5 - Highway Functional Classification

Highway Functional
Classification
Chapter 16
Dr. TALEB M. AL-ROUSAN

Highway Functional Classification
 Highways are classified according to their respective
functions in terms of the character of the service they
are providing.
 Primary Classification: Highways and streets are
described as rural or urban roads.
 Urban and rural areas have different characteristics
(type of land and population density) which
significantly influence travel patterns.
 Second Level Classification for Urban and rural roads:
 Principal arterials (includes freeways)
 Minor arterials
 Major collectors
 Minor collectors
 Local roads and streets.
Functional System of Urban Roads
 Urban roads: all highway facilities within
urban areas.
 Urban areas: designated by state and local
officials, have population of (5000) or more.
 Urban areas divided into:
 Urbanized areas (population > 50,000)
 Small urban areas (population 5000 – 50,000)
 Urban roads are functionally classified into:
principal arterials, minor arterials, collectors,
and locals.
 See Figure 16.1 for functional classes of
suburban roads.
Urban Principal Arterial System
 Serves the major activity center of the urban area.
 Consists of the highest-traffic volume corridors.
 Carries most trips with origin or destination within
urban area.
 Serves trips by passing the CBD.
 All controlled-access facilities are within this system.
 Further divisions (subclasses) based on the type of
access to the facility:
1. Interstate, with fully controlled access and grade
separation interchanges.
2. Expressways, have controlled access but may include
at-grade intersections.
3. Other principal arterials, with partial or no controlled
access.
Urban Minor Arterial System
 Streets and highways that interconnect
with the urban primary arterials.
 Serves trips of moderate length.
 Places more emphasis on land access than
primary arterial.
 Might serve local bus routes and connect
communities but do not go through
neighborhoods.
 Spacing is usually not less than 1 mile.
Urban Collector & Local Street
System
 Collector main purpose: collect traffic from
local streets in the residential areas or in
CBDs and convey it to the arterial system.
 Local streets: all other streets within the
urban area that are not included in the
other three systems.
 Local streets main purpose: to provide
access to adjacent land and to the collector
streets.
 Through traffic is deliberately discouraged
on local streets.
Functional System of Rural Roads
 Rural roads are the highway facilities
outside urban areas.
 Rural roads are categorized as:
principal arterials, minor arterials,
major collectors, minor collectors, and
locals.
 See Figure 16.2 for functional
classes of rural roads.
Rural Principal Arterial System
 Consists of network of highways that serve
most of interstate trips and part of
intrastate trips.
 Most of highway trips between urbanized
areas and small urban areas are made on
this system.
 Subclasses:
 Freeways: divided highways with full controlled
access and no at-grade intersections.
 Other principal arterials: all principal arterials
not classified as freeways.
Rural Minor Arterial System
 Augments the arterial system in the
formation of a network of roads that
connect cities, large towns, and other
traffic generators (resorts).
 Travel speeds are high as on the
principal arterial system.
Rural Collector System
 Carry traffic within individual counties
 Trip distances are shorter than those
on arterials.
 Major collectors: carry traffic to and from
county seats and large cities that not
directly served by the arterial system.
 Minor collectors: collect traffic from local
roads and convey it to other facilities.
Rural Local Road System
 All roads within the rural area not
classified with the other systems.
 Serves trips of relatively short
distances
 Connects adjacent lands with the
collector roads.
Other Types of Roads
 According to jurisdictional responsibilities
(public works, municipalities).
 Freeways
 Main roads
 Secondary roads
 Collector roads
 Local roads
 Belt or ring roads
 Radial roads (passes through city center)
Primary Highway Classifications
Rural Urban
Land Cheaper Land Expensive
Speed more important than Access more important than
access speed
Pedestrian facilities less needed, Pedestrian facilities needed
shoulders are more needed (curbs, side walks, crossings)
Street lighting less or not needed Street lighting needed
Loading & unloading
Trucks allowed Trucks are not usually allowed
LOS is higher LOS is low due to slow speed
and high volumes
Less accidents More accidents
No cycling cycling
Types of Lanes
 Climbing lanes
 Escaping lane
 Acceleration lanes
 Deceleration lanes
 Turning (storage) lanes
 Parking (stopping) lanes
 Bus lanes
 Bicyclist lanes
 Overtaking lanes

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Highway Functional

Dr. TALEB M. AL-ROUSAN

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