Agenda - Public Works Committee - 09/15/2009

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" : .,:_::....:<,-'~_::,:,;.:..~~':;.... .'. .,."-. " . PEDSAFE : recommended guidelines/priorities for sidewalks and walkways Page 10 of12 pedestrian activity to create a sense of Intimacy and place. Other Design Considerations Sidewalks should be built within the public rlght~of~way or in a sidewalk easement along the right-of-way. This will proviqe access to the sidewalk for maintenance activities and will prevent the adjacent property owners from obstructing or removing the sidewalk In the future. Care must be taken to avoid planting trees or large bushes In the landscape buffer area that will obscure the visibility between a pedestrian attempting to cross or enter a street and an approaching motorist. Trees with large canopies planted between the sidewalk and street should be generally trimmed up to at least 2.4 m (8 ft) high and bushes should be kept to about 762 to 914 mm (30 to 36 In) in height. Trees with large caliper trunks may not be appropriate near intersections and In other situations where they may block visual sight triangles. Meandering sidewalks are sometimes used where a wide right-of-way is available and there is a desire to provide a high level of landscaping, such as in a park or along a waterway or other natural feature. It is often believed that meandering sidewalks create a more pleasant walking environment. The reality Is that they unnecessarily create a longer walking distance and are Inappropriate for sidewalks along a street. Sidewalks should be built along both sides of bridges. Pedestrian rails or guard rail are required along the outside of the bridge. On bridges with high speeds, concrete barriers between the travel way and the sidewalk may be considered to shield pedestrians from errant vehicles. However, this adds cost, weight, and width to the bridge, and the transition from barrier to guard rail or curb at each end often creates an awkward transition for pedestrians, who must detour around the barrier to access the bridge sidewalk. Rollover curbs should not be used next to sidewalks as they encourage motorists to park on planting strips or sidewalks. They may be problematic for some visually impaired people, since they don't create a definitive edge between the street and adjacent uses. Sidewalk Depth: Concrete sidewalks should be built to a minimum depth of 101.6 mm (4 in), anqto a minimum depth of 152.4 mm (6 in) at driveways. Sidewalk Cost Considerations The actual cost of providing sidewalks will be different for each region of the country and varies with the season. Actual bid prices are also influenced by how busy contractors are at the time of construction. The cost of constructing sidewalks alone is relatively low; typical bids run between $24 and $36 per meters squared ($20 to $30 a square yard), which roughly transl~tes to $43 to $64 per lineal meter ($12 to $20 per lineal foot) for 1.8-m-. (6-ft-) wide sidewalks. Therefore, sidewalks on both sides of the roadway can run roughly between $93,000 and $155,000 per kilometer ($150,000 and $250,000 per mile) (costs from Oregon DOT, 1999).. Factors to consider when calculating the cost of sidewalks: 1. Presence of curb and gutter: The costs of providing curb and gutter, which presumes the need to also provide a . street drainage system, run much higher than the cost of sidewalk alone. A standard perpendicular curb ramp and top landing need a minimum border width of almost.3.7 m (12 ft) at Intersections ifthere is a 152.4-mm (6-ln) curb. A 152.4-mm (6-in) curb reduces the minimum border width to 3 m (10 ft). Yet, on many urban streets, this work must be performed prior to Installing sidewalks, If this is the case, only the cost of sidewalks and curb ramps should be attributed to expenditures for pedestrians - catch basins are provided to drain me roadway surface used by motor vehicle traffic. http://www. walkinginfo, org/pedsafe/moreinfo sidewalks. cfm 8/19/2009