Access management and land use: A proposed process

Access management has become an increasingly important and controversial issue in the state of Iowa and in many cities across the nation. Implementing the principles of access management can be beneficial in several ways, including improving traffic safety and traffic operations, promoting higher quality corridor development, and avoiding more expensive and environmentally damaging methods of capacity improvement. One of the major obstacles to the successful implementation of access management principles is the seeming disconnect between agencies responsible for administering roadways and those responsible for local land use planning and regulation. Bridging this gap between transportation management and land use planning is clearly a key to safer and better functioning roadways. This has proven to be a difficult task, but there is a potential solution. This solution involves improved communication between road jurisdictions and local land use planning agencies. A first logical step in improving communications is to identify current `best practices' and using them as models for localities in Iowa to use. This would also involve modifying these practices to better fit specific circumstances across the state. Next, a process could be implemented for identifying where future transportation and land access conflicts are most likely to arise. Such locations could then be designated as high priority areas for increased interaction and coordinated planning. Finally, identifying the best possible treatments for such access projects could be accomplished through a systematic approach. Bridging the gap between access management ideals and actual land use practices can produce significant benefits in the success of long-range land use planning, as well as in the functioning and safety of transportation facilities. These benefits can be applied to areas within the state of Iowa, as well as in other parts of the nation.