Turner Road is a connector roadway between Midlothian Turnpike (US 60) and Hull Street Road (US 360) in Chesterfield County. Daily traffic volumes on Turner Road have remained nearly identical for the past 20 years. Chesterfield County engaged Timmons Group to determine whether the existing five-lane section of Turner Road (two through lanes in each direction plus a continuous middle lane for left turn movements) could be repurposed for other uses, such as bike lanes. The Chesterfield County Bikeways and Trails Plan indicates that Turner Road should include a shared-use path or other improvements to allow more bicycle and pedestrian activity. The road diet implementation allowed a significant 2-mile portion of the Plan to be completed with no cost to the County or County taxpayers.
Before
Before
The Timmons Group traffic engineering and planning team completed a road diet feasibility and safety analysis of the Turner Road corridor and evaluated various sections along the corridor that could have lanes repurposed for bicyclists and/or pedestrians. Our team developed multiple alternatives to be considered (low cost/short term through ultimate design) for consideration. The selected solution involved a road diet between the major intersections along with creative ways of reusing and sharing the asphalt with pedestrians and bicyclists.
After
A road diet improves safety by (1) reducing the crossing distance for pedestrians and bicyclists, (2) reducing travel speeds and crash severity, and (3) reducing the number of lanes for left-turning vehicles to cross. The FHWA reports that a road diet can reduce crashes by up to 47%; reducing the number of travel lanes simplifies road scanning and gap selection for vehicles.
After
Following the feasibility and safety study, Timmons Group’s transportation design team supplied construction plans for the pavement markings and signage along a 2-mile stretch of Turner Road. The former 5-lane road was upgraded to a 3-lane road with a buffer area and bike lanes that are perfect for commuting or leisure riding. The bike lanes provide access to the commercial areas around Midlothian Turnpike and Hull Street Road, as well as neighborhoods along Turner Road, Elkhardt Road, Cloverleaf Drive, and Dell Drive.
