Agenda - Public Works Committee - 09/15/2009

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PEDSAFE : recommended guidelines/priorities for sidewalks and walkways Page 4 of12 Urban Collector and Minor Sidewalks on both sides required. Arterial (residential) Urban Local Street Sidewalks on both sides preferred. Secure/preserve ROW for future sidewalks. (residential - less than 1 Minimum of 1.5~m (5-ft) shoulders d.u. 1.4 ha [1d.u. / acre]) required. Urban Local Street 80th sides preferred. Second side required If density becomes (resfdentlal-1 to 4 d.u./.4 he greater than 4 d.u./4 he (4 d.u. I acre) or if [1 to 4 d.u. I acre]) schools, bus stops, etc. are added. Local Street Sidewalks on both sides required. (residential - more than 4 d.u. I .4 ha [4 d.u.1 acre]) All Commerlcal Urban Streets Sidewalks on both sides required. All Streets In Industrial Areas SIdewalks on both sides preferred. Minimum of 1.5~m(5-ft) shoulders required. 1 acre=O.4 hectares (ha) Retrofitting Sidewalks Many of the streets built In recent decades do not have sidewalks, and these streets need to be retrofitted. In other , cases, existing sidewalks need to be replaced. Establishing priorities for Installing sidewalks involves three ,steps: (1) develop a prioritized list of criteria, (2) develop a methodology for using the criteria to evaluate potential sites, and (3) create III prioritized list of sites for sidewalk improvements. A. Criteria The following are suggested criteria for establishing priorities. Select three or more of them when developing your own set of criteria. The key is to select criteria that produce the outcomes desired for your community: 1. Speed- There is a direct relationship between speed and the number and severity of crashes; high-speed facilities may rank higher if speed is a criterion. 2. Street Classlflcatlon- Arterial streets should take precedence because they generally have higher pedestrian use (due to more commercial uses); have a greater need to separate pedestrians from motor vehicles (due to higher traffic volumes and speeds), and are the main links in a community. 3. Crash Data- Pedestrian crashes seldom occur with high frequency at one location, but there are clearly locations where crashes occur due to a lack of sidewalks. Usually, there Is a pattemQf pedestrian crashes, up , and down a corridor, indicating a need to provide sidewalks throughout, not just at crash locations. 4. School Walking Zones-:- School walking zones typically extend from residential areas to an elementary school. Children are especially vulnerable, making streets (especially arterials) In these zones prime candidates for sidewalk retrofitting. 5. Transit Routes- Transit riders need sidewalks to access transit stops. A,rterlals used by transit are prime candidates for sidewalk retrofitting. 6. Neighborhoods With Low Vehicle Ownershlp- Twenty percent of the U.S, population has a disability and 30 percent of our population does not drive. Walking is the primary mode of transportation for many of the people in this country. People with disabilities live throughout the community. If they are not seen In the communltYi it may , be due to the fact that adequate facilities are not provided. In addition, car ownership is lower and crash rates are often higher in low- and moderate~lncome neighborhoods with lots of children. Therefore, some locations with high pedestrian use (neighborhoods with more children and elderly persons and where vehicle ownership is low) should be given special consideration for sidewalks. 7. Urban Centers/Neighborhood Commercial Areas- Areas of high commercial activity generate high pedestrian use, even if they are primarily motorists who have parked their car. Sidewalks are needed to improve http://www. walkinginfo. org/pedsafehnoreinfo sidewalks. cfm 8/19/2009