Advocacy Tool: A Checklist Creating Community Boulevards & Avenues Out of Arterials & Collectors Cheryl Cort, cheryl@smartergrowth.net Coalition for Smarter Growth WABA Vision Zero Summit, 9/13/22 Source: NACTO DowntownThoroughfare
Arterial Design Policies Complete Streets Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach (ITE/CNU) Context Sensitive Design Guidelines NACTO Urban Street Design Guide Context Driven: Access & Mobility for All Users (MD SHA) Vision Zero 2017 Urban Street Design Standards (Prince George’s)
Amended road code - Prince George’s County 25 MPH design speed 2-4 lanes buffered sidewalk separated bike lanes 10’ travel lanes 15’ turning radius Source: Urban Street Design Standards, 2017, Prince George’s DPWT
Source: Urban Street Design Standards, 2017, Prince George’s DPWT
Driving street design: moving vehicles Performance metrics: vehicle Level of Service (LOS), cueing, 85th percentile speed Engineering judgment & liability bias Car driver support for SOV priority Applications: appropriate to controlled access highways, but applied to arterials & collectors Source: VDOT
Alternatives ● LOS adjusted, multimodal, pedestrian, bicycle, transit ● Checklist: 10 minimum design standards ● Applicability: mixed use environments, designated land use Checklist: 10 essential features for a mixed use arterial 1. 25 MPH design speed 2. 2-4 travel lanes, no free right turns, 3. Travel lane width: 10’ (11' for bus routes) 4. Minimize crossing distances of X feet 5. Crosswalks marked on all legs of intersection 6. Pedestrian refuge island at least 6’ for 4 lanes 7. Turning radius of 15’ minimum (square corner) 8. 8’ sidewalk with buffer 9. Bicycle accommodation (low volume: on-street, higher volume: separated, multi-use path) 10. Street connectivity: multiple access points in & out of neighborhood; between neighborhoods, (minimized block lengths, connected network)
Ten essential features for a mixed use community boulevard 1. 10-item checklist for advocates - vote & comment 2. What’s missing? 3. Accountability & oversight 4. Q & A Go to https://padlet.com/cheryl243/safestreets