Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 57-19. Design Practices to Achieve Desired Travel Speeds

Speed management is an approach to achieving safe motor vehicle speeds in consideration of the roadway context and the safety of all road users. Speed management (traditionally referred to as “traffic calming” on lower classification roadways) may entail changes to speed limits, changes to roadway and roadside designs, use of traffic control devices to maintain desired speeds, and the use of enforcement and technology to increase compliance with speed limits and provide feedback to drivers about desirable “target” speeds. When selecting appropriate speed management designs and treatments, it is necessary to consider the current and future project needs and objectives, performance goals, roadway context, purpose of the roadway facility for all users, multimodal traffic composition and activity, and budgetary constraints. Managing and achieving safe vehicle speeds usually requires a multifaceted approach that leverages appropriate speed limit setting, roadway design and other infrastructure techniques, operational strategies, education, and enforcement. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and many state departments of transportation (DOTs) have developed a variety of speed management resources, and many state DOTs have developed policies, standards, and guidance for managing roadway speeds in different contexts. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this synthesis is to document state department of transportation (DOT) design policies and practices for managing vehicle operating speeds on streets and highways.  Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): The goals of state DOT speed management efforts and individual “toolbox” measures that are available for use; The structure and delivery of the state DOT speed management effort and how it is coordinated with the established planning, design, construction, operations, and maintenance functions of the agency; Design of the formal process for addressing a speed management problem and how it is analyzed, approved, funded, implemented, and coordinated/communicated with the community and stakeholders; State DOT efforts to align speed management elements with national, state, and local practice relative to geometric design, pavement markings, signs, signals, and lighting; State DOT processes for design exceptions; State DOT practices for after-action reviews; and Documented state DOT achievement of reasonable compliance with speed limits. Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of DOTs, and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be identified.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5996

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $65,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  20-05/Topic 57-19

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Deng, Zuxuan

• Start Date: 20241001
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Highway design; Speed control; State departments of transportation; Traffic calming; Traffic safety
• Subject Areas: Design; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01972837
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: 20-05/Topic 57-19
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 25 2025 3:53PM