Information about public needs and perceptions can help the engineer to anticipate and deal with public and political reactions to roadway planning and operational decisions. A Texas Frontage Road Study conducted in 1986 and 1987 offered such insight. The specific concern was conversion of two-way frontage roads to one-way operation and the public opposition generated by such changes. Interviews to determine the attitudes held by certain segments of the public about frontage road management were conducted with 121 individuals in 15 small- and medium-size cities that have freeway frontage roads. The attitude survey indicated that various segments of the public have differing outlooks on the management of the frontage road network. Safety considerations were appreciated more readily by more of the groups than were operational factors such as delay. Co-ordinated planning could have prevented problems from arising. In a broader setting the survey indicated that engineering values and concerns may not be shared by others who are affected by the decisions the engineer makes.Comments made during the survey will inform the engineer of concerns expressed by others. By anticipating these concerns, the engineer and planner can plan so that problems do not arise in the first place, design in ways to minimise public opposition, and deal with existing situations in ways that placate opposition. Although texas freeway frontage road patterns may not be common in other parts of the country, the observations and conclusions from the interviews have a broad range of applications.
Abstract