Topic 1

CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM OF HIGHWAY AND

STREETS
1.1 Highway Functions and
Classification
Two primary categories of service are provided by roadways and roadway
systems:
Accessibility
Direct connection to abutting lands and land uses provided by roadways
in the form of curb parking, driveway access to off-street parking, bus
stops, taxi stands, loading zones, driveway access to loading areas etc.
Mobility
Refers to the through movement of people, goods and vehicles from Point
A to Point B in the system.
1.2 Trip Functions
The American Associations of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) defines up to 6 distinct travel movements:
1. Main movement is the through portion of trip, making the primary
connection between the area of origin and the area of destination
2. Transition occurs when a vehicle transfers from the through portion of the
trip to the remaining functions that lead to access and termination.
3. Distribution involves providing drivers and vehicles with the ability to leave
a major through facility and get to the general area of their destination
4. Collection brings the driver and vehicle closer to the final destination
5. Access Providing the driver with a place to leave
6. Termination the vehicle and enter the land parcel
sought.
1.3 Highway Classification
Four major classes of highways:
1. Limited-access facilities provide for 100% through movement or
mobility
2. Arterials are surface facilities designed primarily for through
movement but permit some access to abutting land
3. Local streets are designed to provide access to abutting land uses
with through movement only a minor function, if provided at all.
4. Collector is an intermediate category between arterials and local
streets
Figure 1: Hierarchy of Roadway Classification
Table 1: Through Service Provided by Various Roadway
Categories
• Free way e.g. North–South Expressway (NSE)

• Arterial roads: Deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways or

expressways, and between urban centres at the highest level of
service possible.

• Collector roads: a low-to-moderate-capacity road which serves to

move traffic from local streets to arterial roads; access to residential
properties
• Local streets
Table 2: typical Rural and Urban Roadway Classification Systems
Table 2 (continued) Typical Rural and Urban Roadway Classification Systems
1.4 Preserving the Function of a
Facility
Highway classification systems enable traffic engineers to
stratify the highway system by functional purpose. It is
important that the intended function of a facility be reinforced
through design and traffic control.
 The design and layout of streets within a suburban residential
subdivision can reinforce the intended purpose of each facility. The
character of local streets is assured by incorporating sharp curvature
into their design and through the use of cul-de-sacs (streets). No local
street has direct access to an arterial; collectors within the
subdivision provide the only access to arterials. The nature of
collectors can be strengthened by not having any residence front on
the collector.

The arterials have their function strengthened by limiting the number

of points at which vehicles can enter or leave the arterials.

Figure 2: Suburban Residential Subdivision Illustrated

ROAD CLASSIFICATIONS AND DESIGN STANDARDS
WITH ACCORDANCE TO ROAD ENGINEERING
ASSOCIATION OF MALAYSIA (REAM)

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 1.1 The Importance of Road
Classification
- Clarify policies concerning the highway aspects of individual planning
decisions on properties served by the road concerned.
- Specific planning criteria could be developed and applied according to
a road’s designation in the hierarchy.

Therefore the planning objectives would be clear for each level of road
in the hierarchy and policies on development control and traffic
management would reinforce one another.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 1.2 Functions of Road
• Transportation (Mobility & Accessibility)
• Categories of road
Road Categories in rural areas Road Categories in urban areas

1.Expressway 1.Expressway

2.Highway 2.Arterial
3.Primary road 3.Collector
4.Secondary road 4.Local street
5.Minor road

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 a) Expressway
A divide highway for through traffic with full control of access and always with
grade separation at all intersections.

- Expressway in rural area, they apply to the interstate highways for through traffic
and form the basic framework of National road transportation for fast travelling;
Long trips, high speed, full access control, designed to the highest standards.

- Expressway in urban area, they form the basic framework of road transportation
system in urbanized area for through traffic; long trips , smooth flow ,full access
control , compliments the Rural Expressway.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 b) Highway
• Constitute the interstate national for intermediate traffic volumes
and compliments the expressway network.
• Link up directly or indirectly the Federal Capital, State capitals, large
urban centres and points of entry/exit to the country.
• Long to intermediate trip lengths
• High to medium speed
• Partial access control

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 c) Primary Roads
• Constitute the major roads forming the basic network of the road
transportation system within a state.
• Intermediate trip lengths and medium travelling speeds
• Partial access control
• They usually link the State Capitals and district Capitals or other Major
Towns.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 d) Secondary Roads
• Constitute the major roads forming the basic network of the road
transportation system within a District or Regional Development
Areas.
• Intermediate trip lengths
• Partial access control
• Link up the major towns within the District or Regional Development
Area.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 e) Minor Roads
• They apply to all roads other than those described above in the rural
areas.
• Form the basic road network within a Land Scheme or other sparsely
populated rural area.
• Eg. Holiday resort roads, security roads or access roads to microwave
stations

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 f) Arterials
• Continuous road within partial access for through traffic within urban
areas.
• Basically it conveys traffic from residential areas to the vicinity of the
central business district or from one part of a city to another which
does not intend to penetrate the city centre.
• Arterials do not penetrate identifiable neighborhoods.
• Smooth traffic flow is essential since it carries large traffic volumes.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 g) Collectors
• A road with partial access control designed to serve as a collector or
distributor of traffic between the arterial and the local road systems.
• Collectors are the major roads which penetrate and serve identifiable
neighborhoods, commercial areas and industrial areas.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 h) Local Streets
• Basic road network within a neighborhood and serves primarily to
offer direct access to abutting land.
• Links to the collector road and thus serve short trip lengths.
• Through traffic should be discouraged.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Table 1: Characteristics of Road
Categories

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 2. DESIGN STANDARDS FOR ROADS
WITH ACCORDANCE TO REAM

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 2.1 The Importance of
Standardization
• Standardized geometric design of all roads:
a) To provide uniformity in the design of roads according to their
performance requirements.
b) To provide consistent, safe and reliable road facilities for movement
of traffic.
c) To provide a guide for less subjective decision on road design

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 2.2 Rural and Urban Area
• Urban areas are defined as roads within a gazette Municipality limits
or township having a population of at least 10,000 where buildings
and houses are gathered and business activity is prevalent.

• Any roads outside the Municipality limits is considered rural, including

roads connecting Municipalities that are more than 5 kilometers
apart.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 2.3 Application of Design Standards
for Roads
• Design standards for rural (R) areas: R6, R5, R4, R3, R2 & R2
• Design standards for urban (U) areas: U6, U5, U4, U3, U2 & U1

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Standard Applications
a) Standard R6/U6 - Provides the highest geometric design standards for rural or urban areas.
- Serve long trips with high travelling speed (90 km/h or higher)
- Designed with divided carriageways and full access control.
- The Rural and Urban Expressway falls under this standard.

b) Standard R5/U5 - Provides high geometric standards and usually serve long to intermediate trip lengths with high to medium travelling
speeds (80 km/h or higher).
- It is usually with partial access control.
- The Highway, Primary Road and Arterial fall under this standard.
- It is sometimes designed as divided carriageways with partial access control
c) Standard R4/U4 - Provides medium geometric standards and serve intermediate trip lengths with medium travelling speeds (70 km/h or
higher)
- It is usually with partial access control.
- The Primary Road, Secondary Road, Minor Arterial and Major Collector fall under this standard
d) Standard R3/U3 - Provides low geometric standard and serves mainly local traffic.
- There is partial or no access control
- The Secondary Road, Collector or Major Local Streets are within this standard.
- The traveling speed is 50 km/h
e) Standard R2/U2 - Provides low geometric standards for two way flow.
- Applied only to local traffic with low volumes of commercial traffic.
- The Major Roads and Local Streets fall under this standard.
- The travelling speed is 50 km/h
f) Standard R1/U1 - Provides the lowest geometric standards and is applied to road where the volumes of commercial vehicles are very low in
comparison to passenger traffic
- The travelling speed is 40 km/h or less

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 3. ACCESS CONTROL
3.1 Degree of Control

- Access control is the condition where the right of owners or

occupants of abutting land or other persons to access, in connection
with a road is fully or partially controlled by the public authority.

- Three types degree of control: full control, partial control and non-
control of access

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Full Control of Access
- Preference is given to through traffic by providing access connecting
with selected public roads only and by prohibiting crossings at grade
or direct private driveway connections.

- The access connections with public roads varies from 2 km in the

highly developed central business area to 8 km or more in the
sparsely developed urban fringes.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Partial Control of Access
• Preference is given to through traffic to a degree that in addition to access
connection with selected public roads, there may be some crossings trafficked roads.

• At-grade intersections should be limited and only allowed at selected locations.

• The spacing of at-grade intersections preferably signalized may vary from 0.4 km to
1.0 km.

• To compensate for the limited access to fully or partially access controlled roads,
frontage or service roads are sometimes provided along side of the main roads.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Non- Control Access
• No limitation of access.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 3.2 Selection of Access Control
• It is important so as to preserve the as-built capacity of the road as well as improve
safety to all road users. Two aspects to be noted:

1. During the time of design in the consideration of accesses to existing developments.

2. After the completion of the road in the control of accesses to future developments.

The selection of degree of access control depends on traffic volumes, function of the
road and the road network around the areas (Table 2A & 2B).

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Table 2A: Selection of Access Control
(Rural)

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Table 2B: Selection of Access Control
(Urban)

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 4. SELECTION OF DESIGN
STANDARDS
4.1 Selection of Design Standard

Should begin with:

- Assessment of the function of the proposed road and the area it traverses

- Calculate the projected average daily traffic (ADT) at the end of the design life
(15 years after completion of the road)

- Obtained the design standard from Table 2.3.

- Calculate the required number of lanes from the capacity analysis.

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Table 2.3 Selection of Design
Standard

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM

 Figure 2.1: Flow Chart for
Selection of Design
Standards

Source: A Guide on Geometric Design of Roads by REAM