UTILITY PLACEMENT INTERSECTION ENHANCEMENTS

The Temple Heights Neighborhood is an established neighborhood within the City of Temple and as such its existing utilities have been in place for quite sometime. The use of alleys and rear of property utility easements have helped facilitate an inviting environment with its tree lined streets. As this is where wastewater and overhead utility connections are found. Moving forward, the diagram below provides some direction in the placement of utilities within the context of to the street R.O.W. spacing and programing.

Water

Water lines located in the street R.O.W. in an unprogrammed area, with beneath the sidewalk being preferable to under the street. Pipe size can vary, but should not encroach on the tree’s critical root zone.

Planting Strip

Intersection enhancements are intended to be located where vehicular traffic and pedestrian traffic are the most concentrated within a neighborhood. These locations, as one would suspect, aligned with street hierarchy of the Major Thoroughfare Plan. Arterials and collectors predicate a need for guiding vehicles and pedestrians alike to controlled and uncontrolled crossings. The plans identification of pedestrian connections is a means for the city to better manage its resources for sidewalks infrastructure and as such these routes will have a higher volume of pedestrians. Within the interior of the Temple Heights Neighborhood where neighborhood collectors and pedestrian connectors cross there is a need to communicate to both drivers and pedestrians location of a crossing.

Intersection Enhancement Recommendations

• Streets should consider painted/striped crosswalks and pedestrian crossing signage

• Stop signs may be appropriate at the most heavily trafficked intersections or where vehicular speeding is prevalent

• Crossing flags maybe appropriate for routes that are key corridors for students.

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Planting strips of 6’ or greater are needed to give a street tree proper growing conditions.

Stormwater

The stormwater pipe should be placed underneath the curb and gutter in the street R.O.W. Pipe size can vary, but should not encroach on the tree’s critical root zone.

Electric, telecommunications, and other overhead utilities connections are found along the alley or rear of property. East-west streets provide The trench should preferably be located in a public utility easement adjacent to, but outside of the R.O.W.

Wastewater

Wastewater is primarily found in the rear of properties or within the alley in the Neighborhood. If wastewater lines are to be located in street R.O.W. they should be place in an unprogrammed area or beneath the sidewalk being preferable to under the street. Pipe size can vary, but should not encroach on the tree’s critical root zone.

Ornamental Tree

Overhead Utilities

If utilities cannot be placed in a trench, the use of ornamental trees is an acceptable alternative to large shade trees to maintain street trees. These trees should not exceed 15’ mature height. Overhead utilities should be consolidated on one side of the road where possible.

Commercial Edge

Neighborhood Mixed Use

Neighborhood Conservation

This exhibit is intended to provide land use priorities and direction for the built environment by assigning the types of enhancement that should define future investment.

Commercial Edge. The periphery of the plan area is composed or auto-dependent land uses that are less integrated into the nearby residential fabric. The nature of these commercial uses make vehicular access and parking important factors.

Neighborhood Mixed Use. Currently the land use make up is strip commercial and auto-oriented in nature. However, its location within the neighborhood makes it ideal for a mix of housing, dining, retail, and other neighborhood serving commercial.

Neighborhood Conservation. The plan area has an established single-family makeup. Efforts should focus on maintaining these structures as well as encouraging reconstruction or infill to complement the plan area’s architectural character.

31st Street Corridor Analysis

Elements

31st Street is a major arterial that serves a large number of vehicles and abutting businesses, as well as the Baylor Scott & White Hospital campus. This street is the eastern boundary of the plan area and therefore contributes to the overall image of the neighborhood and its sense of place. Identifying possible conflict points between vehicles and pedestrians will help improve the function, safety, and experience for all users.

Driveways:

• 31st Street has a significant number of driveways

• There are multiple driveways per block and driveway spacing is inconsistent

• Driveway widths vary

• Limited application of shared driveways

Sidewalks:

• More consistent sidewalks along the east side of 31st Street than on the west side

• Frequently interrupted by driveways

• Paving condition of sidewalks is poor

• Sidewalks are narrow and provide little to no buffer from the street’s vehicular traffic

Parking:

• Parking lots lack structure and often encompass areas along the street frontage that should be available for sidewalk and landscape buffer

• Parking lot configurations have some shared parking opportunities

Streetscape:

• A uniform application is absent from the corridor

• Streetscape enhancements can help encourage a safer and more comfortable pedestrian environment

31st Street Corridor Issues

Sidewalks

Narrow sidewalks that are frequently interrupted by driveways create unsafe conditions for pedestrians and decrease the walkability of this neighborhood.

Excessive signage creates visual clutter along the 31st Street corridor. The use of consolidated signs or enhanced construction materials could help improve the quality of the corridor.

Landscape

Landscaping along 31st Street is lacking on the Temple Heights side of the road. TMED has more consistent sidewalks, streetscape, and curb cuts.

Adjacent Development

In the adjacent TMED Neighborhood District, 31st Street improvements such as consolidated signage and driveways, and enhanced sidewalks and streetscape have all helped improve the street to become safer and more visually pleasing to both vehicles and pedestrians.

TEMPLE, TEXAS

Street Corridor Issues

31st Street Access Management

*Illustration is for diagrammatic purposes for this planning document. Further study and outreach to property owners in needed before further action.

Access Management Basics

Municipalities have the authority to implement subdivision and zoning regulations which provide a basis for street access. Access management mechanisms such as: shared access, cross access, lot width, driveway throat length, internal street circulation, and thoroughfare planning are an extension of a city’s subdivision and regulatory authority. The above exhibit is for diagrammatic purposes and does not constitute a City of Temple directive.

Conflict Points

When considering improvements to a corridor’s function and safety, it is important to identify uncontrolled interactions between travel lanes, driveways, and sidewalks. These areas are where hazards and safety concerns for vehicle/vehicle and vehicle/pedestrian interaction arise. Additionally, these ingress and egress points can have significant impacts on the continuous flow of traffic, making congestion worse.

Access Management Results:

The following are resulting benefits of access management:

• Increased pedestrian comfort levels with more continuous sidewalks and landscape

• Reduced vehicle ingress/egress conflict

• Increase pedestrian safety considerations

• Overall improvement in built environment harmony

• A plan to work with business and property owners to improve the function and access to the street system