements of Design

Sight Distances Transition Designs Urban Street Design Offtracking Horizontal Alignment Turning Roadway Design

Grades
Vertical Alignment

Stopping Sight Distance

Revised braking distance portion of

equation now based on deceleration ( a )

rather than friction factor ( f )

New Old

0 . 039 V d = 0 .278 V t + a 254 f

Metric

1. 075 V 2 d = 1 .47 V t + a 30 f

U.S.

Adopted a 3.4 m / sec2 [ 11.2 ft / sec2 ]

A single value for each design speed replaces the range of values used previously.
300

Stopping Sight Distance, m

Stopping Sight Distance

250 1994 Lower Values 1994 Upper Values 200 2001 Values

150

100

50

0 0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Initial Speed, km/h

Stopping Sight Distance on Grades

Braking

distance equation for grades modified to use deceleration rate (a)

V d a 254 G 9.81

Metric

Reaction

time must be added to braking distance from equation Exhibit 3 - 2 incorporates adjusted values

Other Sight Distances

Decision Sight Distance Equations added to discussion Exhibit 3-3 modified reaction times added Sight Distance Exhibit 3-7 expanded to 130 km/h [ 80 mph ]

Passing

Criteria for Measuring

SSD Eye Height -- 1080 mm [ 3.5 ft ]

Object Height -- 600 mm [ 2.0 ft]

PSD Eye Height -- 1080 mm [ 3.5 ft ]

Object Height -- 1080 mm [3.5 ft ]

Trucks Eye Height 2330 mm [ 7.6 ft ]

Superelevation

Unchanged

except for minor editing

439 Superelevation

NCHRP

Distribution Methods and Transition Designs under consideration for

next edition of Green Book

Transition Design Controls

3 transition methods discussed

Eliminated 2 - second rule Equation for minimum length Exhibit

runoff provided

Tangent to curve Spiral to curve Compound curve

of

3 27 Maximum Relative Gradients refined

Superelevation Runoff

Exhibit

3 - 28 provides adjustments for runoff for number of lanes rotated Lengths vary proportionally to 3.6 m [ 12 ft ] lane width Exhibit 3 - 29 based on 3.6 m [ 12 ft ] width Discussion on the Location of Runoff revised Exhibit 3 - 30 added providing allocations

Tangent Runout

Added section on runout Equation provided to determine

minimum length Lengths listed in Exhibit 3 - 29

Spiral Curve Transitions

Corrected

metric equation for minimum length Added two exhibits Exhibit 3 - 33 Maximum radius for use of spiral Exhibit 3 - 34 Desirable length of spiral Added equations for minimum and maximum length of spiral

Transitions - Miscellaneous

Exhibit

3 31 and discussion added on limitations to the use of superelevation rates Axis of Rotation with Medians replaces Runoff with Medians Section added on minimum transition grades Section added on Turning Roadway Design

Urban Street Design

Upper

limit for low-speed urban design now 70 km/h [ 45 mph ] rather than 60 km/h [ 40 mph ] Exhibits 3 - 40 and 3 41 expanded to include 20 km/h [ 15 mph ] and 70 km/h [ 45 mph]

Offtracking

Widths

of turning roadways and widening of traveled way combined into section on Offtracking Exhibit 3 - 51 based on WB - 15 [ WB - 50 ] Exhibit 3 - 52 added to provide adjustment factors for other design vehicles Tabular values based on dimensions in Chapter 2

Horizontal Alignment

New

height of eye and object incorporated into discussion. Exhibit 3 - 57 redone based on single stopping sight distance value. Passing sight distance discussion uses new height of eye and object

Horizontal Alignment
Speed M 94 GB [90 GB] M 2001 GB 10.5 m [ 34.1 ft ]

80 km/h 7.9 12.0 m [50 mph] [30.3 42.5 ft]

M = middle ordinate, centerline inside lane to sight obstruction M shown is for horizontal curve with radius of 200 m [ 656 ft ]

Grades
Speed Distance Curves:

Developed for Critical length

120 Kg/kW [ 200 lb/hp ] of grade adjusted to

reflect design vehicle

Grades

Climbing
Passing
Roads

lanes capacity discussion Opportunities on 2 - lane

edited to eliminate duplicating HCM

lanes and 3 - lane sections combined Exhibit 3 - 68 Lengths of Turnouts revised

Passing

Vertical Alignment

Length

of vertical curve equations revised to incorporate new height of eye and height of object. Exhibits 3 - 75 and 3 76, K values Recalculated using new eye and object height Based on single value of stopping sight distance

2001 values are lower due to changes in height of eye ( 1070 mm to 1080 mm ) and height of object ( 150 mm to 600 mm ). Since L = K x A, length of vertical curves will be shorter.
250

Rate of Vertical Curvature, K

( length (m) per % of A)

Crest Vertical Curves

200 1994 Lower Values 1994 Upper Values 2001 Values

150

100

50

20

40

60

80

100

120

Initial Speed, km/h

Vertical Alignment
Speed 94 GB [90 GB] 2001 GB

SSD K SSD K 80 km/h 112.8 - 139.4 m 32 - 49 130 m 26 [50 mph] [400 - 475 ft] [110 - 160] [425 ft] [84] K = rate of vertical curvature ( length ( m ) per % of A ) or [ length ( ft ) per % of A ] K shown is for crest vertical curves Since L = K x A, length of vertical curves will be shorter.

Vertical Alignment

Equations

for passing sight distance revised to incorporate new eye and object heights Exhibit 3 - 77 passing sight distance revised to reflect changes Exhibits 3 78 and 3 - 79 length of sag vertical curves recalculated using single value for stopping sight distance

Miscellaneous

Emergency

Escape Ramp bed depth added under

increased to 1 m [3 ft]

Sight distance at undercrossings Discussion on fencing added Combined traffic control devices
one heading

Chapter 4 Cross Section Elements

Surface type
Curbs Medians

Pedestrians
Bicycles

Curbs

Section rewritten Visibility stressed Terminology Barrier replaced by Mountable replaced

vertical by sloping

Miscellaneous

Intermediate surface type deleted Discussion on medians updated Paragraph on grades of parking

areas in Park - and - Ride Facilities revised

Pedestrians

Separate
Made

topic on Sidewalks consolidated with Pedestrian Facilities compatible with proposed ADAAG standards and guidelines

Sidewalk curb ramps Terminology changed Basic dimensions

Pedestrian References
AASHTO Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities (forthcoming )

FHWA - Designing Sidewalks and Trails (2 parts)

PROWAAC Building A True Community Access Board Accessible Rights-of-Way: A Design Guide

Bicycles
Added emphasis throughout
AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities 1999

Chapter 5 Local Roads and Streets

Exhibits

updated to reflect changes in Chapter 3 and 9 Superelevation Structures Clear zone Sight distance Parking lanes Intersections

Note
AASHTO is currently evaluating alternative criteria for local and collector roads with volumes < 400 vehicles per day
Guidelines for Geometric Design of Very Low Volume Local Roads (< 400 ADT ) (Forthcoming )

Exhibits
Four Exhibits revised to be consistent with Chapter 3 revisions: Exhibit 5 - 2 Stopping Sight Distance Exhibit 5 - 3 Passing Sight Distance Exhibit 5 - 13 Stopping Sight Distance Recreational Roads Exhibit 5 - 14 Passing Sight Distance Recreational Roads

Miscellaneous

Maximum

superelevation allowed for rural roads changed from 10 % to 12 % Exhibit 5 - 6 Footnotes added for surfaced approaches and long bridges ( 30 m [ 100 ft ]) Clear zone width now 2 - 3 m [ 7 10 ft ] Corner sight distance criteria deleted See Chapter 9 Parking lanes added

Intersection Design
Intersection design section reworded Exhibit 5 10 added Discusses two distinct radii to consider Effective turning radius Curb return radius

Chapter 6 Collector Roads and Streets

Exhibits Design speed Medians Parking lanes

for horizontal clearance

Collector Exhibits
Two exhibits updated to be consistent with Chapter 3 revisions: Exhibit 6 - 2 Stopping Sight Distance Exhibit 6 - 3 Passing Sight Distance Table for maximum grades in previous editions replaced by two exhibits: Exhibit 6 - 4 Maximum grades for rural Exhibit 6 - 8 Maximum grades for urban

Miscellaneous

Design

speed revised to upper limit of 70 km/h [ 45 mph ] for low-speed design Minimum clear zone of 3 m [ 10 ft ] on rural collectors Median discussion and widths on urban collectors modified slightly

Parking Lanes

Revisions: Residential

Commercial Industrial

areas 2.1 to 2.4 m [ 7 to 8 ft ] parking lane width areas 2.4 to 3.0 m [ 8 to 11 ft ] parking lane width areas 2.4 to 3.0 m [ 8 to 11 f t ] parking lane width

Chapter 7 Rural and Urban Arterials

Sight distance exhibit Widths Medians Curbs and shoulders Access management Turning radius for dual

left turns

Exhibits

Exhibit

7 - 1 Sight distance values moved from Provisions for Passing to Sight Distance in the chapter Exhibit 7 3: adjusted lane width from 6.6 m [ 22 ft ] to 7.2 m [ 24 ft ] for 80 km/h [ 50 mph ] and ADT of 1500 to 2000 column heading changed from DHV over 200 to ADT over 2000

Widths

minimum of 0.6 m [2 ft ] paved shoulder width should be provided for pavement support, wide vehicles, collision avoidance and bicycles Section on Bridges to Remain added to provide minimum widths for existing bridges that will be retained

Medians

Advises

against using 4 - lane undivided facilities Median discussion expanded and updated for both rural and urban Curb and Shoulders relocated to follow Lane Widths

Access Management
Access Management replaces Access Control Refers to Chapter 2 discussion Discussion on left turns into and out of adjacent properties added

Miscellaneous

Pedestrian Facilities updated Refers to Chapter 4 Operation and Control Measures

Left - Turns Desirable turning radius 27 m [ 90 ft ]

for

Chapter 8 Freeways

Updated

chapters Rural freeway discussion now precedes urban Allowance for height of resurfacing no longer specified Vertical clearance over railroads 6.6 m [21.5 ft] minimum increased to 7.0 m [23 ft]

to be consistent with other

Chapter 9 Intersections
Types Functional area defined Discussion of roundabouts

Turning roadways
Islands Intersection sight distance Offset left turn lanes

Types
3 general types of intersections defined: At-grade Grade separations without ramps Interchanges

Functional Area Defined

Perception - reaction time Maneuver distance ( braking

& lane

Queue

changing ) - storage distance ( accommodate longest queue expected )

Defined by physical area

Defined by functional area

Roundabouts

Yield at entry Deflection of entering

Discussion
traffic only

FHWA-RD-00-067 Roundabouts: An Informational Guide

Turning Roadways

Discussion reorganized All exhibits updated to

be consistent with Chapter 2 design vehicles Maximum superelevation rate increased to 12 % where climate is favorable

Islands

Minimum

Reversals

Design for Turning Roadways now part of General Characteristics in curvature for divisional islands reduced: Minimum of 1165 m [ 3825 ft ] for rural areas Minimum 620 m [ 2035 ft ] for speeds up to 70 km/h [ 45 mph ] Turning Roadways replaces Application at Terminals

Free - flow

Intersection Sight Distance

Six cases No control Stop control Yield control Signal control All-way stop control Left turn from major road

Gap Acceptance
Sight Triangles

Clear Sight Triangle

Clear Sight Triangle

A Approach Sight Triangles

Clear Sight Triangle

Clear Sight Triangle

B Departure Sight Triangles

Intersection Sight Distance

Speed
80 km/h [50 mph] 94 GB [90 GB] ISD 250 m [840 ft] 2001 GB ISD 170 m [555 ft]

ISD = intersection sight distance for turning left from stop onto major highway

Offset Left - Turn Lanes

Advantages:
Better visibility Reduced conflict More vehicles served
Parallel

Tapered

Miscellaneous

Horizontal control see Chapter 3 Deceleration length: Discussion revised Additional design speeds and

values included Discussion on driveways expanded

Chapter 10 Grade Separations and Interchanges

Access separations and control on crossroad at interchanges Turning roadway widths Single - point urban interchanges Superelevation and cross slopes Two lane entrance ramps

Miscellaneous

Recommends separation of bicycle/pedestrian movement from vehicle movement through interchanges Single Point Urban Interchange discussed as separate type Exhibit 10-67 made consistent with Exhibit 3-55

Access Control at Interchanges

Minimizes spillback on ramp & crossroad Distance for crossroad weaves Distance for merging maneuvers Provides storage for turning vehicles

Miscellaneous

Cautions

against the use of minimum values for taper type entrances Exhibit 10-70 Acceleration lengths have been recomputed Adds a caution concerning volumes exceeding lane capacity on 2-lane ramps

Technical Corrections
Exhibit 3 - 55 and Exhibit 10 - 67 In metric side, under Case I column, replace with with no so it is identical with US Customary. Exhibit 3 - 76 - Delete and Sag from title. Exhibit 5 11 - Replace 5.5 under residential in the metric side with 2.2.

Technical Corrections
Exhibit 10 - 60 is incorrect. It should
be similar to Figure X-66 in 94 GB. Exhibit 10-71 - In the metric side, under the column All speeds in Acceleration lanes, change the second occurrence of 3 to 4 % Downgrade to 5 to 6 % Downgrade

Future Research
Truck impacts on criteria ( underway ) Improved design for freeway speed change lanes ( proposed )

Design criteria and warrants for right

turn deceleration ( proposed ) Auxiliary through lanes and lane drops

( proposed )
Passing sight distance ( proposed )