• Purpose of the Brochure
• What is Access Management
• Access Spacing
• Turning Lanes
• Median Treatments
• Related Techniques
• Citations
• PDF Version

Benefits of Access Management

WHAT IS ACCESS MANAGEMENT?

Access management is a set of techniques that state and local governments can use to control access to highways, major arterials, and other roadways. Access management includes several techniques that are designed to increase the capacity of these roads, manage congestion, and reduce crashes.

•   Increasing spacing between signals and interchanges;
•   Driveway location, spacing, and design;
• Use of exclusive turning lanes;
• Median treatments, including two-way left turn lanes (TWLTL) that allow turn movements in multiple directions from a center lane and raised medians that prevent movements across a roadway;
• Use of service and frontage roads; and
• Land use policies that limit right-of-way access to highways.

State, regional, and local governments across the United States use access management policies to preserve the functionality of their roadway systems. This is often done by designating an appropriate level of access control for each of a variety of facilities. Local residential roads are allowed full access, while major highways and freeways allow very little. In between are a series of road types that require standards to help ensure the free flow of traffic and minimize crashes, while still allowing access to major businesses and other land uses along a road.