HIGHWAY DESIGN MANUAL
80-1
June 26, 2006
CHAPTER 80
APPLICATION OF DESIGN
STANDARDS
Topic 81 - Project Development
Overview
Index 81.1 - Philosophy
The Project Development process seeks to provide
a degree of mobility to users of the transportation
system that is in balance with other values. In the
development of transportation projects, social,
economic, and environmental effects must be
considered fully along with technical issues so that
final decisions are made in the best overall public
interest. Attention should be given to such
considerations as:
(a) Need for safe and efficient transportation.
(b) Attainment of community goals and
objectives.
(c) Needs of low mobility and disadvantaged
groups.
(d) Costs of eliminating or minimizing
adverse effects on natural resources,
environmental values, public services,
aesthetic values, and community and
individual integrity.
(e) Planning based on realistic financial
estimates.
(f) The cost, ease, and safety of maintaining
whatever is built.
Proper consideration of these items requires that a
facility be viewed from the perspectives of the user,
the nearby community, and larger statewide
interests. For the user, efficient travel and safety
are paramount concerns. At the same time, the
community often is more concerned about local
aesthetic, social, and economic impacts. The
general population, however, tends to be interested
in how successfully a project functions as part of
the overall transportation system and how large a
share of available capital resources it consumes.
Therefore, individual projects must be selected
for construction on the basis of overall system
benefits as well as community goals, plans, and
values.
Decisions must
also
emphasize
different
transportation modes working together effectively.
The goal is to increase highway mobility and safety
in a manner that is compatible with, or which
enhances, adjacent community values and plans.
Topic 82 - Application of
Standards
82.1 Highway