Featured in Technology Today (Volume 38, Issue 4), a quarterly publication of the Louisiana Transportation Research Center.
Access management treatments are essential in maintaining the safety and efficiency of Louisiana’s roads. Treatments such as J-turns, right-in-right-out (RIRO) entrances, raised medians, and center turn lanes safely mitigate traffic flow and prevent potential crashes among vehicles, cyclists, and pedestrians. However, the owners of roadside businesses located near treatment installation sites are often hesitant about these projects, worrying that the altered traffic flow during and after construction will inconvenience their patrons. Researchers Stephen Barnes, Ph.D., Helmut Schneider, Ph.D., and Eric Mills took interest in the validity of these anticipated impacts, concluding that these projects do not economically harm businesses and can sometimes even yield positive results.
In their study, “Economic Impact of Access Management Treatments,” Drs. Barnes and Schneider, along with Mills, analyzed the monthly business data from before, during, and after the construction of several access management treatments across Louisiana to determine their potential economic impact on surrounding businesses. They collected business sales data from two years prior to construction, the years during construction, and two years after the treatment was complete. Principal investigator Stephen Barnes explains: “Business data were categorized based on site location and proximity to treatment, and economic indicators such as unemployment rates and population estimates were integrated from government sources using R Programming software.” Information was also collected from sources such as the Louisiana Department of Revenue, regional unemployment rates, and population estimates.
The second part of this study concerned customers’ perception of the treatments. To obtain this information, researchers conducted a series of over-the-phone and in-person surveys from both business owners and patrons. Patron surveys concluded that traffic projects such as access management treatments have no effect on pricing, customer service, and product quality; therefore, the inaccessibility of business entrances served merely as a minor inconvenience. Dr. Barnes emphasizes these findings: “Perception survey results further support the notion that access management projects support regional economic development, and that businesses and patrons exhibit resilience and adaptability to the changes brought about by the access management projects.”
The conclusions of this project have the potential to shift the attitudes business owners hold toward traffic construction projects like access management treatments, revealing they can indeed create a safer environment for all road users while also maintaining the economic wellbeing of nearby businesses. Additionally, the process of data collection from the surrounding businesses develops and enhances trust between DOTD and business owners and provides feedback that can further improve access management strategies. As Dr. Barnes concludes, “The findings can be used by planners to engage the business community and general public to create a more collaborative environment for advancing projects that can improve safety and efficiency in the movement of traffic (across Louisiana).”
For more information, please visit LTRC Final Report 697 or contact Elisabeta Mitran, Ph.D., at (225) 767-9129 or elisabeta.mitran@la.gov.