chapter 3: designing complete streets SEATTLE: STREET TYPOLOGIES Street Type
A G UIDE TO COMPLETE STREET S
Regional Connector
Commercial Connector
Local Connector
Main Street
Mixed-use Street
Street Classification
SEATTLE: STREET TYPOLOGIES Adjacent Land Use
Priority Design Features
Industrial, Commercial, Residential
• Sidewalks buffered from moving traffic by additional sidewalk width or planting strip • Pedestrian facilities including weather protection and lighting at transit zones and in locations where adjacent land uses support pedestrian activity • Bicycle access accommodated if parallel route is not feasible
Minor Arterial
Commercial, Residential
• Wide sidewalks and planting strip buffer walking area from moving traffic • Street trees and landscaping • Bus shelters at transit zones • Signed and/or striped bicycle lanes on designated bicycle routes
Collector Arterial
Residential, Institutional (community service)
• Wide sidewalks with planting strips • Signed and/or striped bicycle lanes on all designated bicycle routes • Street trees and landscaping • Traffic calming may be appropriate • Bus shelters at transit stops
Principal Arterial
Arterial—all
Arterial—all
29
N'borhood commercial with a pedestrian designation
• Wide sidewalks and planting strip • Curb bulbs in locations where there is on-street parking • Street trees and landscaping • Pedestrian scaled lighting • Street furniture • Awnings and weather protection • Signed and/or striped bicycle lanes on designated bicycle routes • Bike parking in business districts • Short-term, on-street parking
N'borhood commercial
• Wide sidewalks and planting strips • Curb bulbs in locations where there is on-street parking • Street trees and landscaping • Pedestrian scaled lighting • Awnings and weather protection • Signed and/or striped bicycle lanes on designated bicycle routes • Bike parking in business districts
Street Type
Street Classification
Adjacent Land Use
Priority Design Features
Industrial Access Street
Arterial – all, non-arterials in commercial areas
Industrial, Maritime
• Truck route signage • Load zones to support delivery activities • Low landscaping or high branching trees in planting strips
Residential
• Wide sidewalks and planting strip • Tight curb radii (and curb bulbs when there is on-street parking) • Curb bulbs in locations where there is on-street parking • Street trees and landscaping • Driveways not encouraged in order to create a continuous sidewalk • Pedestrian scaled lighting • Street furniture • Awnings and weather protection • Bike route shared with motor vehicles
Residential
• Walkways and planting strip • Street trees and landscaping • Driveways not encouraged in order to create a continuous sidewalk • Natural drainage encouraged • Pedestrian scaled lighting • Street furniture • Awnings and weather protection • Bike route shared with motor vehicles
Green Street
Neighborhood Green Street
Non-arterial in Downtown Seattle
Non-arterial outside of Downtown Seattle
Source: http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/rowmanual/manual/
Suggested Complete Street Typologies Adopting a Complete Streets ordinance is particularly valuable in shifting current practices and paradigms around street design. However to ensure that the objectives of a Complete Streets ordinance do not contradict the city’s approach to road design, it is important to develop a system of street typologies and design standards that align with the goals of Complete Streets. A new system of street typologies can also provide a framework for determining the needs of other modes of transportation while reflecting land use patterns. Jurisdictions that have gone through this process have found it to be invaluable from a public outreach and consensus building standpoint, but also with respect to the design outcomes. Local jurisdictions are best