Memorandum 15-033 Developing Bike/Pedestrian Friendly Roadway Design Standards

Memorandum ID: 
15-033
Memorandum Status: 
Information Only
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Memorandum 15-033

TO:                       Marvin Yoder - City Manager

FROM:                 Carey Meyer – Public Works Director

DATE:                  February 27, 2015

SUBJECT:         Developing Bike/Pedestrian Friendly Roadway Design Standards

                             

 

 

As part of the City’s Strategic Doing effort, attached are five roadway designs incorporating various levels of bike and pedestrian friendly amenities.

 

LEVEL 1 (Widened Pavement One Side) – This design provides the minimum level of pedestrian/bike amenities. This would be most appropriate on minor residential streets where pedestrian/bike traffic volumes are very low and cost is an overriding issue. A widened shoulder on one side of the street provides for both pedestrians and bicycles. This design has been used on many of our more recent residential road assessment district projects, such as Waddell Rd/St.

LEVEL 2 (Widened Pavement Both Sides) – This design provides additional pedestrian/bike facilities. Facilities are provided on both sides of the street by widening the pavement on each side of the vehicular travel lanes. This allows for pedestrians to walk in the direction of opposing traffic and bikes to travel in the same direction as vehicular traffic. This design provides for a higher volume of pedestrian/bike traffic in a somewhat safer configuration than provided by Level 1. This design was used to construct Waddell Way north from the Sterling Highway.

LEVEL 3 (Single Separated Pathway) - This design, unlike the previous two, provides for pedestrian/bike amenities that are separated from the vehicular traffic lanes. This design can be seen along Spruceview Avenue, west of Bartlett Street because there are few driveway approaches and no need for driveway culverts (see shallow roadside swale) on the pathway side of the road.

LEVEL 4 (Sidewalk/Widened Pavement) – This design provides for a curb and gutter and sidewalk on one side and a widened pavement on the other to provide for pedestrian/bike amenities. Pedestrians would tend to use the sidewalk, while bicycles would use the widened shoulder.

LEVEL 5 (Sidewalk/Separated Pathway) - this design provides for bike lanes adjacent to the vehicular lanes (in both directions); a sidewalk on one side, and a separated pathway on the other for pedestrians.

Other solutions could include a combination of the presented designs (i.e. - separated pathways on both sides; or sidewalks on both sides).

 

The street right-of -way is a narrow corridor that provides for more than just vehicular/pedestrian/bicycle access. It must also provide for:

Drainage (road side ditches or when curb and guttered, storm drain pipes and storm water quality improvements,
Water, sewer, electrical, telephone, cable, and gas facilities,
Street lights, and
Snow storage

The designs presented focus on providing pedestrian/bicycle friendly road improvement designs. Selecting a particular design for a particular street must balance all users of the right-of-way. These decisions must also take into account road grades, topography, wetlands, and access to adjacent property.

Level 1 roads will be the most cost effective when it comes to maintenance, there is plenty of snow storage and room for surface drainage improvements. Grassy road side ditches are very effective in improving storm water runoff quality and are the least expensive to maintain.

Once we introduce curb and gutters to the road design (Level 4 and 5); design, construction and maintenance cost escalate substantially. Catch basins, underground storm drain pipe, manholes, and storm water quality improvement facilities are expensive to construct and maintain. Snow removal costs increase when snow cannot be plowed to the side of the road and must be hauled away to new or expanded snow storage areas.

 

Recommendation: City Council pass a resolution formally incorporating the recommendation of this memo into the 2005 Homer Area Transportation Plan.