NELSON-NYGAARD Northampton Main King Charrette v61511Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Main & King Streets Design Charrette
Northampton, MA
Charrette Book
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Table of Contents
Process Overview 1
Why a Design Charrette 1
Background 3
Fundamental Issues 5
The 4-Lane Cross Section 5
Large-Intersections: Pedestrian Concerns 7
Large-Intersections: Motorist Concerns 9
Precedent Study: S. Grand Avenue 10
Inhospitable Bicycle Environment 11
Walking Audit: Norwottock Rail Trail Connectivity 12
Preliminary Solutions: Main St. 13
Main Street 14
125’ ROW 14
West/Elm/Main & 15
State/New South/Main
Main/Craft, Main/Old South, & 16
Main/Center
Main/Gothic & Main/King 17
Main/Pearl & Main/Hawley 18
Preliminary Solutions: King St. 19
Lower King Street 19
55’ ROW 19
62’ ROW 19
Upper King Street 21
80’ ROW 21
1. Main/Craft, Main/Old South, & 22
Main/Center
2. Main/Gothic & Main/King 23
3. Main/Pearl & Main/Hawley 24
Design Toolkit 25
Road Diet 26
Reverse Angle Parking 27
Raised Crossing 29
Raised Table 29
Bike Boulevard 29
Bike Facilities at Intersections 30
Cycletracks 30
Bike Parking 30
Curb Extensions 31
Wider Sidewalks 31
Plaza 31
Street Trees 32
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 2Page 1
Process Overview
Framing, Testing, &
Conceptualizing
On March 14-16, 2011, Nelson\Nygaard
conducted a three-day design charette in
conjunction with the City of Northampton to
identify design issues and opportunties related
to the Main Street and King Street corridors in
the city.
The first day of the charrette focused on framing
the problems along the two corridors, engaging
City staff, boards, and key private stakeholders.
After a kick-off meeting, the day was filled with
three different walkabouts in different sections
of the corridor: State/Elm, Main St., and King
St. The day culimanted in the charrette team,
leading an open house meeting to discuss issues
identified in the field and to document each
on a large study area map (comments received
were color-coded and are shown on these
pages).
Day 2 consisted of devising and testing design
solutions for the three areas. In the morning,
the charrette team focused on generating
2-3 alternative proposals for each site and
complementary operational policies, cumlinating
in a public open house to discuss the various
alternative proposals.
Day 3 further solidified the preferred design
visions, leading to final plans and policies that were
then presented to City staff, Boards, and key private
stakeholders followed by a presentation of the final
plans to the public.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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source: http://www.gazettenet.com/2011/03/16/new-vision-emerges-
2-key-city-streets?SESS30caffac64a445f50586797ae2f33d78=gnews
Background
King St. Main St.
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Why a Design
Charrette
In July 2010, the Northampton Office of
Planning and Development the Northampton
Department of Public Works issued a request
for proposal to master plan and design
intersection improvements at the Main/State/
New South Streets and the Main/Elm/West
Streets intersections in the city.
The design charrette was viewed as a critical
component in better understanding the needs
and issues of these two locations and exploring
the range of design solutions available at
each location. Northampton was specifically
interested in enhancing the bicycle and
pedestrian environments without decreasing the
vehicle throughput. The request for proposal
also targeted the Main Street/Crafts Avenue
intersections, seeking to narrow the intersection
and to use that extra space to increase the
amount of usable public space in the form of an
extension to City Hall plaza. The charrette also
included a proposed master plan for a portion of
the King Street area.
After preliminary analysis and studies by Nelson\
Nygaard, the charette offered an exciting
opportunity to engage the public and city officials
and put pen-to-paper to master plan a better
bicycling and pedestrian environment for the Main
Street corridor from State through to Hawley/
Market Streets, as well as along King Street from
Main to Bridge Streets. Key goals were to sustain
levels of vehicle throughput and preserve or
improve access to downtown businesses.
The study area of the charrette ran from the intersection
of West/Elm/Main Sts. to Main/Hawley/Market Steets, just
east of the railroad tracks. The King Street study area ran
from Main Street to the south through to the Northampton
Bikeway/Rail Trail to the north. Though a needs assessment
and design recommendations were made for the whole King
St. corridor, only the area from from Finn to Summer Streets
was specifically master planned in the charrette.
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Fundamental Issues
The charrette team identified three major
concerns that are critical to redesigning and
planning the Main and King Streets corridors:
the over-designed 4-lane cross-sections, large
intersections, and the inhospitable biking
environment.
The 4-Lane Cross
Section
Both Main and King Streets are primarily 4-lane
roads through the length of the study area, which
are “overdesigned” for the needs of the area
and significantly decrease safety as a result. An
“overdesigned” street is one that is over-scaled
as compared to the needs of traffic volumes
and adjacent land uses. The cross-section of
these roads is too wide, allowing cars to travel
at excessive speeds and creating unsafe crossing
conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians. Recent
counts report an average of only 25,000 daily
vehicles on King Street and 18,000 daily vehicles
on Main Street, both of which are regularly
handled throughout the country on only two-
lane roads with turn pockets and turning lanes.
In addition to providing excess capacity, the
4-lane cross-sections allow cars to travel far
faster than is safe in pedestrian districts. Studies
have shown a direct correlation between street
width and rate of injury in collisions, with a
very steep upward curve for streets wider than
44-feet. Research has also shown a similarly
steep curve relating pedestrian fatalities to
vehicle speeds, with risk of fatality increasing
exponentially as speeds increase from 20
MPH to 30 MPH. Most crashes at 20 MPH are
survivable, but most at 30 MPH are deadly.
Lowering speeds through a “road-diet” was
identified as a critical solution in the charrette.
A road-diet is a common tool of traffic calming,
reducing the width and number of travel lanes
Addressing the 4-lane cross-sections on Main and King Streets
is critical to improving the vitality and safety of the area.
Narrowing the street width to 2-lanes with turn pockets and
adding pedestrian and bicycle amenities will be a boon to
adjacent properties and allow for renewed street life on the King
Street corridor in particular. The sections above show the typical
conditions that exist along King St today.
Existing Upper King Street
Existing Lower King Street
in a roadway to narrow the cross-section. In the
charrette, professionals and City officials identified
the need to reduce King and Main Streets from
a 4-lane cross section to a 2-lane cross section,
which also creates ample opportunities for new
public spaces and, on Main Street, additional angle
parking.
The curb-to-curb cross-section along Main Street
today fluctuates from 60-feet near the intersection
of State Street to almost 100-feet near Center
Street, with a total right-of-way close to 125-feet.
On King Street, the right-of-way is slightly less wide
but nonetheless substantial, with up to 80-feet
in the northern portion near Bridge Road and 50
to 60-feet in the southern portion near the Main
Street corridor.
Dozens of examples of busier yet narrower
downtown streets exist throughout the
Commonwealth and across the country. Given the
popularity of walking in downtown Northampton,
now is an appropriate time to re-evaluate all of the
excess space given to vehicles.
Precedent Study:
S. Grand Boulevard
St. Louis, MO
A Road Diet Against the Odds
In St. Louis, Nelson\Nygaard was able
to sucessfully bring a 4-lane road down
to 2-travel lanes with turn lanes despite
the City’s skepticism about it negatively
affecting traffic operations. After modeling,
analysis, and design of a road diet for the
area, City public works set up a temporary
installation of barriers in the outside travel
lanes in each direction of traffic as a pilot
project, effectively bringing the road down
to one lane in each direction, allowing
traffic to operate effectively while making
the street safer for all users. The test
successfuly showed that the road diet could
be implemented without decreasing vehicle
throughput or increasing delays. The full
design was immediately developed and the
entire project has since been constructed.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Large-Intersections:
Pedestrian Concerns
In addition to the 4-lane cross sections, the
very wide intersections along Main Street are
overdesigned, particularly within the context of
a downtown shopping district, creating difficult
and dangerous crossings for pedestrians and
making traffic operations inefficient.
Overdesigned Intersections
Like the 4-lane cross sections, the wide
intersections are another symptom of Main Street
being an “overdesigned” or “overbuilt” roadway,
Shrinking the intersections with compact design
treatments have a number of benefits, including:
reduced vehicle speeds, particularly at the end
of signal phases; less wasted space, especially
where right-turn lanes are poorly utilized today;
stretching of vehicle queues away from multiple
approach lanes linearly towards mid-block
While several short crossings exist across side streets, the
majority of pedestrian crossings on Main Street are extremely
long, typically 75’ or 95’ feet in length with no place for
pedestrians to safely wait for a break in traffic.
From 2005-2010, 30 reported pedestrian crashes occured in the
Main Street study area. The crossings with the most pedestrian/
vehicle collisions represent the longest crossings, no pedestrian
refuges, and the most complicated intersection geometry.
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Crashes
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areas, with no additional vehicle delay; far more
frequent pedestrian crossing phases, which are
also longer in duration; significantly shorter
crossing distances that reduce the barrier
of intersections like Main & King; and more
predictable driver and bicyclist expectations
through clearly channelized movements.
Treatments might include a shorter cycle length,
curb extensions replacing some right-turn lanes,
and using concurrent pedestrian crossings that
make relying on a push-button unnecessary,
which would make Main Street predictable and
safer for drivers, bicyclists, and pedestrians.
Pedestrian Safety Concerns
The large intersections create very long crossing
distances for pedestrians, putting them in the
path of cars for a long period of time. At the
intersection of Main Street/Crafts Avenue, for
example, the crossing on Main Street is 95’ feet
in length, with no medians or refuges to protect
pedestrians who have already entered the roadway.
By way of comparison, that crossing is almost
twice the crossing distance of 5th Avenue in New
York (54’) and even slightly longer than crossing
Congress Street to Quincy Market from City Hall
in downtown Boston (83’). Similarly long crossing
distances are found along the Main Street corridor,
as shown at right: 105’ at Center Street, 95’ at Old
South Street, and 75’ at State Street.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Large-Intersections:
Motorist Concerns
The large size of the intersection also means that
each car requires more time to move through
the intersection, reducing the number of cars
that are able to pass through the intersection
in each signal cycle. As a result, large numbers
of vehicles are forced to queue as close as
possible to each intersection, requiring a number
of approach and turn lanes in order to get as
many cars through on the next green indication.
Meanwhile, this traditional intersection design
theory has aimed to process all queued cars in
one signal cycle, resulting in a long cycle length
of nearly two minutes for each Main Street signal
in downtown. Unfortunately, intersections are
designed to handle peak hour volumes for the
worst 15-minutes of the morning or evening. For
the remainder of the day, these large approaches
and long cycles are not fully utilized, resulting in
poor intersection efficiency and a low “density”
of traffic moving through the intersection at
any moment. Fortunately, modern intersection
design has recognized that a much smaller
intersection processes just as many cars as a
large intersection but with greater “density”
and overall increased efficiency for all modes of
transportation. Motorists may be in a “rolling
queue” further away from the signal and not
catch the green, but they get through the signal
itself much faster and their overall delay is no
different. However, the delay for pedestrians can
plummet, and the space required for storage
lanes can be converted to more desirable
sidewalks or bike lanes – as well as more
profitable cafes.
At both signalized and unsignalized intersections, excessive
turn lanes and long pedestrian crossings generate long queues
of vehicles waiting to cross the intersection.
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From 2005-2010, numerous automobile collisions occured
throughout the Main St. corridor, with particular hotspots at
West/Main, South/Main/State, Masonic/Main, Old South/Main,
and King/Main.
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Today, the State/South/Main and King/Main
intersections, as well as the unsignalized Old
South/Main and Center/Main intersections,
present long crossing distances for pedestrians
that discourage walking for many folks –
especially motorists who have found a parking
space and would like to cross the street. These
long crossings – the result of large intersections
that “speed” traffic – ironically cause greater
vehicle delays due to the large vehicle to
pedestrian conflict zones caused by excess travel
lanes, resulting in unpredictable driver yielding
behavior and unnecessary queues along Main
Street. If crossings were made shorter through
curb extensions and dropping redundant lanes,
the amount of time it would take for both cars
and pedestrian to cross the intersections would be
decreased and they would be safer for pedestrians
and drivers alike.
Crash Rates
In addition to concerns about automobile/bicycle
and automobile/pedestrian collisions, many motor
vehicle crashes have occurred on both Main and
King St. from 2005-2010(shown at right). Most
of these have occurred at intersections marked
with crosswalks, not at mid-block conditions. The
collision hotspots were located at especially wide
intersections, such as the intersection of King/
Main.
South Grand &
Utah
As part of the South Grand Boulevard
reconstruction, the large and partially
displaced signalized intersection with
Utah Street was redesigned as a compact
intersection capable of handling as much
vehicle volume with the same level of service.
While this approach had been applied to
several intersections on the rebuilt corridor,
stakeholders were skeptical of the ability to
safely handle the volumes on the cross streets
and South Grand – especially since South
Grand is a major north/south arterial in St.
Louis that connects destinations such as the
Loop and Washington University Medical
Center to several residential neighborhoods
in the heart of the city, with Utah a primary
neighborhood collector. However, the
redesign had no reduction in vehicle capacity,
but it did dramatically improve the experience
for pedestrians traveling along South Grand
especially, helping to bridge a gap in mixed-
use areas and boost development.
6' high signal post,
pushbutton & sign, typ.1.5' - 6' from curb
pedestrian signal head,
7' - 10' high
traffic signalon 25' long arm, typ.
traffic signal
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Walking Audit:
Norwottock Rail
Trail Connectivity
The Manhan Rail Trail / New Haven &
Northampton Canal Greenway and the
Norwottock / Mass Central Rail Trail are
a significant resource for Northampton,
creating a 26-mile long bike highway that
links many local communities including
Northampton, Hadley, and Amherst along
old rail rights-of-way. While the trail provides
a wonderful resource that is able to draw
riders to Northampton, bicycling connections
to the facility are needed. Though improved
crossings have been installed on King, Bridge,
and Pleasant Streets, connections along these
streets to nearby destinations are lacking,
though two “exit ramp” connections are
planned at Edwards Square / North Street
(2012) and further south along King Street
(2013). In downtown, other than the single
dedicated ramp from the path at Merrit Lane,
the path acts much like a freeway bypass
without local exits for bicycles. Furthermore,
those willing to travel along the connecting
streets do not have many places to park their
bicycle when in downtown.
Inhospitable Bicycle
Environment
Lack of Facilities through Intersections
Though Northampton recently completed new
bike lanes along Elm Street, Northampton lacks
appropriate accommodations for bicyclists in its
busy downtown area and along major connectors
such as King Street. With the new bike lanes and
traffic calming treatments on Elm Street through
to the State/South/Main intersection, one of the
main impetuses for the design charrette was how
to accommodate that bike traffic through the
intersection and onto Main and South Streets.
Additionally, the northbound left-turn from
South Street onto Elm is also difficult for cyclists.
Examining the collision data from 2005-2010
shows that the State/South/Main intersection
and the stretch of Main Street between Crafts
Avenue and Old South Street are two dangerous
hotspots for cycling collisions, likely caused
by confusing lane geometry and very wide
intersections. Likewise, several collisions have
occurred along King Street adjacent to the jog in
the Norwottock Rail Trail.
Wide Street and Pull-in Parking
At present, most cyclists are relegated to the
shoulder of roadways and forced to mix in with
through traffic and parked cars pulling in and
out of parking spaces. Though shoulders can be
assets to cyclists in less urbanized areas, bicyclists
who keep right on the wide cross-section of Main
Street through downtown are then also forced
to navigate between cars pulling into and out of
parking spaces as well as cars turning onto and
off of Main Street. Most of these parking spaces
are angled, pull-in spaces, which severely limit
drivers’ field of view when backing out, making
bicyclists very much invisible to them. A cyclist
avoiding these cars must contend with Main
Street’s wide lanes (effectively two lanes in each
direction), where through motorists are more
focused on changing lanes and getting through
downtown quickly than a wary cyclist.
Connectivity
Where bicycle facilities do exist, additional
connections are needed to allow cyclists
to safely maneuver through intersections.
Northampton’s off-street multi-use paths are
a great asset to the bicycling community, but
better connections are needed where the paths
intersect Northampton streets. At present, less
advanced bicyclists are effectively required
to dismount from their bike and walk into
downtown due to the lack of connecting bicycle
facilities on major roads such as King, Pleasant,
West, Old South, and State Streets.
Bike Parking
In the charrette and needs assessment, a
lack of bike parking was also identified as an
impediment to a successful bike environment.
While a handful of U-shaped bicycle racks exist
on the sidewalk along Main Street, additional
bike parking supply is still needed. Various
options exist, including racks with room for
multiple bikes or even on-street bicycle corrals
that would provide parking space for 10-12
bicycles.
From 2005-2010, the majority of automobile/bicyclists collisions
occured on both the Main and King corridors, including 5
collisions on Main St. and 3 collisions on King St.
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Proposed Main Street with Additional Sidewalk + Reverse Angle Parking (125’ ROW)
Preliminary Solutions: Main St.
Proposed Master
Plans
The charrette team master-planned the Main
Street corridor from Elm/Main/West to Main/
Bridge/Hawley and a section of the King St.
corridor from Summer/North Sts. to just north of
Finn St. These are described in detail herein.
Main Street
The design charrette team designed a
prototypical 125’ right-of-way (ROW) cross-
section for Main St. as well as a specific,
contextually-based master plan for the corridor
from Elm/Main/West to Bridge/Main/Hawley/
Market
125’ ROW
4-Lanes to 2 Lanes
Like the 4-lane cross sections, the wide
intersections are another symptom of Main Street
being an “overdesigned” or “overbuilt” roadway,
Narrowing the roadway through through a
road diet will reduce vehicle speeds, making
Main Street safer for both drivers, bicylists, and
pedestrians.
Bike Boulevard
Main St. is proposed as a bike boulevard, with
motorists and cyclists sharing a wide 14’ travel
lane in both directions. Instead of bike lanes,
“sharrows” are proposed for the street, indicating
to drivers that they must share the travel lane
with cyclists.
Reverse Angle Parking
On-street parking becomes reverse-angle
parking, with drivers backing into parking spaces.
Reverse angle parking dramatically improves
drivers’ field of vision, allowing them to identify
oncoming cyclists and vehicles before pulling out
into the street.
Widened Sidewalks
Narrowing the street allows for substantial new
sidewalk space that can be used for outdoor
dining and new street trees and other vegetation.
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King Street Corridor
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
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West/Elm/Main &
State/New South/Main
Main/Craft, Main/Old
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Bike Lane to Bike Boulevard
The existing bike lanes on Elm Street will
be extended to the Elm/Main/New South
intersection, where they will transition to a
bike boulevard. Dashed striping will be added
through the intersection of Elm/West to guide
cyclists through the intersection.
Turn-Lane Reconfigurations
A new slip lane is proposed for vehicles turning
right from Elm St. onto New South St., reducing
intersection delay time by removing right-turning
traffic from the queue. For northbound New
South traffic, the poorly-used right-turn lane is
replaced by a dedicated left-turn lane.
Raised-Crossings on Slip Lanes
The existing slip lane on for northbound traffic
on New South St. turning right onto Main St.
will be redesigned with a raised crosswalk with
textured pavers, indicating to drivers that they
are crossing into pedestrian space. Eastbound
traffic turning right on New South St. will now
have a slip lane with a raised crossing.
Narrowing at Masonic St.
At the intersection of Main and Masonic, the
master plan proposes curb extensions on the east
leg of the intersection, narrowing the crossing
distance along Main.
Create Additional Sidewalk & Plaza Space
The existing wide cross-section of Main St. here
allows for a large extension to City Hall plaza and
a substantional addition to sidewalks along Main,
creating new outdoor dining spaces and room
for street trees and other vegetation. The alley
between Main St. and the Masonic St. parking
lot is converted to an inviting walkway/paseo,
connecting off-street parking to businesses and
providing space for outdoor dining.
Texture, Crossings & Shorten Crossings
A textured crossing plaza is proposed for the
crosswalk at Crafts Ave., alerting drivers to
the presence of pedestrians. On Center St., a
raised table with textured pavement addresses
the variety of pedestrian desire lines. Crossing
distances are substantially narrowed at Center
and Old South Sts. by curb extensions.
Reduce Lanes from 4 to 2 Between Signals
Between signalized intersections, the number of
travel lanes is reduced from 4 to 2, allowing for
new pedestrian space and parking spaces.
Add Parking Supply & Reconfigure
Existing Parking
New parking supply is proposed for the
eastbound portion of Main, just west of City Hall
Plaza as reverse angle parking. Existing pull-
in parking on both sides of Main east of Old
South St. is converted to reverse angle parking
to preserve supply while increasing safety for
cyclists. On Crafts Ave., the pull-in parking is
converted to parallel parking to promote visibility
of cyclists on the slope while increasing the
number of spaces.
curb extensions at key desire lines
to maximize crossing visibility while
preserving clear vehicle storage and
merging to west
transition from bike
lane to shared bike
boulevard
bike lane
raised crossing in
slip-lane
new protected crossing
with no vehicle conflict
every signal cycle (no
push button needed)
right-turn lane removed
from signal to reduce
queues
new dedicated left-turn
lane replaces poorly-
use right-turn lane
new on-street
parking
bus stop
reduction 4 to 2 lanes in
blocks between signals
preserves sufficient capacity
& drops pedestrian crossing
delay & conflict
new on-street
parking
downtown transit
center
conversion to
parallel parking on
slope is safe for
cyclists & expands
supply
reverse angle
parking preserves
supply but is safe for
cyclists
textured crossing
plaza
new space for
sidewalks, cafes, etc.
new City Hall plaza
alley converted to
walkway/paseo or
outdoor dining
raised table where
different walking
desire lines come
together
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 18Page 17
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Main/Gothic &
Main/King
Main/Pearl &
Main/Hawley34
Eliminate Under-Used Right-Turns Lanes
The existing right-turn lanes on northbound
Pleasant and westbound Main are combined with
through lanes to narrow the intersection.
Add Curb Extensions
Curb extensions are proposed for the northern
& southeast corners of Main/King, which will
shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians.
Narrowing the intersection will also shortern the
vehicle clearance intervals at the intersection,
preserving throughput despite the shorter,
pedestrian-friendly cycle lengths. Additionally,
the protective curb extensions still allow for
tractor-trailer turns.
Add Crossing Islands at Key Desire Lines
Adding crossing islands and curb extensions
at important desire lines at Gothic and Merrit
will help to maximize crossing visibility at busy
crossings while also preserving vehicle storage in
advance of the King/Main intersection.
Widen Sidewalks
A substantial amount of new sidewalk space is
provided on both sides of Main at Gothic St.,
allowing for both outdoor seating spaces as well
as street trees and other vegetation.
Narrow Intersection at Hawley
Curb extensions are proposed for the Main/
Bridge/Hawley intersection. The compact
intersection will clear both cars and pedestrian
more quickly on the shorter, pedestrian-friendly
cycle, allowing for the same vehicle capacity as
the existing condition.
Widen Sidewalk Space
The very wide cross-section of Pearl St. presents
an opportunity to narrow the street, maintaining
on-street parking and adding additional sidewalk
space on both sides of the street.
New Sidewalks in Tunnel
Underneath the train tracks, the elevation of the
raised sidewalk maintains an accessible walking
path, but parked cars have no safe walking access.
The extra lane width can be converted to new
5-foot sidewalks parallel to the existing sidewalks,
but down at the road grade, to allow drivers to
safely access their parked vehicles.
Consider Possibility for TOD near Amtrak
With the funding in place for Amtrak’s Vermonter
Route to pass through Northampton in the
near future, the large surface parking lot and
underutilized space near the end of Merrit Lane
should be considered as a potential infill site for
for transit-oriented development (TOD).
poorly utilized right-turn
lanes combined with
through lanes to help
reduce intersection size.
bus stop
new sidewalk space
eliminate
alley
entry
crossing island and/or
curb extension at key
desire line to maximize
crossing visibility while
preserving storage in
advance of signal queue
curb extensions provide
smaller intersections with
shorter crossings & vehicle
clearance intervals to
preserve capapcity on shorter,
pedestrian-friendly cycle
length and still allow for
tractor-trailer turns
1 1
2 23 34 4
curb extensions provide
smaller intersections with
shorter crossings & vehicle
clearance intervals to
preserve capapcity on shorter,
pedestrian-friendly cycle
length and still allow for
tractor-trailer turns
Amtrak/possibility
for TOD site
widened
sidewalks
compact
intersection clears
cars & pedestrians
quickly on short
cycle with same
capacity
new space
for sidewalks,
cafes, etc.
new sidewalks in
tunnel for parked
motorists
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 20Page 19
Lower King Street
The plans are divided into recommendations for
lower and upper King St., as shown below. Lower
King Street retains the character and density of
the Main St. corridor, with a more urban feel than
the upper portions of King St. The cross-section
of King is narrower than Main, however, with
right-of-ways ranging from 55’ to 62’.
55’ ROW
Narrow Travel Lanes & Parking Spaces
In both proposals for the 55’ ROW, narrower
travel lanes are recommended to calm traffic
while still maintaing flow. Travel lanes should
be reduced to 10’ while parking lanes can be
reduced to 7’6” to provide additional space for
bicyclists and pedestrians.
Proposed Lower King Street (62’ ROW)
Existing Lower King Street (62’ ROW)
Proposed Lower King Street with Additional Sidewalk Space (55’ ROW)
Proposed Lower King Street with Bike Lanes (55’ ROW)
Existing Lower King Street with Bike Lanes (55’ ROW)
In the narrower right-of-ways of the lower portion of King
St., lanes and parking can be reconfigured to improve the
experience and safety for all users. At left, the 55’ ROW with 2
travel lanes and 2 parking lanes can be redesigned to provide
bike lanes or to widen the narrower sidewalks. In the 62’ ROW,
the 4-lane cross-section should be reduced to 2 travel lanes and
2 lanes of parking with a vegetated median that buffers turn
lanes, turn pockets, and crossing refuges.
Alternative 1: Extra Sidewalk
In the first alternative, today’s extra street width
can augment the very narrow existing sidewalk,
widening it to a comfortable width of 10’ to
accomodate increased walking on King St.
Alternative 2: Bike Lanes
Another option is to use that width to add bike
lanes on both sides of the street, maintaining
sidewalk width at 5’ and adding bike lanes.
62’ ROW
Road Diet: 4-Lanes to 2-Lanes
The existing travel lanes on this portion of King
St. are very wide, with outside travel lane widths
of 14’-15’. The travel lanes should be reduced to
one 10’ travel lane in each direction.
upper King St.
master-planne
d
a
r
e
a
lower Ki
n
g
St.Summer St.
M
a
i
n
S
t
.Norwo
t
tuck
Ra
i
l
T
ra
i
l
Northampton Bikeway
Add On-Street Parking
The resulting extra space can create a new parking
supply on King St., helping to improve access to
businesses and buffer pedestrians with parallel
spaces on both sides of the street.
Add Median/Center Left-Turn Lane
The remainder of the right-of-way is dedicated to
a new vegetated median that becomes a center
left-turn lane at intersections and key driveways,
accomodating drivers while also adding to the tree
canopy along King St. Unlike a traditional “suicide
lane,” the planted medians discourage dangerous
speeds in the center lane while creating buffered
waiting areas for crossing pedestrians.
Preliminary Solutions: King St.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 22Page 21
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Proposed Upper King Street Cross-Section
Existing Upper King Street Cross-Section
Upper King Street
The charrette team master-planned the King
Street corridor from the North/Summer/King
intersection to the area just north of the Finn/
King intersection. Additionally, a prototypical
80’ ROW cross-section was design for the upper
portions of King Street.
80’ ROW
Road Diet: 4-lanes to 2-lanes & Median
The upper portion of King St. has 4 travel lanes,
each with an outside travel lane of 11’ plus a
5’-wide shoulder, creating a wide, overdesigned
roadway. Instead, 2 travel lanes are proposed,
each 11’-wide.
Cycletracks
Two one-way cycletracks are proposed on
each side of the street, grade separated from
the motor vehicle traffic. The cycletracks are
separated from the sidewalk by a 10’ vegetated
area, providing room for street trees to create a
natural barrier between pedestrian and cyclists
and to provide both with shade in the summer.
The cycletracks are at-grade with the sidewalk
and are intended to turn to be adjacent to the
sidewalk at curb cuts so that there is over 10-
feet of yielding area for cars exiting King Street.
These crossing areas would be raised to sidewalk
elevation, forcing cars to slow their turning
speed.
Median & Left-Turn Pockets
A 14’ vegetated median is proposed in the center
of the street, transitioning to left-turn lanes
at intersection and left-turn pockets at critical
1 2 3North/Summer/King1
Road Diet: 4-Lanes to 2-Lanes
The existing 4-lane cross-section of King St. is
proposed to be reconfigured as a 2-lane roadway
with a median shielding left-turn lanes/pockets,
plus on-street parking.
New Parking Supply
Reducing the roadway from 4-lanes to 2-lanes
allows for room for new on-street, parallel parking
spaces on both sides of Main St.
Narrow Intersections
Curb extensions are installed at each corner of
the intersection to narrow the crossings distances
across King, North, and Summer Sts.
Protected Signal Phase for Main St. Crossing
Additionally, the King St. crossing will become
a protected pedestrian phase when drivers
are turning left onto King from North during a
protected left-turn from the new left-turn lane
on North. This crossing comes up during every
signal phase with no vehicle conflicts, providing
superior pedestrian accomodation even while
traffic capacity is increased by the new left-turn
lane.
new on-street
parking
curb extensions to
reduce crossing
distances
wider sidewalk
protected crossing
during opposing
vehicle left-turns
every cycle
left-turn
pockets (typ.)
driveways. This median also protects pedestrians
at unsignalized crosswalks. The entirety of the
median would be edged by a 3’ rumble strip in
concrete or other material that allowed for the
passage of emergency vehicles in the event a
vehicle becomes disabled in the travel lane.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 24Page 23
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
11 22 33
Cycletrack to Bike Boulevard
North of Finn St. is the proposed cycletrack
for King St. The northbound cycletrack begins
at Finn St., with an entry in the middle of the
T-intersection to accommodate cyclists coming
from Finn or King that curves away from the
street to ensure a minimum of 6’ of pedestrian
waiting space before the adjacent crosswalk. In
the southbound direction, the cycletrack ends
just before the intersection at Finn to allow for
the bike facility to transition to sharrows. Where
the cycletrack ends at the driveway in front of the
bank, the facility should be striped as it would
be through an intersection, with a green bike
lane and dashed white lines flanking it. From
the driveway to the intersection, the bike facility
becomes a shared right-turn lane.
Crossing Island
A crossing island is proposed for the crossing on
Main St., allowing for a safe space for pedestrians
to wait while crossing.
Narrowed Intersection
Curb extensions are provided on the west side of
King St. to narrow the crossing distance across
Myrtle St. They also extend into King to buffer
on-street spaces and improve the sightlines
of drivers exiting Myrtle to passing cars and
pedestrians.
Raised Driveway
To provide continuity of the pedestrian
enviroment and address ADA concerns, the
driveway at the intersection of Myrtle and King
Sts. will become a raised driveway to indicate
to turning motorists that they entering into
pedestrian space.
New Parking
The road diet of King St. allows for new on-street
parking throughout its length. On-street parking
is provided on both sides of King as parallel
spaces.
Myrtle/King Finn/King23
left-turn
pockets (typ.)
new on-street
parking
reconstructed raised
driveway treatment
(typ.)
curb extensions to
move crosswalk in
line with sidewalk &
improve visbility for
entering motorists
left-turn
pockets (typ.)
center left-
turn lane/
turn pockets
crossing island
cycletrack entry
cycletrack
green bike
lane treatment
across driveway
shared right
lane
Cycletrack ending into a shared right-turn lane
source: NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 26Page 25
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Sidewalk &
Curb Extensions
Bicycle Facilities
Crossings
Lane Configuration
Parking
Design Toolkit Lane Configuration
Road Diet
Road diets are the process of reducing an
overdesigned roadway with a very wide cross-
section to a narrower, safer, and more efficient
roadway. When undergoing a road diet, wide
roadways, typically with multiple lanes in each
direction, become reconfigured to reduce the
number of travel lanes and provide center turn-
lanes. The channelization of left-turns actually
helps to increase capacity. Complimentary traffic
calmining measures, such as curb extensions and
crossing medians, slow traffic and improve safety
for pedestrians.
As shown in the Seattle, WA example at right,
streets that have undergone road diets have been
able to increase throughput while also seeing
significant reductions in collisions - up to 60% at
several locations.
Road Diets in Seattle, WA: Increased in ADT, Reduction in Collisions
Roadway Date Change ADT Before ADT After Collision Reduction
Greenwood Ave. N
from N 80th St. to N 50th St.Apr-75 11872 12427
58%
24 to 10
N 45th St.
Wallingford Area Dec-72 19421 20274
49%
45 to 23
8th Ave NW
Ballard Area Jan-94 10549 11858
61%
18 to 7
Martin Luther King Jr. W
North of I-90 Jan-94 12336 13161
60%
15 to 6
Dexter Ave. N
Queen Ann Area Jun-91 13606 14949
59%
19 to 16
24th Ave. NW
NEW 8th to NW 65th Oct-95 9727 9754
28%
14 to 10
Seattle has used road diets as a part of their traffic calming toolkit since the 1970s. Even as ADT has increase, collision
reduction has decreased substnatially, typically be more than 50%.
Source: http://www.fresno.gov/Government/
DepartmentDirectory/PublicWorks/TrafficEngineering/
RoadDiets.htm
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 28Page 27
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Parking
increase
supply
Back-in/Head-out Angle Parking
Page 3 • Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Figure 3 An ‘eye-to-eye’ line of sight between parker and
approaching road-user (Vancouver, WA).
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Figure 4 The parker’s view of the on-coming traffic (Vancouver,
WA).
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Back-in/Head-out Angle Parking
Page 4 • Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Figure 5 A traffic sign showing the three steps of back-in angle
parking, in Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Source: City of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.
Advantages
Back-in/head-out angle parking is similar to both parallel and standard angle parking. As
with parallel parking, the driver enters the stall by stopping and backing, but need not
maneuver the front of the vehicle against the curb. When leaving the stall, the driver can
simply pull out of the stall, and has a better view of the oncoming traffic.
Bicyclists
This type of parking provides a safer environment for bicyclists using the roadways. The
driver is able to see the cyclist easily when exiting the stall. Several cities where back-in
angle parking has been implemented have seen a reduction in number of accidents
compared to the number of accidents at regular parallel parking schemes. Matt Zoll at
Washington, DC
For the last 15 to 20 years, Washington, DC
has had six block of reverse angle parking.
The busiest block of back-in angled parking
is along 18th St. NW with an ADT of 9,200.
Additional blocks with reverse angle parking
are Vermont Avenue NW, between 14th and
Q Streets with an ADT of 5,000 as well as
Water Street NW, which is a lower traffic area.
Indianapolis, IN
Indianapolis has also had reverse angle
parking by its Federal courthouse for 15
years on a street with over 14,000 ADT.
Back-in/Head-out Angle Parking
Page 2 • Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Figure 1 Back-in/Head-out parking in Tucson, AZ.
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Figure 2 With back-in angle parking you can load your car on the
curb, rather than in the street (Vancouver, WA).
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Back-in/Head-out Angle Parking
Page 7 • Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Typical dimensions
Particularly when accommodating bike lanes within the roadway, back-in/head-out angle
parking is useful. Figure 8 shows the cross-section of such a roadway in Pottstown, PA.
Appendix C and D shows Vancouver’s, WA, and Seattle’s, WA, choices of dimensions for
this type of parking.
Figure 8 Cross-section of a roadway accommodating both bike
lanes and back-in/head-out angle parking.
Source: City of Pottstown (2001) Proposed High Street Traffic Calming Plan.
2. Seattle, Washington
Contact person: Bill Jack
Seattle Transportation
Municipal Building, Room 410
600 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, WA 98104
206.684.8329.
The City of Seattle, Washington, has about 280 blocks of angle parking spaces, most of which are
back-in. Seattle also has pull-in angle parking, but prefers back-in angle parking because it is
safer, especially for pedestrians.
North Queen Anne Street, shown above, is one of the higher volume traffic streets, with about
6,500 ADT.
Seattle has had back-in angle parking for more than 30 years.
(See attached letter from Bill Jack.)
Back-in/Head-out Angle Parking
Page 2 • Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates
Figure 1 Back-in/Head-out parking in Tucson, AZ.
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Figure 2 With back-in angle parking you can load your car on the
curb, rather than in the street (Vancouver, WA).
Source: T. Boulanger, Transportation Services, City of Vancouver, WA.
Seattle, WA
The city of Seattle, WA has over 280 blocks
of revese angle parking, on streets with a
variety of traffic volumes. On Queen Anne
St., pictured below, the average daily traffic
volumes is 6,500. Seattle has over 30 years
of experience and testing of reverse angle
parking.
source: Frank Nelson, Seattle Transportation Department
Reverse Angle
Parking
Reverse angle parking, also called back-in angled
parking, is similar in dimension to typical head-
in angle parking but provides substantial safety
benefits by improving the driver’s field of vision,
allowing them to identify oncoming cyclists and
vehicles before pulling out into traffic. When
reversing from typical head-in angle parking, a
driver’s cone of vision is dramatically reduced
by their head’s placement further from the
travel lane, plus they must look awkwardly over
their shoulder to check for oncoming traffic.
Additionally, if a driver is parked next to a larger
vehicle such as an SUV or truck, visibility can be
almost entirely limited until their car is entirely in
the travel lane. The collisions analysis shown in
the “Fundamental Issues” section of this report
speak to the high level of auto/auto, auto/bicycle,
and auto/pedestrian collisions that such a busy
street with typicaly head-in angle parking can
create.
Employing reverse angle parking as a standard
tool for the areas identified along Main St. will go
a long way to improving the safety of the road
for drivers as well as cyclists and pedestrians.
It helps that this style of parking is superior in
shopping districts due to the trunk being at the
curb and doors opening protectively for children
to get in and out toward the curb. Finally, it is
much easier to maneuver than parallel parking.
METRIC (m)IMPERIAL (ft)
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
45-degree 3.8 2.7 7.6 5.4 5.4 45-degree 12.5 9 25 18 18
60-degree 3.1 2.7 6.5 5.6 3.3 60-degree 10 9 21.5 18.5 11
30-degree 5.4 2.7 9.6 4.8 8.3 30-degree 18 9 31.5 16 27
IMPERIAL (ft)METRIC (m)
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
45-degree 12.5 8.9 24.9 17.7 17.7 45-degree 3.8 2.7 7.6 5.5 5.5
60-degree 10.2 8.9 21.3 18.4 10.8 60-degree 3.0 2.7 6.6 5.6 3.4
30-degree 17.7 8.9 31.5 15.7 27.2 30-degree 5.5 2.7 9.6 4.9 8.2
A
B
C
METRIC (m)IMPERIAL (ft)
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
45-degree 3.8 2.7 7.6 5.4 5.4 45-degree 12.5 9 25 18 18
60-degree 3.1 2.7 6.5 5.6 3.3 60-degree 10 9 21.5 18.5 11
30-degree 5.4 2.7 9.6 4.8 8.3 30-degree 18 9 31.5 16 27
IMPERIAL (ft)METRIC (m)
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
(A)
Angle
(B)
Straight
Width
(C)
Parallel
Width
(D)
Line
Length
(E)
Lane
Width
(F)
Angle
Width
45-degree 12.5 8.9 24.9 17.7 17.7 45-degree 3.8 2.7 7.6 5.5 5.5
60-degree 10.2 8.9 21.3 18.4 10.8 60-degree 3.0 2.7 6.6 5.6 3.4
30-degree 17.7 8.9 31.5 15.7 27.2 30-degree 5.5 2.7 9.6 4.9 8.2
A
B
C
Above, reverse angle parking is shown at 60°, as built in
Seattle, WA at top. At left, typical dimensions for 30°, 45°,
and 60° angle parking, with measurements corresponding to
the parking space diagram below it. Below, a typical cross-
section with reverse angle parking in Pottstown, PA.
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 30Page 29
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Raised Crossing
Like speed tables, raised crossings are crossing
areas that are flat, raised areas with ramped
side. Raised crossing emphasize pedestrians
crossing the street by forcing vehicles to reduce
their speed in all conditions--whether or not
a pedestrian is present, emphasizing distinct
pedestrian space on the road. The crossing
should be level with sidewalks, eliminating the
needs for curb ramps.
Typically, raised crossings are flush with the
sidewalk, about 6” high, with grades not
exceeding 1:12. Raised crossings must be
accompanied with appropriate advanced driver
warning and reduced speed caution signage.
Careful design of approach and descent ramps
allows vehicle to maintain an urban minimum
speed limit (typically 25 to 30 mph).
Raised Table
A raised table or speed table is flat, raised area,
typically 3-4” high. They are ramped on each
side, as shown above. The raised area typically
covers the entire intersection as well as all
crossings, which eliminates the need for curb
ramps. Raised tables are typically installed on
two-lane roads with speed limits of no more
than 30 mph.
Approach and departure grades of 8% or less
should be designed with emergency appartus in
mind. In mid-block locations, tables generally
should be at least 22’ long.
Leading Pedestrian
Interval
A leading pedestrian interval (LPI) gives extra time
for pedestrians to cross at the beginning of a
light-cycle while parallel traffic still has a red-light,
improving the flow of the intersection for cyclists
and drivers alike. The LPI decreases the conflict
between pedestrians and oncoming left- and right-
turning vehicles that normally all share a green-
light/pedestrian signal for the same length of time,
allowing pedestrians as well as left- and right-
turning vehicles to clear the intersection faster by
processing pedestrians quickly at the start of the
signal phase. They also provide increased visibility
of pedestrians by drivers. The length of an LPI is
typically 3-5 seconds, depending on pedestrian
volumes and traffic calming treatments that narrow
the crossing.
Crossings
Source: Richard Drudl, Flickr Source: http://www.transalt.org/files/newsroom/
magazine/044Fall/16safeseniors.html
Sidewalk &
Curb Extensions
Wider Sidewalks
Wider sidewalks provide sufficient space for
people (including children) to interact and
socialize, not just walk, while allowing for enough
room to comfortably walk down the street. Wider
sidewalks also provide for 2 wheelchairs to pass
side-by-side as well as larger groups and families.
Space allowing, wider sidewalks can provide for
outdoor seating areas, planting beds, shade-
providing street trees, art installations, outdoor
dining space for local restaurants, and vending/
display space for other local businesses. Outdoor
dining and vending might require zoning changes.
The minimum width for sidewalks should begin at
5’-8’ and should be up to 15’ near schools, parks,
commercial areas, and other busy pedestrian
areas.
Crossing Islands
Crossing islands or pedestrian refuges enhance
pedestrian safety by allowing pedestrian to
cross one direction of traffic at a time while
simultaneously calming vehicle speeds. Crossing
islands reduce the distance that pedestrians must
cross at one time, allowing them to cross one
direction of traffic and wait safely in the median
area until traffic is clear on the other side of the
street.
Crossing islands have the advantage of not
requiring additional drainage infrastructure, as
opposed to a curb extension or other device that
decreases crossing ditance. The minimum island
width is 6’, which allows for bikes and strollers
to be protected from traffic. Width of the island
cut should be 5’ (no ramps needed), and cuts
wider than 8’ should include bollars to discourage
accidental vehicle use. Signage is necessary.
Curb Extensions
Curb extensions, or bulb-outs, are extensions of
the sidewalk, as shown above, that narrow the
street in order to decrease pedestrian crossing
distances and reduce vehicle speeds. Bulb-outs
also serve to expand the pedestrian realm as an
extension of the sidewalk.
Used at intersections and mid-block conditions,
they are typically employed where on-street
parking is present. The width of the curb
extension should be equal to at least that of the
parking lane, though the minimum of 5’ may be
used in snow climates. Length of the bulb-out
varies with the placement of drainage facilities
and is often 20’ or more to enforce corner
clearance of parked cars.
Source: Richard Masoner, Flickr Source: Dan Burden, pedbikeimages.orgSource: Dan Burden, pedbikeimages.org
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Page 32Page 31
Main and King Streets Design Charrette Book
Shared Lanes
Shared lane markings, or sharrows, tell drivers
and bicyclists that they must share the lane
with each other. The chevrons of the sharrow
indicate a preferred path for the cyclist in the
lane, located a minimum 4’ on center from the
edge of curb, or the width of the parking zone +
2.5’ where on-street parking is present. Sharrows
should be striped frequently (no less than 1
every 200’), with the number of instances of the
sharrow corresponding to how difficult it is for
cyclists to align themselves in the correct travel
path.
Bicycle Facilities
Bike Facilities at
Intersections
Special treatments for bikes in intersections
make a safer, more predictable intersection
for all users, signaling to drivers that through-
traveling cyclists have the right-of-way over
turning vehicles. As show above, the bicycle
path should be indicated with two dashed
white lines. Colored pavement can be used for
specific areas of bicycle/motor vehicle conflict
or through the whole intersection. The dashed
lines should be a minimum of 6” in width when
adjacent to motor vehicle travel lanes. The
dashes should be 2’ in length with 2-6’ spacing.
The dashed lines should be white in color, skid-
resistant, and retro-flective.
Bike Parking
Bike racks must be securely anchored to the
ground on a permanent foundation and safely
out of the pedestrian zone. The design of the
bicycle rack must allow for the bicycle frame and
at least one wheel of the bike to be locked, such
that the bike frame can be secured in at least two
places with both bike wheels kept on the ground.
Racks should be placed such that multiple bikes
can be parked without disturbing one another.
Racks aligned parallel to each other should be
at least 36” apart, and those aligned end-to-end
should be 96” apart. Racks perpendicular to a
wall must be at least 48” from the wall to the rack
and at least 48” from the curb, and those parallel
to a wall should be at least 36” from the rack to
the wall and 24” from the curb to the rack.
Cycletracks
Cycletracks are physically separated bike facilities
that remove cyclists from automobile traffic, as
shown above. They are designed to be at least 5’
wide and one-way parallel to the adjacent lane of
traffic. Sidewalk curbs, furnishings, and vegetation
can be used to separate the cycletrack from the
sidewalk to deter pedestrian incursion.
As proposed on King St., the cycletracks are
grade separated from the vehicle traffic, at the
same elevation as the sidewalk. The cycletracks
are separated from the sidewalk along King St.
with a wide vegetated strip, providing a physical
separation from pedestrians who might otherwise
wander into the bike space as well as providing a
better biking and walking environment through the
planting of shade trees.
Source: http://bikeportland.org/2008/05/07/bike-boxes-
not-the-only-green-on-portlands-bikeways-7471
Source: http://calmstreetsboston.blogspot.com/2010/04/
vassar-street-cycle-track-cambridge-ma.html