PL PACKET 09191995 - Laserfiche WebLink

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CHAPTER 4 TRANSPORTATION 63 accessed onto the local street and the local streets onto the collectors. Schools, churches and other,land uses which generate moderate traffic volumes should be located to access onto collectors. Since the primary purpose of the collector street is mobility, they, with minor arterial roads, should make a good network or grid throughout the city and connect with collectors and minor arterials in neighboring communities. The collector street should typically have two driving lanes, two parking lanes and bike lanes, if necessary. The road would be designed for 30 miles per hour speed limits and typical traffic volumes would be between 1,000 and 5,000 vehicles per day. Collector streets provide an ideal location for public and private utilities such as sanitary sewer, watermain, storm drains, telephone, gas, and electric services. The collector street also serves as open space for providing light and air. Since the collectors link the different land uses, they are important routes for the bicyclists and pedestrians. Separate lanes or sidewalks should be provided along the collector instead of encouraging these other modes to use aiternate routes. Crosswalks should be provided at intersections. Because of the greater activity on collector streets and minor arterials, they are actually safer in many respects than meandering routes through neighborhoods and park areas. These roads are patrolled more heavily, generally better lighted, and are normally plowed and maintained sooner and more frequently than local • streets. MINOR ARTERIALS The primary purpose of the minor arterial is to move large volumes of traffic longer distances, either from one part of the City to another or between adjacent cities. Minor arterials are under the jurisdiction of the county or state, however, the City has an important role in approving the design and location of new and upgraded routes. A secondary function of the minor arterial is to provide land access to high traffic generating uses such as a shopping center, fast food establishment, etc. To a certain extent the two purposes of the minor arterial are in conflict with each other. The high capacity of minor arterial leads to strip commercial development. If not controlled, the strip commercial expands along the arterial and the numerous accesses eventually result in reduced capacity and congestion. This problem of capacity versus access is usually avoided by clustering commercial development into one area with a common access or by the construction of frontage roads. Ideally, the minor arterial should connect the collector streets and heavy traffic generating land uses with the freeways. Local streets and especially private driveways r should not be accessed onto minor arterials, if possible. These minor accesses tend to obstruct the free flow of the traffic resulting in reduced capacity and safety.