stakeholder meeting csss092909

Waco 2050 Plan A Vision for the Heart of the City

July 2009

Walkable

thoroughfares

The best way to move 35 people?

•

…

Auto Oriented Street Design

Pedestrian Unfriendly

Pedestrian Unfriendly

People even “Pay Money to Walk”

LA is always extreme

Overview

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New ways to look at street design•

Focus of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)

•

What makes streets walkable?

Town Center

EmploymentDistrict Residential

Neighborhood

Main Street Commercial Street

Mixed Use Street

ResidentialStreet

Regional Center

Commercial Corridor

Industrial St

“One Size Does Not Fit All”

Context Sensitive Solutions

Institutionalizing Nationally

How does this apply ?

•

Regional Transportation Plans•

Comprehensive Plans

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Area and Master Plans•

Performance Based MPO Selection Criteria

•

Thoroughfare Plan Updates

Conventional Thinking

Disregard context of street

Applied blindly without designer discretion

Discourage flexibility

Fear of tort liability

Conventional CSS ApproachContext:

UrbanRural

Context: SuburbanGeneral urbanUrban centerUrban core

Design criteria primarily based on:

Functional classDesign speedForecast travel demandLevel of service

Design criteria primarily based on:

Community objectivesFunctional class Thoroughfare typeAdjacent land use

CSS vs.Conventional

Thinking

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban

Thoroughfares

for

Walkable

Focus of CSS

•

Major urban thoroughfares in walkable

areas

–

“Major”: •

arterials and collectors

–

“Urban/Downtowns”: •

Walkable

suburbs, town and city centers, neighborhoods

•

mix of interactive land uses•

Viable, attractive choices–

Walking–

Biking –

TransitPhoto: Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill LLP

Focus of CSS

•

Balance –

Safety

–

Mobility–

Community objectives

–

Environment

•

Multimodal •

Involve public, stakeholders

•

Interdisciplinary teams•

Flexibility in design

•

Incorporate aesthetics Source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

CSS: In Pactice

Simulation by Steve Price, Urban- Advantage

E. 14th Street and Davis Street, San Leandro

Simulation by Steve Price, Urban- Advantage

CSS: In Pactice

Simulation by Steve Price, Urban- Advantage

CSS: In Pactice

CSS Design Framework

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Context zones:–

Suburbs -

downtowns

•

Street classification:–

Functional class

•

Arterial•

Collector

–

Thoroughfare type•

Boulevard

•

Avenue•

Street

•

Compatibility

Context Zones

Source: Duany Plater-Zyberk and Company

Thoroughfare Types

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Three classifications:–

Boulevard

–

Avenue–

Street

•

Basis for:–

Physical configuration

–

Design criteria

Boulevard

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Divided arterial (4+ lanes)•

Target speed (45 mph or less)

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Through and local traffic•

Serve longer trips

•

Access management•

Major transit corridor

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Primary freight route•

Emergency response route

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Limited curb parking

Multi-way Boulevard

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Characterized by: –

Central roadway for through traffic

–

Parallel roadways access abutting property, parking, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities

–

Parallel roadways separated from the through lanes by curbed islands

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Require significant right-of-way•

Special treatment of intersections

Avenue

•

Arterial or collector (4 lanes max)•

Target speed (30 to 35 mph)

•

Land access•

Primary ped

and bike route

•

Local transit route•

Freight -

local deliveries

•

Optional raised landscaped median•

Curb parking

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban

Thoroughfares

for

Walkable

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban

Thoroughfares

for

Walkable

Street

•

Collector or local •

2 lanes

•

Target speed (25mph) •

Land access primary function

•

Designed to: –

Connect residential neighborhoods

–

Connect neighborhoods with commercial districts–

Connect local streets to arterials

•

May be commercial main street •

Emphasizes curb parking

•

Freight restricted to local deliveries

Photographs from Michael King and Reid Ewing

Roadside Design

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Roadside zones:–

Edge Zone

–

Furnishings Zone–

Throughway Zone (ADA)

–

Frontage Zone

•

Function and dimensions vary by context zone and adjacent land use

Roadside Design

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Roadside zones•

Public places

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Placement of roadside facilities

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Public art•

Sidewalk width and function

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Pedestrian buffers•

Sidewalk/driveway/alley crossings

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Street furniture•

Utilities

•

Landscaping/street trees

The Urban Roadside –

Uses and Activities

•

Movement of pedestrians•

Access to buildings/property

•

Utilities/appurtenances•

Transit stops

•

Landscaping•

Urban design/public art

•

Sidewalk cafes•

Business functions

•

Civic spaces (plazas, seating)

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban

Thoroughfares

for

Walkable

Intersection Design

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General principles

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Intersection sight distance

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Managing modal conflicts

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General intersection layout

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Curb return radii

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Channelized right turns

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Modern roundabouts

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Crosswalks

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Curb extensions

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Bicycle lane treatment

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Bus stops at intersections

What Makes People Walk?

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Practical Destinations

What Makes People Walk?

•

Pleasant & Interesting Environment…a Human Scale

What Makes People Walk?

In most conventional suburban development, streets separate uses, discouraging walking and forcing even local trips onto arterial roads.

Walkable

neighborhoods have

streets that connect uses, with arterials reserved for through traffic.

Walkable

Networks-Why Do Networks Work?

Intersection Control

2 2

2

2

2

4

66

4

Same Total Lanes

More Capacity

• VMT

• Turns

• Clearance Time

• Signal Phase

New Traffic Engineering MOEs

Traditional

•

Level of Service (auto)•

Delay reduction (speed)

•

Highest functional classification (capacity)

•

Parking capacity (individual parcel)

Place-Based

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Level of Service (multi- modal)

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Delay management (speed appropriate)

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Most context sensitive functional classification (multi-modal and internal capacity)

•

Parking capacity (park once district/multiple parcels)

Networks Made of Walkable

Streets

Street Level Urban RedesignA redesign can do many things to improve the function, appearance and safety of a roadway. It can be accomplished by:

Removing lanes from a multi-lane roadway4 lane to 3 lane conversionsCreate parking and/or bike lanes out of existing lanesWidening sidewalks to encourage pedestrian activity