HomeMy WebLinkAbout(6) SidewalksSIDEWALKS
Comprehensive Plan and Sidewalks
From "Fischer, Donald" <DFISCHERC~CSBSJU.EDU>
To '"jweyrensC~cityofstjoseph.com"'<jweyrensC~cityofstjoseph.com>,
"'cstrackC~municipaldevelopmentgroup. com"'<cstrackC~municipaldevelopmentgroup. com>
~. Cc "'Wick, Dale"' <Dale.WickC~wolterskluwer.com>, "'Frank, Stephen"' <sfrankC~stcloudstate.edu>,
i~u.,.
~'''' '- "'symanietzreneeC~clearwire.net'" <symanietzreneeC~clearwire.net>
#~. Date Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:55:14 -0600
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"'' Cynthia and Judy,
Page 1 of 2
I want to clarify the comments I made at the public hearing last night regarding how the city addresses
sidewalks in the comprehensive plan. One of the items that really struck me as we debated the issues regarding
the Graceview development was how poorly the city addresses the needs of pedestrians and bicyclist. As an
example, in our neighborhood, there is a walking path on one side of the collector road. Therefore, children must
cross a collector road to access the one safe pedestrian path in our neighborhood. Making the situation worse is
the fact that, since it is a path and not a sidewalk, it is not maintained in the winter. Therefore, pedestrians must
walk on the road if they want to use locomotion as their primary way of moving from point A to point B. The
other option is to drive a vehicle, which is inconsistent with the "go green" philosophy our city is taking on.
~'`1` It is also important to note that the recommendations by federal organizations and governing bodies regarding
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According to the US DOT FHWA, "Collector and arterial streets shall typically have a minimum of a four
foot wide striped bicycle lane, however wider lanes are often necessary in locations with parking, curb and
gutter, heavier and/or faster traffic." In addition, "Collector and arterial streets shall typically have a minimum of
a five foot sidewalk on both sides of the street, however wider sidewalks and landscaped buffers are necessary
in locations with higher pedestrian or traffic volumes, and/or higher vehicle speeds. At intersections, sidewalks
may need to be wider to accommodate accessible curb
ramps." (http://www.fhw.a.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/design..htm#d4)
According to Residential Streets, 3rd edition, a joint publication by the Urban Land Institute, National
Association of Home Builders, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Institute for Transportation Engineers,
"In general sidewalks should be provided on both sides of the street. Typically they are five feet, and at a
minimum they are four feet." °Wider sidewalks may be considered in location next to significant pedestrian
~`!` generators such as [...] high-density dwellings" (Kulash, 2001, pg 40-41). [Kulash, W. M. (2001). Residential
streets. Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute.]
• According to Residential Streets, 3rd edition, a joint publication by the Urban Land Institute, National
Association of Home Builders, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Institute for Transportation Engineers,
"Successful residential street design now accommodates nonmotorized travel (pedestrians and
•+'?~.'`• bicyc%s) at a /eve/ of attention comparable to that given to vehicular f/ow" (Kulash, 2001, pg 40)
.~ [emphasis added]. [Kulash, W. M. (2001). Residentia/streets. Washington, DC: Urban Land Institute.]
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~~"L-y According to the US DOT FHWA, "[The] decline in walking and bicycling has had an adverse effect on
traffic congestion and air quality around schools, as well as pedestrian and bicycle safety. In addition, a growing
body of evidence has shown that children who lead sedentary lifestyles are at risk for a variety of health
problems such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Safety issues are a big concern for parents, who
consistently cite traffic danger as a reason why their children are unable to bicycle or walk to school"
http://safety.fhwa.dot.goy/saferoutes/, City engineers and planners "have the responsibility to make sure that
roads are designed and operating properly -- with safety for all road users in mind"
http ://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/factsLoad_factsheet, htm.
Therefore, I would strongly encourage the city to adopt language in the comprehensive plan to explicitly place as
httpa/webmail.bevcomm.netlhwebmail/mail/message.php?index=27442 11/19/2008
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much emphasis on pedestrian/bicycle mobility as it does to vehicle mobility.
Don Fischer
Associate Professor/Physical Education Chair
Strength and Conditioning Coach
HCC 22A
College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, Minnesota 56374
320-363-5581
http://webmail.bevcomm.net/hwebmail/mail/message.php?index=27442
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11/19/2008