Historically, jurisdictions have relied on street standards based on the anticipated traffic volume of a given street without consideration of adjacent land uses. This volume-oriented approach, while simple and direct, does not allow the street designer much flexibility when creating a new street. Moreover, it often results in streets that perform poorly in other respects, such as serving pedestrians and bicyclists and in enhancing the visual appeal and quality-of-life of the area it serves. This document outlines an approach to designing streets that are more “complete” in the sense of accomplishing all of the goals associated with the dominant form of public space in urban societies – our streets.
The purpose of this booklet is threefold:
- To provide suggested street standards for use when designing new streets and developments and when planning for future transit corridors
- To provide guidance when dealing with a constrained right-of-way
- To illustrate local examples of streets that work or do not work for various user groups