Efficient Use of Highway Capacity Summary
Report to Congress

Appendix A: Interview Questions for Agency Representatives

1. What facilities have had shoulder use either in the past or currently?
2. What was the intent of the implementation (goals & objectives)?
3. Were other operational strategies evaluated prior to identifying shoulder use as the alternative to deploy?
4. What are the specifics of that operation?
   1. Facility name/number, city
   2. Date implemented
   3. Date terminated (if applicable)
   4. Length of implementation
   5. Allowed vehicles
   6. Operating partners
   7. Conditions associated with implementation: Is this an interim treatment until future widening occurs? Are speeds restricted or other conditions changed from the prior condition?
5. Operational hours (part-time vs. permanent)
6. What is the maximum speed allowed for the shoulder lane?
7. What are the geometric features of the implementation?
   1. Cross-sectional details, including shoulder width
   2. Treatment at interchanges
   3. Handling of inlets (if applicable)
   4. Handling of existing rumble strips (if applicable)
   5. Guardrail and fixed object shielding / adjustments (if applicable)
8. What traffic control devices are part of the implementation?
   1. Pavement markings
   2. Overhead signs and signals
   3. Ground-mounted signs
9. What are the ITS-related elements of the implementation?
10. What performance measures are associated with the facility and how are they used?
    1. Specific measures of effectiveness
    2. Who is responsible for monitoring?
11. What were the costs associated with implementation?
12. How is the facility enforced?
    1. Who is responsible?
    2. What are the related fines?
    3. What is the enforcement approach?
13. How is the facility maintained?
    1. Who is responsible?
    2. Other specific
14. How are incidents within the facility handled?
    1. Who is responsible?
    2. What is the average response time?
    3. Are there unique strategies deployed here that are not deployed elsewhere in the region?
15. What is the overall evaluation of the implementation?
    1. Overall safety experience (crashes / severity)
    2. Operational experience (travel speeds / delay)
    3. In-service compliance rates
16. What, if any, liability issues or concerns posed a problem with the implementation of shoulder operations?
17. Were their impacts with oversize and/or overwidth vehicles? How were they addressed?
18. Was there a public outreach or education component to the deployment?
19. Was any legislation required to enable the strategy?
20. Are there any issues with compliance or return to traditional operation on adjacent sections or on other local facilities that do not permit emergency shoulder/breakdown lane use as peak period travel lanes?