This publication presents a set of national guidelines and list of considerations for the planning, design, operation and evaluation of reversible lane systems (RLS).
Reversible roadways and lanes are considered to be one of the most cost-effective means of increasing roadway capacity under certain conditions. In a reversible lane or roadway, the direction of traffic flow is reversed to the opposing direction for some period of time. This takes advantage of the unused capacity of the minor flow direction to increase capacity in the major flow direction, potentially negating or deferring the need to construct additional lanes.
These guidelines offer roadway design practices and suggested warrant guidelines / thresholds, as well as an evaluation of multiple configurations, addressing left turn issues and safety considerations. Systems capacity and evaluation / assessment methods are also included.
Various themes are discussed in the guidelines, such as:
• Operational and safety implications and potential benefits of the RLS system.
• Traffic control measures including evaluation of appropriate system timings, clearance methods, and monitoring and lane reversal change thresholds.
• Quantifying the improvement in roadway operations in terms of volume capacity, travel time / speed and safety.
Disponible en français : Lignes directrices pour la planification, la conception, l’exploitation et l’évaluation des systèmes de voies à sens réversible (2010)
