Evaluation of the Corridor Safety Improvement Program : phase 1 final report.

Hunter-Zaworski, Katharine M.; Price, Nathaniel T. · 1997 · ROSA P / Oregon. Dept. of Transportation

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Summary

This report evaluates the effectiveness of Oregon’s Corridor Safety Improvement Programs (CSIPs) implemented on Oregon Route 34 (ORE-34) and Oregon Route 22 (ORE-22) in 1993. The study addresses the need to assess these multi-disciplinary safety initiatives, which integrate engineering, enforcement, and education to reduce crash frequency and severity on high-volume arterial highways. The research was motivated by the severe accident problems associated with free-access corridors and the desire to determine if the CSIP approach successfully altered driver behavior and perceptions of safety. The study design comprised two phases; this report covers Phase 1, which utilized a literature review and a mail-out survey of motorists. Surveys were distributed to residents and employees in communities adjacent to the corridors, yielding 1,228 responses for ORE-34 (15% return rate) and 584 for ORE-22 (10% return rate). The survey instrument assessed driver awareness of the improvements, perceptions of traffic speed and enforcement, and the perceived effectiveness of specific countermeasures, such as oversized signs, orange diamond flags, flashing yellow lights, and variable message boards. The findings indicate that most drivers were aware of the changes and perceived them as safety improvements. Approximately 65% of ORE-34 respondents and 56% of ORE-22 respondents reported that the changes increased safety. Drivers noted that specific devices, particularly flashing yellow lights and orange diamonds, effectively attracted attention to signs. While about half of the respondents stated their driving habits did not change, a majority (66% for ORE-34 and 71% for ORE-22) reported increased awareness of surrounding events. However, respondents indicated that traffic speeds remained largely unchanged or increased, and many felt that enforcement patrols were insufficient. The report notes that while devices were initially effective, their impact may diminish with repeated exposure. The authors conclude that the CSIPs appear successful in raising awareness and perceived safety but recommend further engineering and enforcement interventions. Specific recommendations include increasing police patrol frequency, implementing access management strategies to limit conflict points, providing acceleration and deceleration lanes, and limiting the use of traffic signals. The report advocates for Phase 2 of the study to quantify these perceptions through speed studies, accident history analysis, and enforcement pattern evaluation to optimize the cost-effectiveness of the CSIP.

Key finding

Most drivers were aware of the corridor safety improvements and agreed that the changes increased safety and heightened their awareness of events around them.

Methodology

survey

Sample size: 1812

Provenance

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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.

Topics

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• perceptual countermeasures
• regulatory evaluation
• rail grade crossings
• roadway lighting effects
• public messaging

Information type

What kind of knowledge this paper contributes, grouped by family — independent of topic (what it is about) and method (how it was studied).

• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: observational prevalence, crash risk outcomes