Complete Streets

Mark G. Goode, III, P.E. Associate and Manager of the Traffic & Transportation Group

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. New Urbanism, Context Sensitive Solutions and Complete Streets are the disciplines that developers, residents, City staff and stakeholders are demanding in their new projects. 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.

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 Briefing; John Daisa & John Norquist; 5/24/2010

New Urbanism
Traffic Calming
Walkable Urban Thoroughfares
Sustainable Transportation
Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
Complete Streets
Road Diet

Accommodating pedestrians, bicycles, transit, freight and motor-vehicles within a fine-grained urban circulation network
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, p.4.

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

Achieving system-wide transportation capacity using a high level of multimodal connectivity, serving walkable communities with appropriately spaced and properly sized components rather than by increasing the vehicular capacity of individual thoroughfares
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, p. 4-5.

Creating a supportive relationship between thoroughfares and context by designing thoroughfares that will change as the surroundings vary in urban character

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)
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, p. 5.

Building, landscape and thoroughfare design that 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

A highly connected, multimodal circulation network, usually with a fine “grain” created by relatively small blocks providing safe, continuous and balanced multimodal facilities

Pedestrian Places Vehicle Intolerant
Pedestrian Supportive Vehicle Tolerant
Pedestrian Tolerant Vehicle Supportive
Pedestrian Intolerant Vehicle Places
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, p. 5. Adapted from a system for describing “degrees of walkability” for street environments, Charlier Associates.

CSS involve stakeholders in considering a transportation facility in its entire social, environmental and aesthetic context
Under Complete Streets, basic accommodations for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users and disabled travelers are necessities rather than optional items

Public and Stakeholder Involvement
Adjacent Property Owners & Developers
The Neighborhoods & HOAs
City Departments (e.g., Traffic, Planning, Public Works, Storm Water Management, Law Enforcement, EMS, Economic Development)
Bicyclists, ADA and other users
Transit
Utilities

Vision and Goals
Definition of Needs
Development of Alternatives
Alternatives Evaluation
Development of a Transportation Plan
Transportation Improvement Plan
Project Development and Implementation
Operation and Maintenance

Design Vehicle (Bus, WB50, WB67)
Vehicle performance
Driver performance
Traffic characteristics
Capacity and vehicular Level of Service (LOS)
Access controls and management
Pedestrians and bicycles
Safety

Target Speed (Design encourages posted speed)
Location (Urban Context Zones)
Suburban
General Urban
Urban Center
Urban Core
Design Vehicle and Control Vehicle
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, p. 108

Functional Classification
Principal Arterial
Minor Arterial
Collector
Local
Thoroughfare Types
Boulevard
Avenue
Street

17,800 vpd 35 mph

35 mph 17,800 vpd 11,000 vpd 2,500 vpd

13,000 vpd 30 mph

30 mph 16,000 vpd 11,300 vpd

30 mph 19,500 vpd 8,600 vpd 27,500 vpd

Appropriate Speed (25-35 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
Source: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, pp. 107-114.

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 traffic signals

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 flush concrete bands
Shared lanes (bicycle) using signs and pavement markings

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

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

Paving materials with texture detectable by drivers as notification 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

CSS for the urban environment involves creating a safe roadway environment in which the driver is encouraged by the roadway’s features and surrounding area to operate at lower speeds

The crucial factor we are searching for in creating the Complete Street is 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.

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 Briefing; John Daisa & John Norquist; 5/24/2010

Complete Streets

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