Traffic

BKI was tasked with identifying a series of improvements to aid mobility and traffic flow along a 14.7 mile section of Alabama Highway 69 between I-20/59 and the Hale County Line. Over time, traffic conditions on the AL 69 corridor transitioned from a condition of free-flow and unencumbered operations to periods of extensive congestion combined with slow-moving traffic blocking direct property access. Measures employed by ALDOT to address the issues have seen some benefits applied in the vicinity of individual intersections, but this study was the first to look at the corridor in its entirety.

This corridor passes through one of the county’s prime growth areas. Agricultural land along the corridor has transitioned into a collection of residential communities and commercial properties, increasing the number of residents in this portion of the county. Increased population has brought demand for churches, schools, and major recreation facilities. The lack of a fully-developed roadway network in the area required both local and through traffic use the AL 69 corridor. As a result, the corridor transitioned into a primary roadway supporting some of the highest traffic volumes in Tuscaloosa County.

Meetings with local residents, as well as key stakeholders in the business community documented issues and areas of concern for the corridor. The traffic study utilized this information, as well as an extensive review of existing conditions to propose the following general recommendations:

•    An upgrade to the existing AL 69 corridor, including limited capacity improvements at intersections combined with a series of specific intersection and access management recommendations within the corridor south of Kauloosa Avenue to Maxwell Loop Road;

•    A review of potential off-corridor improvements to complete the primary roadway network in order to improve access and circulation within a broad area extending east and west from AL 69 between 1-20/I-59 and US 82.

BKI was selected by the Regional Planning Commission to lead a team in evaluating potential improvements to enhance mobility in a four-parish area of metropolitan New Orleans. Since this area’s last major street plan was completed in the early 1980s, economic and population shifts had changed priorities for roadway construction and improvements.

In order to forecast changes in the area’s mobility for the next 20 years, the BKI team examined existing land use, population centers, and the major thoroughfare system. The team conducted traffic flow analyses using the regional transportation model and the Highway Capacity Manual Methodology. BKI also gathered public input and reviewed development and population changes before considering over 50 projects, including new roads and improvements to major intersections. The eleven projects most likely to meet the RPC’s goals for increasing mobility were then fully developed for cost, availability of funding, and improvement of traffic flow.

The area’s marshy topography limited opportunities for investment in major new facilities. The BKI team identified regional priorities for transportation and construction which are now part of the Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Improvement Plan.

BKI was retained by the Louisiana Superdome Commission to examine parking and traffic issues arising from the construction of the new 20,000-seat multi-use New Orleans Arena adjacent to the existing Superdome in downtown New Orleans.

BKI identified existing and proposed parking facilities within a ½-mile radius of the proposed facility to determine whether there were sufficient spaces to meet the demand from concurrent events at the Arena and the Superdome. BKI also analyzed the pedestrian and vehicular access, signage, signalization, and police control locations.

Based on this analysis, BKI produced site plans with proposed circulation adjustments to maximize driveway access during the high demand periods before and after events. Project recommendations were ultimately approved by the New Orleans City Planning Commission and the City Council.