Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Pavement Rumble Strips

OBJECTIVES: The objective will be to determine the safety benefits of shoulder and centerline rumble strips. BACKGROUND: Kentucky has formalized a policy on the use of shoulder rumble strips with a Special Note from the Division of Design in 1995 indicating that they are required on new and reconstructed roadways. Specifications regarding rumble strips on resurfaced roadways can be found in the 2004 Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Section 403 - Production and Placement of Asphalt Mixtures, Subsection 403.03.08 - Rumble Strips. The Federal Highway Administration issued Technical Advisory T 5040.35 in 2001 titled "Roadway Shoulder Rumble Strips". This document provides information on state-of-the-practice for the design and installation of shoulder rumble strips and provides guidelines for their use on appropriate rural segments of the National Highway System. Issues remain on the overall effectiveness of rumble strips used in various applications. Shoulder rumble strips are now used on a widespread basis; however, centerline rumble strips have only recently been used in selected locations. In addition, applications of "in-lane" rumble strips have been made that serve as a means to prevent lane departures for two-lane roads. FY 2006 ACCOMPLISHMENTS: A literature review was conducted. A focus group meeting was held to receive input from maintenance/operations and construction personnel relative to installation and maintenance issues for rumble strips. Sections of roadway with and without rumble strips installed were identified as part of a statewide solicitation of KYTC district personnel. The survey was conducted to determine a wide range of locations and roadway types with and without rumble strips that were suitable for inclusion in the analysis. Preliminary analyses were performed to determine the safety effects of shoulder rumble strips installed as part of a resurfacing project and previously evaluated as part of another research study. This study involved using roadway section identified through databases maintained by the Transportation Cabinet's Division of Construction and linked with shoulder characteristics contained in the Highway Inventory System file. FY 2007 PROPOSED WORK: Roadway sections identified as part of the statewide survey of KYTC districts will be analyzed to determine the effectiveness of rumble strips by highway type and geometric characteristics. Both objective and subjective evaluations will be performed to determine the most beneficial and cost effective applications for shoulder rumble strips. Additional analyses will be performed to evaluate the effectiveness of centerline rumble strips that have been installed on sections of the Daniel Boone and Mountain Parkways. Before and after analysis, as well as control section procedures, will be used with a focus on the frequency of head-on and other opposite-direction collisions. A final report will be prepared documenting the overall data collection and analysis, in addition to results and recommendations. PROJECTED COST THROUGH FY 2006: PROGRAMMED COST FY 2007: TOTAL ESTIMATED COST: $50,000 $25,000 $75,000