Context Based Complete Streets
Richard A. Hall, PE
A one-day course describing the importance of Context in the design of Complete Streets. Walkability is defined, and thoroughly described, along with the key street design elements to achieve it in compact urban places. Planning, Engineering and Architecture professionals and elected officials will benefit from these discussions.
Location: MD T2 Center at College Park, Maryland.
PDHs: 6.0 Registration Fees: There is a $110 registration fee charged for all participants.
Registration form at link below:
http://www.mdt2center.umd.edu/training/registration
By definition, Complete Streets design serves multiple travel modes. However, street and highway designs should also vary significantly to accommodate land development context, existing and future.
In the past, agencies placed greater design emphasis on faster moving motor vehicles. The auto industry was producing more powerful vehicles every year, but the planning areas were not changing. They remained fixed within two coarsely defined contexts; rural or urban, as defined by the census based, catch-all, urbanized area definition. Suburban roadway design guidance, by focusing primarily on faster vehicle flow, usually compromised walking and biking design.
The Complete Streets movement has successfully motivated over 1,000 policies nationwide. They require mobility for all people, regardless of age, ability, income, race or ethnicity. Policies specify safe, comfortable & convenient access to community destinations & public places. All modes are specified; allowing travelers greater comfort when they desire to walk, drive, bicycle or take public transportation.
These multi-modal policies must also consider unique places in the design of transportation systems. Context based design must specify street and highway elements scaled to match the great diversity of surrounding context. For example, lower target speeds, on-street parking and street tree shade all match the Urban Center context. Conversely, higher speed design, off-street parking and fewer trees, match the Suburban context. Successful land development patterns and context-sensitive street design are symbiotic and state and federal agencies are moving in context sensitive directions.
This course explains emerging context classifications and the way street designs must vary significantly in each context. Many unique design elements, well suited for suburban context are wrong for the urban context. Policies and standards are described to meet the new challenge of greater efficiency and safety for all modes, in all diverse context areas. In class, and in the field, workshop exercises yield better understanding of unique street designs based on adjacent context. Course duration is one day.