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Developing Supplemental Urban Guidelines for New Brunswick’s Work Area Traffic Control Manual

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a 2012 study to develop new temporary traffic control guidelines for work on urban streets within New Brunswick municipalities. The study was completed by Opus International Consultants (Canada) Ltd. for a joint Steering Committee representing the municipalities of Fredericton, Moncton, Miramichi, and Rothesay. The new urban traffic control guide is intended to be a supplemental chapter to the provincial Work Area Traffic Control Manual (WATCM) [1], which was released in 2009. The WATCM contains temporary traffic control guidelines exclusively for work on the provincial road network, which is primarily made up of more rural and higher speed facilities. It has been the experience of several municipalities since the current WATCM was introduced, that many of its guidelines cannot be practically implemented on urban streets due to factors such as:  Space limitations caused by more frequent driveways, intersections, and existing roadside signage;  The presence of additional road cross section features such as turning lanes, curbs, gutters, bicycle lanes, and sidewalks (as opposed to shoulders and ditches); and  Higher volumes of pedestrians, cyclists, and other road users. Furthermore, the WATCM contains very limited guidance for work in the vicinity of intersections, bike lanes, and sidewalks. The new document provides specific guidance for implementing temporary traffic control on urban streets with posted speed limits of 50 and 60km/h, while taking the above constraints into account. It also includes 31 typical layouts developed based on the Transportation Association of Canada’s (TAC’s) Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada (MUTCDC) [2], New Brunswick’s WATCM, and manuals from other North American jurisdictions. Finally, the study identified several gaps in the MUTCDC, as well as inconsistencies with guides from other jurisdictions, which TAC may wish to address in future versions of the MUTCDC. It is envisioned that the new guide will result in a greater level of consistency for temporary traffic control amongst New Brunswick urban municipalities. Furthermore, it will ensure that consistent practices are implemented on both the provincial and municipal road networks.

Conference Paper Details

Session title:
BETTER, FASTER, SAFER ROAD MAINTENANCE
Author(s):
Karen Robichaud
Darren Charters
Topics:
Construction, Maintenance and operations
Year:
2013