CHICANES: THE ART OF THE S-CURVE
A chicane is a series of tight alternating curves, creating a serpentine S-shaped path, added by design rather than dictated by geography, that are usually seen on residential streets and racetracks.
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PURPOSE
Slows down
vehicles and reduces
speed while also
increasing the
amount of public
space available in a
corridor
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DESIGN
Curves are
created by staggering
elements such
as landscaping,
planters, benches,
bicycle parking,
curb extensions,
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BENEFITS
Discourages cutthrough traffic, enhances street aesthetics, and provides ample space for natural landscaping
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CONSIDERATIONS
Can increase construction costs significantly and may impact parking or drainage
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parking areas, and |
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other amenities on |
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alternating sides of |
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the road |
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roadway features that create a winding path that forces drivers to slowly traverse the downtown area.
Chicanes also create additional public spaces that can be used for seating, landscaping, and other pedestrian amenities.
“ The streetscape, with its amenity zones, will create a lot of opportunity for future events and revitalization and development that will happen as a result,” Land said.“ The point is to make it a downtown that is more inviting for civic engagement. If we can build that kind of a framework for the area, hopefully businesses will move in.”
Land’ s team also has plans to renovate the nearby I-70 rest area, creating revised circulation patterns and adding attractive signage to draw interstate travelers into downtown Parachute for a meal and perhaps some shopping.
“ We want to make it enticing for travelers to come into town,” Land said.“ If we attract more people, that means more money in the community.”
Community excitement growing
Elliott credits Land and Maria Esker, an Ayres landscape designer, with providing a strong concept vision and keeping the Parachute community informed, involved, and excited about the renovation project.
In the past year, Parachute residents have been involved in testing some of the downtown development plans, an approach sometimes referred to as“ tactical urbanism.” Students from local schools have helped to create temporary structures, such as planters, to beautify the First Street area. Other residents have committed to tending the drought-tolerant plants now growing in those planters.
“ These are incremental baby steps, but we’ re actually doing something tangible,” Elliott said.“ People have rolled up their sleeves and gotten involved. It’ s really cool to see that buyin from the community.”
Assuming the funds needed to fully implement the plans for First Street’ s renovation can be secured,“ it will look a lot different in Parachute,” Elliott said. This will be a much more attractive and inviting place to be.”
6 | TRENDS Ingenuity, Integrity, and Intelligence.