Creating a Complete Street Active Transportation Network - Mark Goode III

HOW STREET CORRIDOR DESIGN DECISIONS IMPACT SPEED OF

VEHICLES AND BIKE LANE SAFETY

Mark G. Goode, III, P.E.

Senior Project Manager Kimley-‐Horn and Associates, Inc.

Appropriate speed is the critical factor that allows the bicyclist, pedestrian and other users of the street corridor to be comfortable sharing the same space with the automobile.

TTAT LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1.  Participants will gain signi>icant understanding of the

range of complex issues involved in integrating an active transportation network within an established neighborhood.

2.  Participants will understand why reducing the speed of vehicles is essential to a safer experience for bicyclists, pedestrians and all users on the street corridor.

3.  Participants will understand how to establish a more inclusive and successful stakeholder experience which is essential to the transportation planning process.

4.  Participants will become advocates for speed management considerations when an existing street corridor is being re-‐imagined by the community.

STREET ENVELOPE EXPANDS

THE VOCABULARY WE USE: New Urbanism advocates the restructuring of public policy and

development practices to support the following principles: §  Neighborhoods should be diverse in use and population; §  Communities should be designed for the pedestrian and transit

as well as the car; §  Cities and towns should be shaped by physically de>ined and

universally accessible public spaces and community institutions; §  Urban places should be framed by architecture and landscape

design that celebrate local history, climate, ecology, and building practice

-‐Congress for New Urbanism Impact: Regions and communities

THE VOCABULARY WE USE: Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) process promotes a collaboration & involves all stakeholders in planning & designing transportation facilities that:

§  Are compatible with their setting and preserve scenic, aesthetic, historic and environments resources;

§  Respect design objectives of safety, ef>iciency, multimodal mobility, capacity and maintenance; and

§  Integrate community objectives and values relating to compatibility, livability, sense of place urban design, cost and environmental impacts.

Impact: Communities and corridors

THE VOCABULARY WE USE: “Complete Streets” is a collection of guidelines used for designing a roadway within a designated area.

§  A street is “complete” when pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transportation users are accommodated to comfortably and safely move along and across the full length and width (i.e., the “complete”) street.

§  Complete Streets also create a sense of place and improve social interaction, while generally improving property adjacent land values.

Impact: Speci>ic street design guidelines adopted by cities.

2ND STREET DISTRICT, AUSTIN

ARE THESE ROADS WALKABLE ?

COMPLETE STREETS: SUITABLE OR TARGET SPEED §  The crucial factor we are searching for is the suitable speed that

the planning and design team should target for a particular section of roadway.

§  DOTs are looking closely at ways to reduce the severity and frequency of accidents. The goal is to reduce the speed differential among automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and trucks.

§  The appropriate (ideal) speed sets the stage for the corridor to reach its potential for a good user experience.

COMPLETE STREETS: SUITABLE OR TARGET SPEED

COMPLETE STREETS: DEFINE WALKABLE COMMUNITIES §  A mix of land uses in close proximity to one another §  A mix of density, including relatively compact developments (both

residential and commercial) §  Building entries that front directly onto the sidewalk (w/o parking

between the buildings and the public ROW) §  Building, landscape & thoroughfare design is pedestrian-‐scale §  Thoroughfares designed to serve the activities generated by the adjacent

context in terms of the mobility, safety, access and place-‐making functions of the public ROW

COMPLETE STREETS: DEFINE WALKABLE COMMUNITIES Accommodate pedestrians, bicycles, transit, freight and motor-‐vehicles within a >ine-‐grained urban circulation network

COMPLETE STREETS: DEFINE WALKABLE COMMUNITIES


Provide a compact and mixed-‐use environment of urban buildings, public spaces and landscapes that support walking directly through the built environment

WALKABLE COMMUNITIES: WEST VILLAGE, DALLAS

CONTEXT SENSITIVITY §  A highly connected, multimodal circulation network, providing safe, continuous and balanced multimodal facilities

TRADEOFFS: WALKABILITY VS. DRIVEABILITY

PEDESTRIAN PLACE – VEHICLE INTOLERANT ?

PEDESTRIAN SUPPORTIVE–VEHICLE TOLERANT?

PEDESTRIAN TOLERANT-‐ VEHICLE SUPPORTIVE?

PEDESTRIAN INTOLERANT-‐ VEHICLE PLACE?

CONTEXT SENSITIVE SOLUTIONS VS. COMPLETE STREETS §  CSS involve stakeholders in considering a transportation

facility in its entire social, environmental and aesthetic context

§  Complete Streets adds a layer of basic accommodations for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users and disabled travelers as necessities rather than optional items. Complete Streets ordinances provide standards for accommodation.

THE PROCESS FOR COMPLETE STREETS

§  Create Vision and Goals §  De>ine Needs §  Develop Alternatives §  Evaluate Alternatives §  Develop Transportation Plan §  Develop Transportation Improvement Plan §  Create Development and Implementation Timeline

§  Develop Operation and Maintenance Plan & Cost

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS KEY Involve Public and Other Stakeholders

§  Adjacent Property Owners §  Developers & Architects §  The Neighborhoods & HOAs §  City Departments (e.g., Traf>ic, Planning, Public Works, Storm Water Management, Law Enforcement, EMS, Economic Development)

§  Bicyclists §  Transit and transit users §  Others with special needs §  Utilities

BASIC AASHTO DESIGN CONTROLS (TRADITIONAL) §  Design vehicle (Bus, WB50, WB67) §  Vehicle performance §  Driver performance §  Traf>ic characteristics §  Capacity and vehicular level of service (LOS) §  Access controls and management §  Pedestrians and bicycles §  Safety

ADD TO AASHTO: CSS DESIGN CONTROLS §  Target Speed (Design encourages posted speed) §  Location (Urban Context Zones)

§  Suburban §  General Urban §  Urban Center §  Urban Core

§  Design Vehicle and Control Vehicle

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ADDITIONAL CSS DESIGN CONTROLS

§  Functional Classi>ication §  Principal Arterial §  Minor Arterial §  Collector §  Local

§  Thoroughfare Types §  Boulevard §  Avenue §  Street

FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION BY THOROUGHFARE TYPE Walkable

PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL & BOULEVARD ?


17,800 vpd 35 mph


35 mph 17,800 vpd

11,000 vpd 2,500 vpd

PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL & AVENUE ?

PRINCIPAL ARTERIAL & AVENUE ?

13,000 vpd 30 mph

MINOR ARTERIAL & AVENUE ?


30 mph

16,000 vpd

11,300 vpd

COLLECTOR & STREET ?


30 mph

19,500 vpd 8,600 vpd

27,500 vpd

CSS VS. TRADITIONAL DESIGN FACTORS §  Appropriate Speed (25-‐30 mph) vs. Higher Speeds §  Narrower lanes (10’) vs. wider lanes §  Capacity & LOS balanced against all users §  Minimal curb offsets 0’vs. 2’-‐3’ §  On-‐street parking (parallel or angle) §  Bike lanes (5’) §  Speed Management Techniques

SPEED MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES §  Active Measures

§  Roundabouts §  Road diets §  Lateral shifts or narrowing §  Smaller curb-‐return radii §  On-‐street parking §  Speed humps, speed tables, speed platforms §  Narrowed travel lanes §  Raised crosswalks §  Speed actuated traf>ic signals

SPEED MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

SPEED MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES Passive Measures

§  Synchronized signals §  Radar trailers/speed feedback signs §  Visually narrowing road using pavement markers §  Visually enclosing street with buildings, landscaping and street trees

§  Speed enforcement corridors §  Flashing beacons on intersection approaches §  Speed limit markings on pavement §  Mountable cobblestone medians or >lush concrete bands §  Shared lanes (bicycle) using signs and pavement markings

SPEED MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES

HOW DO YOU HANDLE TRANSITIONS ?

TARGET SPEED IS THE ENFORCEABLE SPEED §  85th percentile speed §  Based on reasonable driver expectations §  Setting signal timing for moderate progressive speeds §  Using narrower lanes that cause motorists to naturally slow

their speeds §  Using physical measures such as curb extensions and

medians to narrow the traveled way

TARGET SPEED IS THE ENFORCEABLE SPEED

§  Using design elements such as on-‐street parking to create side friction

§  Minimal or no horizontal offset between the inside travel lane and median curbs

§  Eliminating super elevation §  Eliminating shoulders in urban applications, except bicycle lanes

§  Smaller curb-‐return radii at intersections and elimination of high speed channelized right-‐turns

TARGET SPEED IS THE ENFORCEABLE SPEED

§  Paving materials with texture detectable by drivers as noti>ication of possible presence of pedestrians

§  Proper use of speed limit, warning, advisory signs and other appropriate devices to gradually transition speeds when approaching and traveling through a walkable area

CONCLUSION, PART 1

§  The evolution of street design guidelines, especially as they promote walkable communities, serves to support sustainable initiatives on many fronts.

§  The most recent concept, Complete Streets, aims more directly at street functionality.

§  The result can be greater reductions in traf>ic congestion, which impacts air pollution and fuel consumption; a more livable community through multi-‐modal accommodation and more enjoyable outdoor spaces; and enhanced safety, health and welfare of the travelling public.

CONCLUSION, PART 2

§  The crucial factor in creating the Complete Street is the determining the suitable speed that the planning and design team should target for a particular section of roadway.

§  The goal is to reduce the speed differential among automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit and trucks.

§  By bringing the traf>ic /transportation planner to the table early in the project cycle, developers and designers can maximize the synergy, aesthetics and sustainable features inherent in streetscape and access/egress elements of the project.

2ND STREET DISTRICT, AUSTIN, TX

SOURCES §  How Street Corridor Design Decisions Impact Livable Communities &

Campus Settings, An AIA Continuing Education Webinar (3 Versions); Mark G. Goode, III, Dunaway Associates Inc., 2011

§  Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, RP-‐036A, (ITE 2010)

§  A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (AASHTO 2004a) §  Guide for the Planning, Design and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities

(AASHTO 1999) §  Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities (AASHTO 1999) §  Highway Safety Design and Operations Guide (AASHTO 1997) §  Roadside Design Guide (AASHTO 2002) §  Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach,

Web Brie>ing; John Daisa & John Norquist; 5/24/2010

Creating a Complete Street Active Transportation Network - Mark Goode III

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