Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways (2018) / Chapter Skim
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Pages 171-232
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From page 171... ...
171 5.1 General Considerations In urban, suburban and rural town contexts, levels of non-motorized user activity typically warrant some provision of facilities for these users. Whereas Chapter 4 of this Guide focuses on criteria for design of the traveled way itself, this chapter provides guidance for the accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users in the roadside area adjacent to the traveled way.
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From page 172... ...
172 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways excessive or inappropriate for roadside pedestrians and bicyclists, traffic calming measures should be considered to reduce speeds to improve safety and comfort for all users. Pedestrians and bicyclists are particularly vulnerable in the event of a crash.
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From page 173... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 173 • Bicycle amenities (bicycle racks) ; • Transit amenities (such as benches, shelters, waiting areas)
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From page 174... ...
Source: North Carolina DOT (2012) Exhibit 5-3.
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From page 175... ...
Source: North Carolina DOT (2012) Exhibit 5-6.
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176 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways Source: North Carolina DOT (2012) Exhibit 5-9.
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Roadside Design Guidelines 177 configurations across a range of roadway types in urban, suburban, rural and rural town contexts as included in the North Carolina DOT's Complete Streets Planning and Design Guidelines (2012)
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From page 178... ...
178 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways Roadside users can be separated from the motorized vehicle traveled way by painted edge line markings where paved shoulders exist, by raised vertical curbs, by paved shoulders and vertical curbs, and by on-street parking. Where paved shoulders are provided but no all-weather or other roadside facilities are available to pedestrians or bicycle riders, these travelers may use the shoulder because they have no other option.
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From page 179... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 179 The design process for any roadside should recognize the role of that roadway in all related transportation plans. The project design should be guided by all related state, regional, subregional and neighborhood plans for the roadway facility in relation to context and community goals and values.
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From page 180... ...
180 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways the designer is concerned about the safety of a wider range of users, including pedestrians on the sidewalk, and motorists, motorcyclists and bicyclists using the traveled way and/or roadside. The designer should consider the context of the roadway, including competing demands within limited rights-of-way and the peak periods when demand may be highest.
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From page 181... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 181 generally higher, approaching or exceeding 50 mph, and vehicles are operating under free-flow conditions. Much of the information presented in the AASHTO guide applies to rural highspeed facilities, but Chapter 10 offers information on urban roadside practices.
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From page 182... ...
182 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways planted or paved and are encouraged for use between urban roadways and their companion sidewalks. On-street parking is a portion of the traveled way, but it can also serve as an important pedestrian buffer in some contexts.
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From page 183... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 183 NCHRP Report 612: Safe and Aesthetic Design of Urban Roadside Treatments (Dixon et al.
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From page 184... ...
184 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways modal variations within each context zone should be considered by the designer in developing cross sections and design elements. Guidelines for selecting the context to be used to inform the roadside design process are essentially the same as those used for the traveled way design process.
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From page 185... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 185 for the roadside and traveled way, or the design may incorporate separate pedestrian-scaled decorative lighting. 5.1.6 Design Controls for the Roadside AASHTO guidelines identify functional classification and design speed as primary factors in determining roadway design criteria.
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From page 186... ...
186 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways design. These facilities must be coordinated with the other design elements in the traveled way, and be sensitive to project context.
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From page 187... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 187 walk for 5 min.
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From page 188... ...
188 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Removing roadway obstacles that could cause bicyclists to fall; • Using guide signs and/or pavement markings to direct bicyclists to scenic and low-traffic routes; and • Providing signalized crossings of major roads when warranted for those who are not comfortable making left turns in heavy traffic. When bicycles are used on public streets and roads, bicyclists generally are subject to the same traffic rules as motorized vehicle operators.
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From page 189... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 189 The PROWAG will become an enforceable standard only after the Board publishes a final rule, and only after the U.S. DOJ and/or the U.S.DOT adopt the final guidelines into their respective ADA and Section 504 regulations.
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From page 190... ...
190 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Provide median refuge islands of sufficient width at wide intersections; • Provide lighting and eliminate glare sources at locations that demand [multifocused] information gathering and processing; • Consider the traffic control system in the context of the geometric design to assure compatibility and to provide advance warning or guide signs for situations that could surprise older pedestrians; • Use enhanced traffic control devices; • Provide oversized, retroreflective signs with suitable legibility; • Consider increasing sign letter size and retroreflectivity to accommodate individuals with decreased visual acuity; • Use properly located pedestrian signals with large indications; • Provide enhanced markings and delineation; and • Use repetition and redundancy in design and in signing.
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From page 191... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 191 of Transportation and the city of Durham, Ontario, provide sufficient WALK time for the pedestrian to reach the middle of the street, so that the pedestrian will not turn around when the flashing DON'T WALK begins. Turning vehicles also are a concern for aging pedestrians.
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From page 192... ...
192 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways to highway design, operational and traffic engineering features. Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America (Lynott et al.
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From page 193... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 193 flow. These zones can be striped and signed, or managed for off-peak deliveries (NACTO 2013)
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From page 194... ...
194 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways accommodated on the shoulders if roadside facilities are not provided. The guidance in this chapter is used in conjunction with the guidance suggested for the traveled way roadway components in Chapter 4.
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From page 195... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 195 Regardless of the context, the designer is responsible for balancing the accommodation and safety of all users, including pedestrians of all ages and abilities, bicyclists and motorists that include automobiles, motorcyclists, buses and trucks. The need to connect and blend all the environments involved in the traveled way and the context will greatly influence the roadside design.
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From page 196... ...
196 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways designing sidewalks within a community is providing a continuous system of safe, accessible pathways for pedestrians on both sides of all streets. 5.2.3.1 Current AASHTO Policy and Guidance The Green Book (AASHTO 2011a)
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From page 197... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 197 streets. On arterial or major streets, a width of 5 ft.
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From page 198... ...
198 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways adjacent traffic. Increasing the buffer area (e.g., by providing on-street parking or a planted area)
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From page 199... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 199 walking distances and may introduce orientation issues for pedestrians with vision disabilities that make their use inappropriate in most settings. Meandering sidewalks should be kept within a 10-ft.
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From page 200... ...
200 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways Facilities placed outside the traveled way can provide low-stress environments for mixed bicycling and walking activities. Well-designed shared-use paths or trails can provide direct and comfortable routes to places of employment, recreation, education and other destinations.
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From page 201... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 201 Along high-speed, high-volume roads, sidepaths may be an acceptable alternative to sidewalks or bike lanes, although intersection conflicts could be both less expected by users and more severe than with other treatments. As shown in Exhibit 5-20, sidepaths generally are bi-directional and located within the roadside or adjacent to the roadside.
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From page 202... ...
202 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • The sidepath is used for a short distance to provide continuity between sections of path in independent rights-of-way, or to connect local streets that are used as bicycle routes; • The sidepath can be built with few roadway and driveway crossings; and • The sidepath can terminate at each end onto a street that accommodates bicyclists, onto another path, or at another location that is otherwise bicycle compatible. The preferred width of sidepath facilities is 12 ft.
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From page 203... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 203 Exhibit 5-23 identifies the preferred pathway width in response to volume and user mix, as needed to achieve LOS "B," as calculated by the FHWA Shared Use Path Level of Use Calculator (FHWA 2006c)
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From page 204... ...
204 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways Where a sidepath terminates, it may be necessary for path users to transition to a facility on the opposite side of the road. Designs should consider the desire for natural directional flows and the potential for conflicts with adjacent traffic.
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From page 205... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 205 2.5 ft.
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From page 206... ...
206 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways 5.2.5.2 Additional Guidance The Transit Street Design Guide (NACTO 2016) details how reliable public transportation depends on a commitment to transit at every level of design, and provides guidance for the development of transit facilities on city streets and the design of city streets to prioritize transit, improve transit service quality and support other goals related to transit.
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From page 207... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 207 Source: Adapted from content in TCRP Report 100 (Kittelson & Associates, et al.
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From page 208... ...
208 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways 5.2.5.5 Transit Platform Design Transit platforms should be designed to accommodate waiting transit passengers, include transit shelter amenities and integrate well into adjacent sidewalks. Transit stops must include easily identifiable signage and a paved area that is accessible to all passengers.
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From page 209... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 209 All transit stops should incorporate the following elements (AASHTO 2004b) : • A pole and transit stop sign to identify the stop.
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From page 210... ...
210 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Seating, to improve the off-board passenger experience. Seating can be incorporated into shelters or installed independently.
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From page 211... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 211 5.2.5.6 Sidewalk Design Creating safer places for pedestrians to travel along roadways can encourage more people to use transit systems. It is critical to ensure that sidewalks and other pedestrian pathways along roadways have appropriate width, surface, separation from motorized vehicle traffic, lighting and signage.
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From page 212... ...
212 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways locations. In many cases, however -- particularly on multilane roads with high speeds and high traffic volumes -- marked crosswalks alone are not sufficient to assure the safety of pedestrians or bicyclists.
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From page 213... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 213 of the tracks while an unperceived second train is approaching on another track. For these locations, separate warnings may be necessary to provide adequate alerts to pedestrians or bicyclists.
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From page 214... ...
214 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways recommends landscape development that retains the highway's character and environment while maintaining a sufficiently wide clear path that takes into account pedestrians with disabilities. Landscaping features are most suitable in the "border area," which is provisioned for the sidewalk, for snow storage, and for the placement of underground and above-ground utilities.
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From page 215... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 215 • Potential future changes in roadway cross sections; • The impact of landscaping on visibility for motorists and pedestrians at driveways and intersections; • Proper placement and spacing of landscape elements such as trees and shrubs away from roadside utility lines in order to avoid conflict with root systems; • Positioning of canopy trees so they are far enough away from service wires; and • Trimming canopy trees as needed to provide sufficient clearance height for taller vehicles. 5.2.6.3 Additional Guidance Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares (ITE 2010a)
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From page 216... ...
216 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways practices help reduce the flow and toxicity of runoff, and they are more cost-effective than conventional drainage systems. • Sight distance.
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From page 217... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 217 For plantings in the furnishings zone, tree wells with grates should be considered in areas with predominantly commercial ground-floor uses in order to maximize the area for pedestrian circulation. 5.2.6.6 Stormwater Management Stormwater runoff from roadways and roadsides normally must be collected and transported within the right-of-way.
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From page 218... ...
218 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways also may be combined with traffic calming devices when used on curb extensions or designed as chicanes. They can be designed to accommodate trees or low vegetation depending on size and visibility constraints.
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From page 219... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 219 but when used effectively, lighting can do much more. Streetscape lighting lends character to a street, and by highlighting certain features, it can contribute to a sense of place and civic pride.
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From page 220... ...
220 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Bicycle parking or landscaped areas with seating walls can be accommodated in curb extensions; • Street furniture should be placed on thoroughfares expected to have high pedestrian activity; • Placement of furniture should not reduce the width of the clear pedestrian throughway to less than 5 ft., or intrude into the operational offset for objects behind the curb (typically 1.5 ft. minimum from the face of curb)
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From page 221... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 221 • Under some conditions, it may be appropriate to reserve the area outside the roadway exclusively for the use of overhead lines, with all other utilities located under the roadway. In some instances, locating all the facilities under the roadway may be appropriate.
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From page 222... ...
222 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways Refer to A Guide for Accommodating Utilities Within Highway Right-of-Way, 4th Ed.
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From page 223... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 223 • Narrowing a wide sidewalk only at the driveway to maintain a 4-ft. travel path behind the driveway cut; • Building curb ramps at a maximum 8.33 percent slope between the sidewalk and driveway if there is insufficient space to achieve the desired 2 percent cross slope; and • Obtaining an easement from the adjacent property owner if necessary to construct a level sidewalk area behind the driveway aprons.
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From page 224... ...
224 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Sight distance. Roadside objects should not block the visibility of motorists or pedestrians at driveways.
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From page 225... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 225 – The appearance of the sidewalk (e.g., a scoring pattern or special paving) should be maintained across driveway and alley access points to indicate that, although a vehicle may cross, the area traversed by a vehicle remains part of the pedestrian travel way.
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From page 226... ...
226 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways shared-use path for bicyclists and pedestrians. The absence of a bicycle accommodation on the approach roadway should not prevent the accommodation of bicyclists on the bridge or tunnel.
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From page 227... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 227 doors)
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From page 228... ...
228 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways roadside users in the traveled way (PBIC n.d.) (Fitzpatrick et al.
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From page 229... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 229 Concurrent Phasing Pedestrian signal phase activates simultaneously with the parallel vehicle phase, permitting motorists to turn left or right across pedestrians' paths after yielding to pedestrians. Exclusive Pedestrian Phasing When vehicles are stopped on all approaches to an intersection, pedestrians are given a WALK indication.
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From page 230... ...
230 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways when signal phasing is complex (e.g., a dedicated left-turn signal exists for motorists) , at established school zone crossings, when an exclusive pedestrian interval is provided, and for wide streets where pedestrian clearance information is considered helpful.
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From page 231... ...
Roadside Design Guidelines 231 • Ensuring that, where bicycle signals separate bicycle through movements from vehicular turning movements (or where an LBI is provided) , there is no right turn on red; • Providing an adequate clearance interval for the bicycle signal (generally determined by considering intersection width and bicyclist travel speed)
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From page 232... ...
232 Design Guide for Low-Speed Multimodal Roadways • Pitch roadways toward catch basins located on the upstream side of curb ramps to prevent pooling at the base of the ramp. • Use greenscape elements (e.g., tree pits, stormwater planters and rain gardens)
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