Reducing the number of driveways and street intersections along arterial and collector roadways is proven to increase the capacity of the corridor and make it safer. I ran across a nice document from the Center of Urban Transportation Research at the University of Florida that discusses ten ways for cities to improve their access management.
Here's a summary of the Top Ten Ways to Manage Roadway Access in Your Community:
- Incorporate access management into the city's comprehensive plan.
- Restrict the number of driveways each lot can have.
- Locate driveways away from intersections (at least 100 feet on local streets and 300 feet on collector streets – more on arterials).
- Connect parking lots and consolidate driveways.
- Provide residential access through local, neighborhood streets and alleys.
- Increase the minimum lot frontage required along collectors and arterials so you develop larger lots.
- Promote a connected street system.
- Encourage internal access to outlots on commercial developments, instead of each outlot getting its own driveway.
- Regulate the location, spacing, and design of driveways in your ordinances.
- Coordinate early with county and state highway departments whenever a development is proposing access on one of their roadways.
Plus one of mine –
11. Require a traffic study if the development will generate more than 100 trips (entering + exiting cars) in the busiest hour to ensure the above principles are being applied and that safe ingress/egress will be provided.
Thanks Mike and great addition to our top ten!