Access Management Guidelines - Ulster County

Driveway ControlAs the title suggests, some of the mostimportanttechniquesinaccessmanagement relate to control of driveways.Tools are available to eliminate, minimize,restrict, design and locate.Limit Driveway ConnectionsPrivate individual residential drivewaysshould only intersect with local streets andshould be prohibited from intersecting witharterials. It is not always appropriate thatcommercial driveways intersect withcollectors and arterials because of the highertrip generation associated with these types ofdevelopments. By combining driveways,reducing lengths of commercial strips, andproviding reverse frontage roads, manyconflict points can be eliminated. In manycases, however, these intersections willcarry as much traffic as the intersectionbetween two arterials making the connectiona necessity. For example, the main HudsonValley Mall entrance with Route 9W carries6,600 vehicles per day on a typical weekdayand much higher seasonal volumes.Restrict the Numberof Driveways per LotIn Ulster County, there have been manyparcels developed in the past withmultiple driveways for one lot.Municipalities can establish standards toallow only one driveway per parcel,with special conditions for additionaldriveways (e.g. for corner lots allowingone driveway per street). The standardcould be established as part of zoningandsubdivisionstatutes.Implementation would occur during siteplan and subdivision approval. Parcelsthat were subdivided later, would bepermitted only one shared driveway toserve the original lot and any newparcels .Driveway ControlEliminate - where possible, drivewaysshould be eliminated. Access, if neededcan be alternatively satisfied fromsecondary or side roads.Minimize – where access is required,techniques such as reverse frontageroads and allowing only one curb-cut peruse are available.Restrict – restrictions on turningmovements eliminate conflict points.Locate – adequate separation fromintersections and other driveways arekey safety considerationsDesign – turning radius and throatlength all play a role in reducing conflictpoints and increasing driver reactiontime.The historic patterns of development alongroads in Ulster County make the strictapplication of this hierarchical principleimpossible. Residential driveways exist inthe County that intersect with arterials andcollectors. The goal should be to applythese principals as part of redevelopmentapprovals as well as where futuredevelopment continues .Source: Center for Urban Transportation ResearchAccess Management Guidelines6

Provide Adequate Driveway SpacingFrom & Between IntersectionsDriveways near intersections createincreased conflicts between vehicleswaiting at traffic signals or stop signs andvehicles turning into and out of thedriveways. If the driveway is on theupstream side of an intersection, turningvehicles can have an impact on the queueswaiting at traffic signals.On thedownstream side, turning vehicles can slowthrough traffic movements. In extremesituations as motorists’ frustrations increase,they may block the flow in one direction onthe main street while waiting to make a leftturn.Since most developments at intersections areon corner lots, the potential also exists fortraffic to cut through parking lots if drivewaysare provided on both sides of the lot.There are a number of typical standards thathave been proposed for distances from theedge of an intersection to the first driveway.One principle is that there should be nodriveways entering within an intersection’sfunctional area.The functional area isdefined as the length of typical peak hourqueue or the length of intersection turninglanes. A sample standard is shown below.These types of standards can be adapted intothe zoning statute in several ways including anoverlay zone covering critical corridors.Communities can and should restrict hightraffic volume uses where they cannot be metMinimum Corner Clearance on Minor RoadwayDriveway Spacing Standards for Canandaigua and FarmingtonSource: Transportation & Land Development 1988Type rgeDevelopmentTrips Generated0 – 150Peak Hour Trips151-300Peak Hour Trips301 Peak Hour Trips220 feet betweendriveways330 feet betweendriveways550 feet betweendriveways150 feet betweendriveways250 feet betweendriveways400 feet betweendrivewaysType of RoadwayAll State RoadsLocal Streets &CollectorsSource: “Farmington, New York Ordinance Local Law”, M.T.O.D. Major Thoroughfare Overlay District Access Management Law.7Access Management Guidelines

Between DrivewaysAdequatespacingbetweendrivewaysincreases driver reaction time and reduces thepotential for accidents from entering andexiting vehicles. Restrictions on drivewayspacing also encourage the sharing of accessamong smaller parcels. The spacing alsoallows more green space and building frontagealong the highway that improves communitycharacter.Communities should establishgreater minimum lot frontages for lots onimportant corridors to reduce the need forclosely spaced drives.In additionconsideration should be given to increasing lotsize and assuring that zoning district linesencourage a suitable depth of developmentrather than a commercial strip.Thiscombination allows flexibility in site designand encourages placement that not onlypromotes access management but also protectsthe development potential of the corridor.Besides the spacing distance betweendriveways, a number of other actions canbe applied to reduce the conflicts atdriveways including: Provide full access on the side streetsrather than on the main street Provide right in and right out access onthe main street Reduce the number of curb cuts servingexisting parcels Eliminate open curb areasEliminate open curb areasSource: Iowa Access Management HandbookAccess Management Guidelines8

Establish DrivewaySpecificationsand Utilize ChannelizationThe ease with which vehicles canenter and leave the main roadwayhas a significant impact on through trafficoperations. Good driveway design willallow vehicles to enter roadsidedevelopments smoothly and reducevehicle slowing and stopping that affectsthrough traffic.At a minimum alldriveway widths, curb radii, throatlengths, and grades should meet standardsestablished in the NYSDOT Policy andStandards for Entrances to StateHighways.These standards can beexceeded by local policy.Sight DistanceSight distance from driveways isanother important consideration. Ifthere is not adequate sight distance forturning movements to and from adevelopment, drivers may hesitate asthey leave a development or as they aremaking left turns in. Sight distancestandards are also provided in thePolicy and Standards.Turn RadiusSmooth Traffic FlowSlow Traffic FlowSource: Iowa Access Management HandbookFrom: "Guidelines for Driveway Design & Location", ITE9Access Management Guidelines

Throat LengthEntering and exiting driveway throatlength is critical to adequate design.Throat length should be sized so thatstacking and queuing occurs on the site.With larger projects, a traffic study canbest determine adequate throat length.For smaller projects, communitiesshould adopt policies that insure driverscan exit the traffic stream withoutencountering conflict. Nowhere is thismore important than at small site, highintensity uses such as conveniencestores. The difference between a goodand bad design is shown below:ChannelizationChannelization islands are used toregulate turns into a driveway from themajor street.They are critical toencourage compliance with turningrestrictions. When they are used withouta street median, there will be someviolations but, with proper design, theyare much more effective than signingalone. When used on a corner parcel, theystill allow some access to the major streetwith the potential for full access on theminor street.Three types of design are possible – allmovements in rights out only, allmovements out rights in only, and rightsin and rights out only.Channelizing prevents left-turn egressChannelizing prevents left-turnegress & ingressChannelizing prevents left-turn ingressInsufficient throat length and poor siteplanning can cause unsafe conditionsSource: Iowa Access Management HandbookAdequate throat length - Stacking & queuingon-site - less confusion greater safety.Source: Iowa Access Management HandbookAccess Management Guidelines10

Roadway DesignThe Toolbox contains several roadwaydesign techniques that meet thedefinition of access management. Applied toexisting corridors the techniques can increasecapacity and improve safety.Provide Uniform Signal SpacingThe objective of uniform signal spacing is toallow smooth progression for the major trafficmovements on the highway system. This isaccomplished by timing the signals so thattraffic moves in groups between intersectionsat a constant speed. Signal timing can beused to control speed because the signaltiming is set for a specific speed. Forexample, if the timing is set for a 30 mile perhour speed, drivers traveling at 40 miles perhour will be stopped by red signals as theytravel through the corridor, while those going30 mph will have a smooth ride.In Ulster County, many signal locations havebeen dictated by the existing roadwayconfiguration and therefore may not meetideal standards. However, as development inthe County continues, there will be requestsfor new signals. Approval of these should bebased on instituting and maintainingappropriate spacing.11Access Management GuidelinesRecommendedsignalspacingvariesdepending on the roadway functional class,speed limit, adjacent land use, and tripgeneration from adjacent land uses.Standards suggested for ideal signalplacements are discussed below: Typically, a ½-mile interval betweensignals is a minimum reasonable standardbecause it allows for progressive flows tobe established at a variety of speeds andtraffic flow conditions. Wherepossible,majorarterialintersection spacing should be 1 mile.This is because the traffic volumes onboth approaches to the intersection maybe part of a progressive system and thelonger distance permits more flexibilityin the development of signal timingplans. Shorter intervals are possible whereminor streets with lower volumes areentering an arterial. In these cases, theminor street can be traffic-actuated sothat the green time on the major street islonger.

Provide Left- and Right-Turn LanesTurning lanes offer particularly attractiveretrofits to alleviate problems that occur astraffic builds along the road network.Inaddition, they are often the first techniqueemployed for new projects to maintain highwaycapacity at project intersections. Even wherecapacity is not an issue, turning lanes have a rolein accident reduction with rear end and left-turncrashes reduced by as much as 25 %. Left-turnlanes are most effective as left-turning vehiclesblock traffic as they wait for an opening to maketheir turn.Critical components in the design of turnlanes include the length of the taper (theangled transition area between the turninglane and the through lane), the length of theturning lane itself, and the width of theturning lane. The length of left-turn lanes isespecially critical because if the lane is notlong enough, queues of left-turning vehiclescan form that will block through traffic.Standards for the dimensions of turn lanesare provided in the NYSDOT HighwayDesign Manual, Chapter 5.Standards have been established for turning lanesthat should be applied as local municipalitiesreview site plans. These standards relate thespeed, the amount of through traffic, and theamount of turning traffic to determine if turnlanes are needed. Development site reviewsshould reference these standards which areavailable from the American Association of StateHighway and Transportation Officials , “A Policyon Geometric Design of Highways and Streets”and from the National Cooperative HighwayResearch Program, Report 279.Before: 11 Traffic ConflictsAfter: 6 Traffic Conflicts - Left-turningvehicles separated from through trafficReduction in traffic conflict pointsfrom conversion of a driveway on a 4lane undivided roadway to a drivewayon a 4-lane roadway with a raisedmedian and a restricted left-turn lane.Access Management Guidelines12

Provide Continuous Two-Way LeftTurn LaneMany locations in Ulster County alreadyhave numerous curb cuts onto arterialroadways. These locations can be improvedsomewhatusingtheotheraccessmanagement techniques described in thismanual, but there will still be an excessivenumber of curb cuts. In these circumstances,use of a continuous left-hand turn lane offersa method to reduce the impact of turningvehicles on through traffic. These lanesprovide a refuge for left-turning vehiclesseparated from the through traffic lanes.Continuous Two-Way Left-Turn LaneProvide Medians to Limit TurningMovementsContinuous left-turn lanes can be added to 2lane or 4-lane sections of existing roadway ifthere is sufficient right of way available.Research has shown that they can reducecrashes by about 35% over comparableundivided highway segments. They alsoincrease capacity and reduce vehicleconflicts. At the same time, they are not assafe as a divided highway with a raisedcenter median. Guidelines indicate that theyare appropriate for roadways that carry up to24,000 vehicles per day and have at least 45curb cuts per mile.Care should be taken not to provide thesetwo-way turn lanes in areas where there areheavy driveway volumes from majordevelopments. In these locations, dedicatedleft-turn lanes should be used. Use of theselanes is also incompatible with locationswhere there are heavy pedestrian crossingvolumes because they do not provide forpedestrian refuge areas. Therefore, they arenot appropriate for the hamlet areas of theCounty. Finally, in no instances should theuse of continuous left-hand turn lane beconsidered for developing corridors whenother access management techniques can beutilized. Design of two-way left-turn lanesshould follow the specifications in Chapters2 and 5 of the NYSDOT Highway DesignManual. Standards include: 13Access Management GuidelinesA minimum width of 11’ and amaximum width of 16’Specific pavement marking detailsMedians restrict turning movements toright turns to and from driveways. Insome areas where there is very limitedright of way, they can be establishedusing concrete barriers. These are notattractive usually do not reflect localaesthetic goals. A more attractive andjust as effective technique provideslandscaped medians. These serve thedual function as community gatewaysand traffic safety devices. When amedian is added, left turns are made withturning lanes at intersections. The resultis greater capacity in the corridor and asignificant reduction, 35 to 50 %, incrashes on a roadway with previouslyunrestricted access.

Provide Frontage and Parallel RoadsIn areas of new development, frontage andparallel roads provide an opportunity toseparate through traffic from trafficaccessing development. A frontage road isgenerally built between an existing arterialand the proposed development. A parallelroad (sometimes referred to as a reversefrontage road) can also be provided behindexisting development. Two examples of theparallel roads currently exist in UlsterCounty – Frank Sottile Boulevard in theMunicipality of Ulster and South RobertsLane in the Municipality of Lloyd. Thefunctional purpose of these roadwaysillustrates two different uses. Frank SottileBoulevard was designed as a limited accessroadway with minimal connections toadjacent roadways. Its primary function(when it is fully completed) will be toprovide a bypass for Route 9W. In contrast,South Roberts Lane is designed to serve theadjacent land and development whilethrough traffic remains on Route 9W.Frontage roads also are applicable on localroads as part of the subdivision reviewprocess to reduce driveways on local streets(see Driveway Control).As is evident from the current Ulsterexperience, there are a number of alternativeconfigurations that can be utilized for thistype of improvement.Frontage roads can access the main roadwayat existing intersections or mid-blocklocations. They can be applied successfullyfor both commercial and residentialdevelopment.In designing these roads, standard guidelinesshould be followed that include: Adequate queuing distance between thefrontage road and the main roadClear traffic control at the drivewayconnections to the frontage roadSufficient pavement design standardsthat meet Municipality requirements ifthe roads are built as part ofdevelopment projectsConsistency with long-range land useplans for the area so that futureconnections between the frontage roadand the main road will be maintained.Access control to the frontage road thatfollows driveway spacing and designprinciplesFrontage roads should be included incorridor and growth area plans so that accessto large tracts of commercial land adjacentto arterials will not effect through traffic.Providing these roads is one of the bestactions that a municipality can take tomaintain the viability of its highway systemand insure that growth can take place wherethe community wants it.Access Management Guidelines14

Site LayoutUltimately, while transportation agencies caninitiate access management techniques, itssuccess requires a commitment from localgovernments in all phases of their planningprograms. Zoning, subdivision regulations,and comprehensive planning must all supportthe goals of access management. The Toolboxcontains several techniques that can be utilizedas part of site layout.Internal Access ConnectionsInternal access connections for developmentsare an alternative to

Access Management Guidelines 6 Driveway Control s the title suggests, some of the most important techniques in access management relate to control of driveways. Tools are available to eliminate, minimize, restrict, design and locate. Limit Driveway Connections Private individual residential driveways should only intersect with local streets and