Traffic patterns at solid waste facilities must be designed to accommodate a wide variety of vehicles ranging from small pickup trucks to large transfer trailers. As trucks move in and out of the facility, a smooth, logical traffic pattern will keep vehicles moving and enhance the overall safety of the facility.
By Will Flower
Landfills, transfer stations and recycling centers can be busy places with hundreds of trucks coming and going each day. Establishing traffic patterns to control vehicle flow at the facility can reduce the risk of accidents and keep workers and customers safe throughout the day.
Traffic flow should be carefully and thoughtfully planned at every solid waste facility. Designers, architects, traffic engineers, site managers and drivers should collaborate to develop a smooth, efficient and safe traffic pattern for the site. Public roadways, points of ingress and egress, tarping and un-tarping area, scales, buildings, tip floors, parking lots, and utilities will need to be evaluated as each has an impact on the site’s traffic flow.
Factors to Consider
While there are numerous factors that affect traffic, some of the critical considerations include:
• The amount of vehicles that will drive in and out of the facility each day. The number of trucks that are expected to deliver material to the site each day is perhaps the most important factor in developing a traffic pattern. It is also important to consider the number of vehicles arriving during peak flow periods so that appropriate queue lanes can be established. Traffic for employees who are coming to and leaving work should also be considered.
• The type of vehicles that will use the facility. In most cases, a variety of trucks ranging from pickups to large 18-wheelers will deliver material to the facility. The size of the truck needs to be a consideration to calculate appropriate turning lanes and turnaround areas. Plans should be made to safely accommodate the largest of vehicles.
• One-way traffic. If possible, a one-way traffic pattern is the most preferred option to limit crossing paths.
• Segregated traffic patterns. A best practice at solid waste facilities is to provide separate areas for general public and commercial vehicles. Having a separate area for the general public to unload wastes and recyclables will keep smaller vehicles away from big trucks, pay loaders and compactors. At the same time, larger vehicles will not need to contend with numerous smaller vehicles while on the tip floor of a transfer station or at the active face of a landfill.
• Outbound shipments. The traffic flow for outbound shipments, such as transfer trailers and commodity shipments, needs to be taken into consideration. Landfills that manage leachate using tanker trucks should include these outbound trucks into their design for a safe traffic pattern.
• Weather. If the geographic area of your solid waste facility is subject to severe weather conditions, such as snow, the design should include an area to push and pile snow so that trucks can continue to use the site in all weather conditions.
• Environmental impacts on the surrounding community. Managing solid waste can be a noisy operation. Loading and unloading areas can be especially loud. A well-designed traffic pattern will minimize the impact to neighbors.
Other considerations are:
• The need for turn lanes, deceleration lanes and acceleration lanes for trucks entering and exiting the site. Remember, trucks do not accelerate (or brake) like automobiles.
The ability to exit the site and enter the main road including having adequate visibility in both directions.
• Access for visitors, employees and emergency vehicles so these vehicles do not have to compete on lines with vehicles using the scale.
Seek Expertise
If you are building a new facility, it is always a good idea to walk the site and seek the expertise of an experienced commercial driver. Examining site details and getting a driver’s perspective will help produce a traffic pattern that allows collection vehicles to safely move in and out of the facility.
Creating a smooth and safe traffic pattern for a solid waste facility is like piecing together a puzzle. However, a little thought and pre-planning will help you design and develop your traffic flow to keep customers and employees safe.
Next month’s Safety Brief will focus on pedestrian safety.
Will Flower is the Vice President of Corporate and Public Affairs at Winters Bros. Waste Systems. Will has 35 years of experience in the area of solid waste management and environmental protection. He has held operational and executive leadership positions at the Director’s Office of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Waste Management, Inc., Republic Services. Inc. and Green Stream Recycling.
Share your safety tip. Submit your suggestions to Will Flower at [email protected].
