06/26/2002 Env Bd Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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PRINCIPLE N0.1 Design residential streets for the minimum required pavement width needed to support travel lanes; on- street parking; and emergency, maintenance, and service vehicle access. These widths should be based on traffic volume. CURRENT PRACTICE Many communities require that residential streets be 36 feet wide or more, even when they serve developments that produce small volumes of traffic. These wide streets result from blanket application of high volume and high speed highway design criteria, as well as a perceived need to supply both on- street parking and unobstructed access for fire trucks. However, residential streets are often unnecessarily wide and the excessive widths contribute to making them the largest single component of impervious cover in a subdivision. Narrowing residential street widths can help reduce the amount of impervious cover created by excessive street widths requirements. RECOMMENDED PRACTICE Several national engineering organizations have recommended that residential streets can be as narrow as 22 feet in width (AASHTO, 1994; ASCE, 1990) if they serve neighborhoods that produce Low traffic volumes (less than 500 daily trips, or 50 homes) In several communities such as Buck's streets with success (see Table 1.1). County, Pennsylvania and Boulder, Colorado have implem ented narrower s Table 1.1: Examples of Narrow Residential Street Widths et Pavement Wil n�tlt��r� �aur�e ..........:...:...:. State of New Jersey Boulder, Colorado Bucks County, PA Residential Stre 20' 20' (no parking) 22' (one side) 26' (both sides) 26'(one side) 20' (no parking) 28' (parking on one side) 12' (alley) 16 -18' (no parking) 20'- 22'(none) 26' (one side) 28' ( one side ) Note: Street options are influenced by housing density and the need for on -street parking �p1tt1!'� i#1l� 0 -3,500 0 -3,500 150 350 -1,000 350 350 500 -1,000 200 200 -1,000 200 200 -1,000 - 29 -