BalancedCirculationGoesBeyondTrafficCalming

1、balanced circulation goes beyond traffic calmingour transportation system connects labor with the workplace, consumers with the marketplace, the private sector to the public, and acquaintances with one another. by david s. hunt and chris ortweinat its core, the purpose of transportation is to move m

2、arkets. a societys expenditure of funds on its transportation infrastructure is basically an economic investment. business location and expansion decisions, consumer choices regarding goods and services, and land values are largely a function of accessibility, which in turn, rests on decisions regar

3、ding transportation policy, planning, design, and management.the oft-cited location-location-location dynamic in determining the value of real estate is affected as much by the nature of the transportation infrastructure as it is by surrounding socioeconomics, land use, or terrain. assigning economi

4、c development a high priority in transportation decision making should result in a wide-ranging array of transportation solutions.in recent years, a key focus of transportation planning at the local level, particularly in higher-density, mixed-use environments such as downtown retail districts, has

5、been traffic calming the slowing of vehicular traffic. however, traffic calming is limited in four ways and cannot be fully responsive to both local and regional needs.first, it is reactive rather than proactive, the term itself implying that traffic must be a problem before the transportation syste

6、m is modified. second, it deals primarily with vehicular traffic even in fundamentally pedestrian environments. third, its focus is always on vehicular speed when the chief difficulty might be poor visibility or confusing traffic circulation. finally, traffic calming rarely acknowledges issues such

7、as regional policy or economic development.balanced circulationdespite these limitations, traffic calming has been an enormously effective tool for increasing safety and reducing congestion in many areas. a new approach balanced circulation goes beyond traffic calming in the following ways:· it

8、 is proactive. balanced circulation seeks to provide a safe and responsive transportation system before problems arise.· it is multimodal: balanced circulation considers how to accommodate and connect all modes of travel that serve the surrounding population.· it is comprehensive. balanced

9、 circulation looks first to non-capital (such as, operational and management) solutions to address transportation issues, recognizing that such solutions are generally less intrusive and less costly.· it is policy-based. balanced circulation demands consistency, predictability, and coordination

10、 with policies at all levels of government.· it is sensitive to context. balanced circulation and context sensitivity are mutually supportive in that each requires early consultation with the community through the use of flexible design and operational strategies.· it is responsive to econ

11、omic need. balanced circulation treats transportation as an economic investment designed to move consumers and goods to markets and employees to the marketplace.a balanced circulation approach provides operational elements and infrastructure design to accommodate a variety of travel modes.new land d

12、evelopment can provide the opportunity for transportation infrastructure supportive of balanced circulation principles.curb extensions reduce pedestrian crossing distance, improve timing at signalized intersections, protect on-street parking, improve location of poles and curb ramps, and provide att

13、ractive settings for adjacent land uses.adequate sidewalk width, pedestrian-scale lighting, and buffers from moving traffic lanes are important infrastructure design elements for non-motorized travel, particularly when serving high-density areas or commercial districts.five types of balancethe quest

14、ion arises, what exactly is being balanced in balanced circulation? five basic relationships are at issue: 1) transportation and economic development; 2) regional and local needs; 3) operational and capital improvements; 4) modes of transportation; 5) aesthetic and functional solutions form as funct

15、ion.transportation and economic development. balancing circulation addresses the transportation-economic development relationship in several ways: it balances access and parking for visitors, workers, residents, and customers with mobility for through travelers; it provides design elements that bala

16、nce the consideration of an economic activitys setting with its functional transportation needs; and it offers visibility for business activity in terms of both site access and operational elements such as wayfinding, street names, and route signing.regional and local needs. the failure to balance r

17、egional and local needs can have a negative effect on transportation. too great an emphasis on the regional may result in impaired safety, access, and setting. over-emphasizing the local may snarl traffic and cause short-term environmental and longer term economic damage. in addition, it can lead to

18、 traffic congestion on alternate routes as drivers search for other options.modes of transportation. balanced circulation recognizes the importance of both multimodal and intermodal design in terms of its policy emphasis and its potential to attract capital funds. two elements merit particular atten

19、tion. the first is to recognize the importance of providing for a system of transportation modes. isolated or disconnected facilities are a waste of resources. second is the need to apply multimodal and intermodal investment where the demonstrated or anticipated demand is highest.operational and cap

20、ital improvements. too often, capital solutions, which are more costly, less flexible, and require more time to implement, are viewed as the first action to be taken in response to transportation concerns. actually, operational improvements such as retiming traffic signals, improving sign systems, o

21、r modifying road markings can go a long way toward moderating the behavior of traffic. balanced circulation calls for the first step of ensuring that the transportation system is performing at optimal efficiency. capital improvements should be made only when operational adjustments are insufficient

22、to achieve the desired result.aesthetic and functional solutions: form as function. the fact that aesthetic improvements usually provide functional benefits as well as economic value is often overlooked. following are some examples of techniques that enhance aesthetics while also offering a function

23、al benefit:· linear bands of pavers define the pedestrian edge along a multimodal corridor.· curb extensions reduce pedestrian crossing distance, improve signal timing, and minimize the likelihood of pedestrian-vehicular conflict. they also improve vehicular safety by increasing sight dist

24、ance at intersections and enhancing traffic flow.· pedestrian-scale lighting provides a visual cue to drivers, alerting them to the presence of pedestrians. it also makes it easier to see pedestrians at night and introduces lateral clearance factors which reduce the design speed of the roadway.

25、· lane narrowing reduces speed and pedestrian crossing distance.· lower turn radii also reduce pedestrian crossing distances, providing signal timing/intersection level of service benefits.· street trees introduce lateral clearance to the roadway and provide a visual and physical pede

26、strian buffer.· transit amenities are actually facilities supporting a publicly operated investment. this often-used term is a misnomer. bus shelters and signing are no more amenities for transit users than roadway striping and signing are amenities for drivers.· gateway treatments serve a

27、n important safety function by alerting drivers at transition points of changes in land use and transportation design and by defining the boundaries of unique districts.in some instances, aesthetic treatments are added for the principal purpose of providing an attractive setting for a particular des

28、tination, such as highlighting the view of a downtown, an entertainment district, a natural feature, or an historic area. such sites are important identifiers for an entire region. for such roadways, aesthetic considerations are as functional an element as carrying capacity or design speed. traveler

29、s perceptions of these locations have an economic value whether as a first impression or as a repeated stimulus along a regular driving route.safety importancewhile transportation is essentially an economic investment, safety is the paramount consideration when evaluating transportation needs. a bal

30、anced circulation approach, with its emphasis on existing and potential multimodal environments, shuns the notion that safety is primarily a vehicular issue. the idea that wider, straighter, faster roadways are safer is inappropriate in areas where pedestrians are present. balanced circulation share

31、s with traffic calming the concept that slowing traffic reduces the incidence and severity of both vehicular and pedestrian-vehicular conflicts. the definition of safety needs depends on the context of the surrounding land use.one of the chief elements in providing a safe and balanced transportation

32、 system in a mixed-use, multimodal environment is emergency response. emergency response vehicles have two primary needs to get to the location as quickly as possible and to provide emergency services, such as fire suppression, once at the scene. it is critical that emergency response vehicles be ab

33、le to make unimpeded turning movements, and that need is addressed as a matter of course when designing intersection improvements that reduce pedestrian crossing distances.it is uniformly agreed that no other transportation objective outweighs the need to reduce pedestrian-vehicular conflict. in som

34、e areas, safety concerns have resulted in negative economic pressures, as consumers have gone elsewhere and real estate becomes more difficult to sell or lease. a balanced circulation approach seeks to ensure the safety of all travel modes.in addition to curb extensions and pedestrian lighting, othe

35、r treatments that can reduce pedestrian-vehicular conflict include: vertical elements that introduce lateral clearance and narrow the perceived width of the roadway, road texturing and road profile elements such as speed bumps and speed tables, gateway treatments that alert drivers to the entrance a

36、nd exit from areas characterized by pedestrian travel, and signal timing that reinforces the desired vehicular speed.enforcement of traffic regulations is an important ingredient in maintaining traffic safety. it is a transportation design truism that the road informs the driver. motorists travel fa

37、ster on roadways with higher design speeds. placing a speed limit sign of 25 miles per hour on a roadway whose design speed is 50 will do little to reduce speeding. the most effective enforcement is a well-designed roadway whose design and operational elements discourage high-speed travel. self-enfo

38、rcing roadway treatments may include re-striping travel lanes, constructing curb extensions, placing banner poles, trees, and pedestrian lights along the roadway, and providing median or crosswalk treatments.balanced circulation approachthe first step in implementing a balanced circulation approach

39、is to develop a comprehensive, integrated policy. the rationale for this approach is twofold: first, to improve intergovernmental coordination; second to maximize internal consistency. the most important aspect of policy development is the introduction of predictability and consistency into the proc

40、ess which results in operational and management decisions, funding strategies, and infrastructure design. as an added benefit, it initiates a consensus-building process.externally, predictability is an essential component of intergovernmental coordination. even if disagreements exist between public

41、entities as to priorities, understanding each agencys position is useful in reaching a consensus. predictability also is important when seeking funding, as a well developed policy indicates that funds will be spent as intended. internally, predictability minimizes the likelihood that individuals or

42、businesses will receive differing treatment from the public agency. it also de-politicizes the process, assuring that policy is not being used to justify an action or serve the interest of public officials.the development of a sound transportation policy initially affects transportation operations a

43、nd management. this element, often omitted from traditional and traffic-calming-based transportation solutions, can provide a lower cost, more effective solution, freeing up scarce capital to address critical issues.for example, speeding traffic may be moderated by adjusting signal timing rather tha

44、n placing speed tables or moving curb lines. improving wayfinding signs might improve safety as much as reconstructing an intersection. other operational components that might be considered as a first step include: regulatory signs, street name and route signs, traffic circulation patterns, parking

45、operations, transit operations, and enforcement of traffic violations. developing an approach that requires an operational review not only avoids spending capital dollars unnecessarily, it may also help attract capital funds when they are needed, since the argument can be made that funds are request

46、ed only when other options have proved ineffective.balanced circulation as an approach to transportation management does not replace traffic calming any more than preventive medicine replaces traditional medicine when it comes to health care. what it does is employ typical calming treatments for pur

47、poses other than the reduction of traffic speed. more important, balancing circulation encompasses dynamics that previously had been separated from capital treatments associated with traffic calming. balanced circulation considers policy, operations and maintenance, intergovernmental coordination, a

48、nd stakeholder outreach to be part of a holistic approach rather than separate but related elements.  workbook measures balanced circulation approachin conjunction with its balanced circulation program, the pennsylvania downtown center developed a workbook to apply balanced circulation principl

49、es to individual communities. the workbook is intended to apply to downtown areas, retail districts, and similar locations throughout the united states. essentially, it poses two questions. first, what would a community devoted to balanced circulation principles look like? second, how do leaders fro

50、m the public and private sectors identify and prioritize balanced circulation strategies in their own communities? it begins by listing 14 criteria:      1. sound, flexible, concise transportation policy.      2. funded, coordinated, predictable main

51、tenance.      3. on-going public agency communication.      4. signal timing consistent with traffic regulations.      5. intact, well-maintained sign systems.      6. balanced provision and regulatio

52、n of parking.      7. interconnected, well-lit pedestrian facilities.      8. adequate, integrated transit facilities.      9. adequate bicycle facilities.      10. predictable traffic circulation sys

53、tem.      11. a park-once environment.      12. accommodation of disabled travelers.      13. adequate consideration of safety and comfort.      14. design elements that reflect the surrounding contex

54、t. the workbook provides two methods to assist communities in assessing the degree to which they employ a balanced circulation approach. the first lists elements of a model balanced circulation community. the second entails a three-part exercise to rate various elements and prioritize actions in sup

55、port of implementing balanced circulation principles. the intent of the exercises is to provide the user with an initial tool to evaluate elements associated with a balanced circulation strategy and rate them in order of importance.the workbook includes three related exercises that build on each other to allow communities to assess t