Up until the mid 1980's, transportation engineering issues tended to become more and more standardized. As such, the approach used for road design was prone to neglect the physical, economic and social environment in which the road was situated. In the past few years, a major change has taken place, with an emphasis on the importance of engineering judgement and an increase in the flexibility of design issues. Road design has become increasingly influenced by the relationship with roadside land uses and thus increasingly complex. An approach, initially labelled "Thinking Beyond the Pavement" in 1997, has evolved into Context-Sensitive Design or Context-Sensitive Solutions. The new TAC Geometric Design Guide has also adopted a flexible approach to design. The Québec Department of Transportation is starting to implement projects which incorporate such a perspective, called "traversées d'agglomérations". Our firm is currently working on its fifth such project. The presentation would discuss the Quebec approach, the latest developments occurring in the United States and present a case study in the hamlet of Massawippi. The Québec DOT has agreed to experiment an innovative road shoulder treatment, one part of the project. It should be underway next summer and a progress report will be provided. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E211395.
Abstract