New to Alternative Design? In this tutorial, you'll build your first project from start to finish: add a road segment, describe it as it is today, set a No-Build baseline, test one improvement, and compare the results.
The examples use a half-mile stretch of Main Street in Payson, Utah, and test adding street lighting. Follow along with a segment you work on; the steps are the same.
ℹ️ Note: The roadway types, fields, and values you see depend on your organization's configuration, so your screen may look a little different.
Start a Project
Open the apps menu in the top-left corner and select Alternative Design.
Click New Alternative Design in the top-right corner.
(Starting a new project)
A new project opens on the Project Selection tab.
Add a Segment
Type a street or place in the map's search box and select it. Zoom in until you can see your road.
Click + Add Segment. The map shows Select 2 points on any line.
Click the road at the start of the segment, and then at the end.
(The segment in the list, with its route and milepoints)
The segment appears in the list with its route and milepoints. Click Continue.
💡 Tip: Add intersections the same way with + Add Intersection, one leg at a time. This tutorial keeps it to one segment.
Describe the Road Today
On the Current Condition tab, you describe the segment as it is now. Work down the pages in the sidebar, and click Continue at the bottom of each one.
⚠️ Warning: Move through a project with the Continue button, not by clicking the tabs. Continue is what saves your entries.
Information
Enter a Name, such as Main St, 200 S to 700 S. The name is used everywhere in the project, including the report.
Select the Roadway Type. For Main Street, that's Urban/Suburban Arterial - HSM 1. The roadway type decides which adjustment factors apply.
Select the Arterial Type, here 4 Lane Undivided (4U).
Check the AADT. It fills in automatically when data is available.
(Segment Information for an urban arterial)
Roadway Details
Enter what's on the road today, such as the number of driveways and fixed objects. Required fields display a warning until you fill them in. Each value updates the Current AF (adjustment factor) next to it. Main Street has no street lighting, so select Not Present under Segment Lighting.
(Segment Lighting is Not Present today)
💡 Tip: Not sure what a field means? Click More Info on its section.
Bike Details, Pedestrian Details, and Crashes
Fill in the required fields on Bike Details and Pedestrian Details, such as Posted Speed. The Crashes page shows the observed crashes on the segment for the project's date range. Click Continue on the Crashes page to go to the No-Build tab.
(The observed crashes on the segment)
Set the No-Build Baseline
The No-Build is what happens if nothing changes. Your proposal is compared with it.
On No-Build Information, enter notes if you want, and click Continue.
On Options, select Yes under Include AADT Growth?. Enter 20 for Years and 1.5 for Annual AADT Growth Rate (%). Select No under Include Cost?, and click Continue.
(20 years with 1.5% annual AADT growth)
3. On Analysis Method, keep the recommended method, and click Continue.
4. Look over the Summary, and click Continue. The Comparison Summary opens, with only the No-Build for now.
The years you enter on the Options page set the analysis period for the whole project.
Test an Improvement
Now model the change you want to test: adding street lighting.
Add the Proposal
Click + Add Proposal in the top-right corner.
Under Fill in Roadway Details With, select Current Conditions, so the proposal starts from the road as it is today.
Click Add. A Proposal 1 tab appears.
(Starting the proposal from current conditions)
4. Click the Proposal 1 tab.
5. On Proposal Information, name it Add Segment Lighting, and click Continue. The tab takes the new name.
Change What the Design Changes
On the segment's Information page, click Continue. Nothing changes there.
On Roadway Details, select Present under Segment Lighting.
(The Proposed AF drops from 1.00 to 0.92)
The Proposed AF appears under the Current AF, and a bar shows the current and proposed values. A green down arrow means the change lowers predicted crashes. Keep clicking Continue to the Cost page.
Enter the Cost
Under How would you like to input cost?, keep Total.
Enter the Construction Cost ($), Total Maintenance Cost ($), and Service Life (Years). This example uses $45,000, $5,000, and 20 years.
(The benefit-cost ratio updates as you enter costs)
3. Click Continue through Analysis Method and Summary. Continue on the last page opens the Comparison Summary.
Compare the Results
The Comparison Summary puts the No-Build and your proposal side by side.
(The No-Build and the lighting proposal side by side)
Benefit/Cost Ratio: The safety benefit for each dollar spent. A ratio above 1 means the benefit is greater than the cost. Here, it's 2.26.
Expected Crashes: The crashes expected over the 20 years. With lighting, they drop from 32.9 to 30.8.
Save and Download a Report
Save the Project
Click Save in the top-right corner.
Name the project, such as Payson Main Street Lighting. Choose a category, or leave it blank to use Uncategorized.
Click Save.
(Saving the project)
Download the Report
Click the Download icon in the header. It appears after the first save.
In Report Options, the Report Title starts as the project name. Change it if you want, and click Create Report.
(Creating the report)
3. Review the report in Report Preview, and click Save & Download.
(The report preview)
The report is a PDF of the Comparison Summary. It's also kept in Reports > Archives, where you can download it again.
Next Steps
You've built your first Alternative Design project, tested an improvement, and downloaded a report. When you're ready for more, try these:
Add a second proposal: Test another design, such as a road diet, and compare both.
Add an intersection: Include the intersections along your corridor.
Enter values by milepoint range: Use this when a characteristic changes partway along a segment.