[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
Purpose And Policy. To define policy and procedure to improve traffic
flow and safety on City streets.
1.
Improperly spaced and designed intersections and driveways can
lead to increased congestion and vehicle conflict points that lead
to crashes. Streets serve multiple purposes in providing a means of
transport between one place and another, providing access to adjacent
property, and creating a sense of place within a community. Access
management is intended to balance a street's role in serving through
traffic, providing access to property, and preserving and enhancing
quality of life objectives for the surrounding area.
2.
Once the safe and efficient operation of a roadway is lost,
it is difficult and expensive to restore. Adding lanes to an existing
route or building a new road to relieve congestion generally does
not solve the problem and may make it worse.
3.
The goals established for the development of access management
guidelines for the City include the following:
4.
Access management involves the proper planning and design of
points of access to the public roadway system. These points of access
include public roadway intersections and driveways. Sound access management
can have a positive impact on roadway safety and the ability of roadways
to carry traffic efficiently and safely. Failure to properly manage
access can result in safety and operational problems, negatively impact
adjacent property owners, create a hostile and unsafe built environment
for pedestrians and bicyclists, and cause a loss of the public's investment
in the roadway system.
5.
Access management on existing streets with existing driveways
will only be considered at the time of a major change to traffic flows
or street configuration.
6.
New roadways intersecting existing roadways will be subject
to these guidelines after adoption by the Board of Aldermen.
7.
All new driveways, intersections or access to City streets must
be approved by the City.
B.
List Of Guidelines. The following table provides a listing and rationale
for the provisions in this Article:
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List of Access Management Guidelines
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|---|---|---|
|
Access Management Guidelines
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What It Means
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Why It Is Important
|
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Distance between major at-grade intersections
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The minimum distance or spacing between types of roadways (e.g.,
between two major streets)
|
Preserves traffic flow and ensures that a functional hierarchy
of roads is maintained
|
|
Distance between traffic signals
|
The minimum and desirable spacing between signals
|
Ensures efficient traffic flow on signalized arterials. A balance
needs to be met between traffic flow and fewer signals with pedestrian
safety and convenience when crossing a street
|
|
Auxiliary lanes (dedicated left and right turning lane guidelines)
|
The traffic conditions under which turning lanes should be provided
to serve a commercial or industrial driveway or street
|
Some high-volume driveways should have dedicated left or right
turn lanes to reduce conflicts with through traffic
|
|
Guidelines for using three-lane two-way left turn lane (TWLTL)
crossing section
|
A three-laned road generally performs better than a four-lane
undivided roadway under the right circumstances
|
Three-lane roads can be an economical solution to some access
and safety problems
|
|
Driveway spacing and density
|
The amount of distance between driveways and the number of driveways
per unit of frontage. These guidelines should vary with the roadway
classification, the expected land use, and the speed limit for the
road
|
Short spacing between driveways and high driveway densities
generate conflict points that in turn lead to higher crash rates,
increased pedestrian conflict points, decreased pedestrian comfortability,
and traffic congestion.
|
|
Corner clearance and clearance of the functional areas of intersections
|
The minimum distance allowed between an intersection and the
first driveway
|
Insufficient corner clearance is a major cause of access-related
crashes
|
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
Street Classifications. Battlefield's street functional classifications relevant to this Section are defined in Section 400.110, Definitions. For purposes of this Section, "Arterial" is used to describe both primary arterials and secondary arterials.
B.
Access Permits.
1.
Plat-approved permits. Access permits for platted lots occurs
through the Subdivision Regulations process described in this Chapter
followed by the issuance of an approved building permit as issued
by the City of Battlefield.
2.
New construction-initiated access for parcels not associated with a subdivision plat (i.e., lots of record in existence prior to the date of passage of this ordinance/Section). Access permits for lots of record not associated with a subdivision may occur in conjunction with the issuance of an approved building permit as issued by the City of Battlefield. For non-conforming lots of record, see Section 400.510, Non-Conforming Lots of Record.
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
At-Grade Intersection Spacing. The guideline in Subsection (c) below governs the preferred minimum distance or spacing between types of public roadways and their intersections. This guideline provides for a hierarchy of roads and maintains adequate spacing between roads that are intended to serve through traffic. Collectors provide some service to through traffic but also provide direct access to property; therefore, they can be placed closer together.
B.
Signalized Intersection Spacing. The guideline below also applies
to signalized intersections, when such signalization is warranted.
Signalized intersections are primarily intended to preserve efficient
traffic flow and progression on urban arterial roadways. A quarter-
or half-mile spacing between traffic signals potentially allows them
to be effectively interconnected and synchronized. Adequate spacing
also reduces rear-end collisions and stop-and-go driving that increases
congestion, delay, and air pollution. The guideline also positively
contributes to pedestrian and bicyclist crossing needs. Traffic signals
placed far apart, especially arterial streets with heavier traffic
volumes, can inhibit and restrict a pedestrian's ability to cross
the street safely and conveniently.
C.
Preferred Minimum Guideline.
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Roadway Classification
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Minimum Spacing
|
|---|---|
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Arterial
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1/2 mile (2,640 feet)
|
|
Collector
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1/4 mile (1,320 feet)
|
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
Intent. Dedicated left- and right-turn lanes should be provided in
situations where traffic volumes and speeds are relatively high, and
conflicts are likely to develop at public road intersections and private
driveways between through and turning traffic. Auxiliary lanes are
an asset in promoting safety and improved traffic flow in such situations.
The use and design of any auxiliary lanes shall always be guided by
a traffic study. Some major applications for and considerations for
the design of auxiliary lanes are as follows:
1.
Installing Auxiliary Left- And Right-Turn Lanes. Such lanes,
installed in the roadway center and on the edge of the roadway, are
intended to remove turning vehicles from the through traffic flow.
This should reduce the frequency of rear-end collisions at locations
where there is considerable left- and right-turn ingress activity,
such as major driveways and minor public road intersections.
2.
The use and design of auxiliary left- and right-turn lanes shall
be guided by a traffic study. In general, auxiliary turn lanes must
be long enough to accommodate a safe deceleration distance and to
provide adequate storage of a queue for turning traffic.
3.
Dedicated Right Turn Lanes. Dedicated right turn lanes shall
be considered in situations where:
a.
Poor internal site design and circulation leads to backups on
the mainline. Auto-oriented businesses with short drive-through lanes
or poorly designed parking lots would be prime examples of this situation.
b.
The peak hour turning traffic activity is unusually high (e.g.,
greater than ten percent (10%) of the daily total).
c.
The driveway or minor public road intersection is difficult
for drivers to see.
d.
The driveway entrance is gated or otherwise must be entered
very slowly.
e.
Right-turning traffic consists of an unusually high number of
trailers or other large vehicles.
f.
The intersection or driveway angle is highly skewed.
g.
Rear end collision experience is unusually high at a location.
B.
As with any auxiliary turning lane, dedicated turn lanes shall be
determined necessary and designed based on the results of a traffic
study.
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
What This Guideline Means. Three-lane cross sections (two (2) through
lanes with a two-way left-turn lane (TWLTL) in the center) are an
access management tool in certain situations. Such roadways are safer
than undivided four-lane roads and provide comparable capacity. They
work best in situations where traffic volumes are moderate and where
the proportion of vehicles turning left is high. TWLTLs are best used
in situations where driveway density is low to moderate (e.g., below
twenty-four (24) commercial driveways per mile, which equates to a
spacing of about four hundred forty (440) feet between driveways).
They can especially be considered in multi-family residential areas
or mixed land use areas, especially on secondary arterials and collectors.
This guideline does not refer to third-lanes used as passing or turning
lanes.
 |
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
What This Guideline Means.
1.
This guideline governs the minimum recommended spacing between
private driveways necessary to preserve both safety and traffic flow.
These guidelines allow for about one (1) driveway per City block face
on arterials and two (2) driveways per block face on collectors.
2.
In order to preserve driveway spacing, direct access should
primarily be provided on local streets that connect to collector or
arterial streets, or through the use of shared driveways where possible.
Access for corner lots should on lower traffic side streets whenever
possible. Access can often be better accomplished on major streets
through such means as frontage and backage roads, joint access, cross
access easements, and shared driveways. This guideline only applies
where sight distance allows. Driveways shall not be allowed where
the sight distance is inadequate even if the driveway spacing guidelines
would otherwise allow them.
3.
Driveways shall also be lined up across the public roadway from
each other whenever possible. When driveways are not lined up, the
minimum spacing shall be measured from the closest driveway on either
side of the road, except where a non-traversable (e.g., raised) median
exists.
4.
On collector or arterial streets where non-traversable medians
exist, shorter driveway spacing may be acceptable for right-in, right-out
driveways only.
 |
B.
Minimum Guideline.
|
Roadway Classification
|
Driveway Spacing
|
|---|---|
|
Principal Arterial
|
440 feet
|
|
Major Arterial
|
220 feet
|
|
Collectors
|
220 feet (desirable)
|
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
What this guideline means. Corner clearance represents the distance
between the corner of the intersection of two (2) public roadways
and the next private driveway. It is important to provide enough distance
between the corner and the first driveway to effectively separate
conflict points and to allow drivers enough time to make safe maneuvers.
When corners are not adequately cleared, high crash rates tend to
occur. Delays and traffic congestion also result when corners are
not adequately cleared. These guidelines correspond to the minimum
driveway spacing guidelines for the same roadway classification. This
guideline only applies where the minimum sight distance allows.
 |
B.
Minimum Guideline.
|
Roadway Classification
|
Corner Clearance
|
|---|---|
|
Arterial
|
220 feet
|
|
Collector
|
100 feet (desirable)
|
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
A.
Driveway Width. Driveways widths greater than forty-eight (48) feet
in width are prohibited. Additionally, driveways are encouraged to
be as narrow as possible to minimize pavement space and pedestrian
crossing distance, as well as to maximize safety by encouraging slower
vehicle speeds. Driveway widths shall be measured from the face of
curb to the face of curb at the point of tangency.
B.
Driveways And Accommodation For Pedestrians. Where driveways cross
pedestrian sidewalks or paths, all Americans with Disabilities Act
regulations shall be followed.
[Ord. No. 23-11, 8-22-2023]
