Ayres Knowledge Center Implement Intersection and Bike Lane Game Changers | Page 2

SEVEN CHARACTERISTICS OF A GREAT URBAN STREET
1. Accommodate multiple users: An urban street’s characteristics are indicative
of the community it traverses. Users can range from pedestrians to motorists
to bicyclists. Each user requires a different level of treatment to feel safe and
accommodated on an urban street. For example, at signalized intersections, we
incorporate accessible pedestrian signals to make sure pedestrians can cross a
road safely. For bicyclists we consider bike lanes, bike boxes, and other similar
treatments to provide a dedicated area for them to use as they make their way to
their destinations. But urban street design must reflect the actual users. Too often
complete streets are assumed to mean a street for all. Understanding complete
streets is to understand that some intersections and streets will be designed for
pedestrians, motorists, and bicyclists, while the predominate user at another
location could be large truck traffic, and the design should reflect this reality.
2. Encourage social interaction and pedestrian activity: The livelihood of an
urban street is evident when there is a high level of pedestrian activity. Embracing
walkability and micromobility helps to provide users with direct connections
between their homes and nearby streets. Micromobility includes a new wave
of transportation modes such as shared and dockless bike and scooter services.
Walkable streets are conducive to hosting events such as farmers markets,
block parties, and even small-scale festivals, encouraging activity that promotes
economic growth and vitality in a community. Increased pedestrian activity
has also been shown to increase real estate values in a neighborhood as the
streets help to provide an attractive sense of place that encourages prospective
homeowners to move into the neighborhood.
3. Capitalize on natural features: The terrace between the sidewalk and street
is a great area to place dockless vehicle stations for bike share and scooter
share programs. Also, with some vacant lots being converted to parklets, direct
connections are being created among the businesses, nearby homes, and the
general community, inviting a wide range of users into these neighborhoods.
4. Implement green infrastructure: More communities are embracing the
use of non-intrusive vehicular detection systems such as video or microwave
detection to control signalized intersections. This allows the pavement to go
undisturbed over time and allows the use of colored pavement treatments at
more intersections because signal control does not depend on in-ground loop
detectors, which require removing pavement when replacement or adjustments
are needed. Video and microwave detection also can be set up to better detect
bicyclists and pedestrians and trigger signal changes for them. Medians in the
street have also become a place to house bioswales, a landscaping design that
removes pollution from street runoff. These features build identity and respect for
nature in a community and can be used to enhance the quality of life for all users.
5. Reflect local culture, history, and context: It is easy to lose a sense of an
area’s history as it undergoes redevelopment. However, communities should
make efforts to use crosswalks and even the traffic signal equipment to highlight
the culture of a neighborhood. For example, some cities have incorporated
decorative wrapping on traffic signal cabinets to add notes about the community’s
culture to the street.
6. Create a unique personality and sense of place through streetscape: It
is possible to use the terrace area to enhance the streetscape with native plants,
colored brick pavers, or even street furniture. As baby boomers begin to age, the
new concept of “sitability” is arising to provide pedestrians with a place to relax,
reflect, and admire their communities. Upgrading the streetscape in a community
is the perfect opportunity to combine the work of traffic engineers, landscape
architects, and urban designers to create a space that is inviting, renewed, and
safe for all users.
7. Promote a sense of safety: The goal of any street design should be to first
consider safety and then proceed to design. By properly defining what your
complete street is, who the users are, and the past incidence of crashes along a
corridor or at an intersection, consultants can take a proactive approach to ensure
a safe design is presented and implemented in a community.
2 | INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AND BIKE LANES