Fairview Loop Road Pathway & Safety Improvements Project Number: NFHWY00748/Pending

Speed Discussion

What should the travel speed be?

To address this question, we first need to understand the role of Fairview Loop Road within the road network. Fairview Loop Road is classified as a collector road.

The American Association of State Highways and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) A Policy on the Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (GDHS) is a primary reference for roadway design. AASHTO, along with other agencies such as  Wasilla, MSB, and DOT&PF; classify streets under one of three primary functional categories:

• Arterial: Designed for high-speed, high-volume traffic.
• Local: Serves as access to individual properties, typically at the end of a trip.
• Collector: Connects local streets to arterials, providing both access and mobility.

AASHTO further sub-categorizes these classes. For example, arterials can be freeways or expressways, or minor arterials, while collectors can be major and minor.

The following figure illustrates mobility and access by classification, and is adapted from AASHTO’s Exhibit 1-5 in the GDHS. It also conceptually annotates street sub-categories upon the continuum of the access-mobility function.

Figure 1- Functional Classification Mobility and Access Relationship

Role of Collectors: Collectors like Fairview Loop Road link residential areas and neighborhoods to major arterials such as Knik-Goose Bay Road and Parks Highway. They are design to balance access and mobility.

Design Speed Guidance: According to AASHTO, for rural collectors in level to rolling terrain and given the traffic volumes on Fairview Loop, (1000 to 3000 vehicles daily), the minimum design speed should range from 40 to 50 miles per hour (mph).

How can we achieve lower-speed traffic?

Currently, the posted speed limit is 50 mph. The Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) recommends posting the speed limit based on the 85th percentile speed (the speed at which 85% of drivers are traveling at or below). On Fairview Loop, the 85th percentile speeds are around 55-60 mph. The posted speed limit aligns with its classification as a collector road.

To address speeding, one common measure is narrowing lanes. This project proposes reducing lane widths to 11-feet from the standard 12-feet as a countermeasure.

Why are people driving faster than the speed limit?

One reason may be because drivers feel that they can do so safely. Fairview Loop features long straight sections between sharp curves, with clear sight lines that give drivers a sense of security. Although the road is narrower compared to modern standards, the light traffic volumes mean that vehicles may use more of the road’s width without feeling constrained by oncoming traffic.

Another factor may be that drivers entering or exiting Fairview Loop at the intersections with major roads often face long stretches on the collector road. To save time, they may drive faster, treating the road more like an arterial with higher speeds rather than its intended function as a collector road.

Can the posted speed limit be lowered?

Over the course of project development, numerous public meetings, and received comments, the design team has heard from area residents that motorists travel too fast along Fairview. In response, the question becomes; can the posted speed limit be lowered to 40-45 mph? Changing the speed limit involves legal and regulatory processes and is not a project level decision.  For more information on speed limits, visit the link below:

How are speed limits set? - Travel Topics from Alaska DOT&PF

Posted speed limits can be re-evaluated in two ways:

• During a roadway redesign.
• When there is formal community support for a change.

A change in speed limit from the maximum speeds above requires an engineering study or a new general regulation. There are many factors considered in the engineering study in accordance with the law under state statute AS 19.10.072(b).

What factors are involved?

While the maximum speed limits mentioned generally apply to most roads, the DOT&PF follow a detailed process to determine if a different speed limit is appropriate for a given section of road. This process may involve an in-depth speed study, which looks at several important factors:

• Road Characteristic: Includes road width, curvature, grade, or sight distance.
• User Conflicts: Considers interactions between pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists.
• Land Use: Examines nearby land uses such as schools, residences, crosswalks, parks.
• Driver Conflicts: Looks at potential issue from driveways, parking areas, turning locations.
• Crash History: Reviews the types frequency, and severity of past accidents.
• Enforcement: Assesses how feasible and effective it is to enforce speed limits with local and state law enforcement.
• Community Feedback: Incorporates input from local communities, city councils, and organizations.
• Regulations: Ensures compliance with federal and state guidelines.
• Current Speeds: Evaluates the speeds at which drivers are currently traveling.

These factors help identify potential issues and determine the most appropriate speed limit to meet the road’s function and surrounding conditions. For example, if there are many active turning points (driveways and side streets) along a road, there are more opportunities for conflicts between turning traffic and through traffic. There may be more conflicts present if the area has many pedestrians, bicyclists, and school children from development near the road. Crash history may also point to past problems. Roadway geometry (straight, curves, shoulders) affects speeds. Enforcement feasibility is an important factor as well. All these factors combined could lead to a lower or higher posted maximum speed limit.

For more details on speed limit setting, refer to the Alaska DOT&PF Travel Topics . If you have any further questions or need additional information, feel free to reach out.