Monday, May 9, 2011

Promoting Street Connectivity

Street connectivity takes congestion off major roads and provides a more efficient delivery of municipal services. The result is a reduction in fuel costs for both citizens and government. However, residents often oppose connections of new roads to existing roads for fear of seeing an increase in traffic on their own streets.

How do we promote the benefits of a connected street system?

What standards do we establish for street connectivity in existing neighborhoods and new developments?

Give us your thoughts -- click "comments" below:

16 comments:

Henry said...

Connectivity will reduce congestion by providing choices. Statistically, it has been shown that in areas where connectivity is high, that the level of overall congestion drops. Coupled with traffic calming in the form of narrower streets, tighter radii at intersections, neck-downs, chicanes, and allowing parking on the street slows traffic even more. shallower setbacks and street trees provide additional calming.

New subdivisions need to move away from the typical cul de sacs feeding into a collector into an arterial. Subdivision standards need to be re-written to achieve this. Higher densities need to be encourage using form based codes. Sprawl needs to be discouraged by these methods to create a more compact city where walking, cycling and transit can work.

Big box development should only be permitted where the parcel and the store can be redeveloped for other uses and allows for connecting into the exiting urban fabric.

Planning standards need to be adopted that will allow for substantial change to existing structures and properties if steps are take to connect them into the existing fabric. In addition, where roads align or can be connected in existing neighborhoods, they should.

Judi Wallace said...

We have a requirement for connectivity in new development but we need to find ways to use trails to connect cul-de-sacs and no-outlet streets so that walkers and cyclists can have better access, especially for children walking to school.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Interconnectivity should be required in all new developments.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

The UDO and o there LU ordinances are a good start. Good connectivity is also important to the overall health of our neighborhoods. Provision of essential services is more efficient when communities promote connectivity.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Discussion of developments/developers
Make a priority in rezoning cases
Education through community outreach

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Resist the demand of home owners to avoid connecting streets that serve the greater neighborhood, but change the traffic for individual residents.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Limit the number of cul-de-sacs.
Require sidewalks or the contribution to a sidewalk fund to be applied to where sidewalks are needed most in the county.
Set a requirement for the # of entrances/exits to a neighborhood to prevent an "exclusive" or hard to access neighborhood.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Standards based on safety, esp. for children

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Greenways are doing a great job of connecting neighborhoods and promoting alternative transportation. Schools along greenways should promote walking & biking to school.
So many culs-de-sac are adjacent yet miles away by car. Bike & pedestrian connectivity would go a long way.
New neighborhoods should connect to older ones (through more density is preferred)

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Emphasis on safe pedestrian facilities should reduce the pressure for poor connectivity through neighborhoods.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

While we have a new policy on sidewalks, they are not present in many key commercial zones that are near residential areas.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

I don’t know what a "connected street system" means

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Expert planning and implementation of the Creative Corridors project.

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

No cul-de-sacs
Pedestrian access

From Our June 7th Meeting... said...

Too many new developments have dead end streets ending at a pasture - ASSUMING that the pasture will be developed later - STOP THAT! This is not "connectivity". It is encouragement of sprawl.

JRL said...

Fire and police safety folks should be able to help; but, they should not override long-term ecosystem impacts unless absolutely imperative. Street connectivity should not be accomplished at the expense of the environment. Environmental assessments should be done for each project. If done systematically and routinely, these assessments can be streamlined. Environmental permits are required so everyone should start getting them for culverts (even for intermittent/perennial streams not indicated on maps).