Official Streets And Highways Plan - Anchorage, Alaska

Official Streets and Highways Planhighway system needed to meet long rangetransportation goals over the next 25-yearperiod.committee was instrumental in this updateprocess, as well.2.22.0PLAN DEVELOPMENT2.1ProcessSystem ClassificationThe Official Streets and Highways Planrecommends and identifies a system of streetsand highways. Based upon the function of agiven street or highway, a roadway isclassified to best reflect its primary use, bothcurrent and projected. The first step indeveloping a street classification is to groupall streets by present function. A goodclassification plan calls for a network ofstreets that integrates commercial andindustrial development, schools, parks,residential areas, and highways. It shouldsupport land use objectives and at the sametime provide for improved traffic circulation.Development of the OS&HP involves theidentification of problem areas within thepresent system of streets and highways and aprojection of highway needs in the future.Service level deficiencies are principally usedto identify the extent of existing and futuretraffic problems.TheLong-RangeTransportationPlan,developed through the AMATS planningprocess, is used to identify current and futuresystem deficiencies. Following identificationof these system deficiencies, alternative streetand highway networks are incrementallydeveloped to determine specific highwayimprovements necessary to achieve anacceptable highway system which willadequately accommodate demands placedupon it. The development of this OS&HPrelied upon the findings drawn from thesealternative network analyses.SubareaSome of the factors involved in designatingstreets for an appropriate system are thetravel desires of automobile, truck, and transitusers; the access needs of adjacent landdevelopment; the network pattern of existingstreets; and existing and proposed land uses.A street classification plan reflects the locationof traffic generators, the amount and locationof through traffic movement, and the accessneeds of abutting property. In evaluatingthese factors, present and future trafficrequirements as well as land use patterns ofthe area, must be considered.studies were completed which providedadditional information and identifiedlocal needs.A Citizens’ Forum on the OS&HP Updateprovided an important contribution to theprocess.This panel was composed ofrepresentatives of each of the communitycouncils within the Anchorage Bowl. Withtechnical staff, the Citizens’ Forum reviewedand recommended changes to the 1985OS&HP which formed the basis of this Plan.Information used in classifying streets intosystems is obtained from origin-destinationdata, traffic volume counts, and streetinventories. Other information, such as landuse data and prospective commercial,industrial, and residential development, willindicate requirements for access.Preservation of neighborhoods by diverting throughtraffic should also be a basic objective.Collection and distribution of local trafficwithin a neighborhood, as well as access toabutting property, should be provided by aThe Chugiak/Eagle River Area map wasupdated during the development andadoption of the Chugiak/Eagle RiverTransportation Plan.A citizens reviewPage 2

Official Streets and Highways Planseparate street system which interconnects tothe through traffic street system.of service that a street system providesdepends on how well each street isperforming in relation to its primary cs.The Official Streets and Highways Planidentifies and recommends a system of roadsand streets, including freeways, expressways,major and minor arterials, and collectorstreets required to meet the Municipality’sfuture traffic needs. The plan shows a basicgrid system somewhat modified bytopography, present land uses, and theexisting street system. These street systemswere developed following extensive analysesperformed during the long-range planningprocess, and also reflect the findings ofseveral sub-area studies performed, includingthe Chugiak/Eagle River/Eklutna, Sand Lakeand Goose Lake areas.A.The term "freeway" means a limited access,high-speed road with grade-separatedinterchanges. The freeway has only onefunction:to carry traffic. Because it isspecialized with controlled access, no parking,and no at-grade intersections, it is a highlyefficient transporter of goods and people. Thefreeway is a major barrier separating landuses on one side from those on the other. Thecost of building freeways is very high,principally because of the cost of takingdeveloped urban lands for right-of-ways, butalso because of the special constructionrequirements of the Anchorage area. Becauseof its economic cost, as well as social andenvironmental impacts, the need for new,additional freeway facilities must be carefullyevaluated.The system of freeways, expressways, majorand minor arterials, and collector streetsrecommended in the OS&HP, reflect the goalsandobjectivesoftheLong-RangeTransportation Plan which seeks to provide atransportation system that enhances the socialand economic aspects of the region byminimizingneighborhoodtraffic,displacement of residential and employmentopportunities, the impact on aestheticqualities, and environmental impacts. It alsoseeks to provide safe and economical mobilityto all people by maximizing the safety of thehighway system and by minimizing costs.Finally, the OS&HP supports the long rangegoal of providing a system that can movepeople and goods in the most efficient andcost effective manner.3.0PLAN ELEMENTS3.1Street and HighwayCharacteristics - - GuidelinesFreewaysThe following general guidelines should befollowed in planning for and phasing freewayconstruction in the Municipality: Freeways should either connect or provideeasy access to major traffic generatorsthroughout the urban area. They shouldalso be designed to handle through traffic.The latter should be a secondaryconsideration given the small percentageof total trips that are classified as throughtrips within the urban area. The freeway should be located so it willnot bisect communities, neighborhoods orother areas whose function would beimpaired by such construction, nor erect abarrier between populated areas andrecreation areas. Where such an area isbisected, provision should be made foraccess across the freeway, particularly atthose locations where fairly extensiveThe purpose of a highway system reflectswhether efficient through movement or directaccess to property is the main servicerequirement. Movement or access should beobtained with maximum safety. The qualityPage 3

Official Streets and Highways PlanIn order to ensure that expresswayseffectively perform their through trafficfunction and are designed to limit at-gradeaccess connections, the following guidelinesin expressway location and developmentshould be followed: Expressways should function as throughtrafficroadways,connectingmajoremployment and activity centers withresidential areas or serving as bypassroutes for areawide through trips. Expressways should be designed for eitherfull or partial access control. Residentialand collector streets, or private drivewayconnections, should not access ontoexpressways. Subdivisions should bedeveloped with reverse-lot design toprevent direct access from residential lotsor small clusters of such lots. Expressways should be located so they willnot bisect neighborhoods, communities, orother areas whose function would beimpaired by the construction andoperation of these facilities. Provision forsafe pedestrian crossing should beprovided in activity areas. Satisfactoryprovision for landscaping, in order tobuffer the effect of vehicular operationupon adjacent areas, improve aesthetics,and serve as major entrances to andthrough the community should also beincluded.pedestrian movement can be expected inthe future. Construction of freeways should only beconsidered when the arterial systemcannot meet the demand placed upon it.Traffic volumes must be well in excess ofthe design capacity of major arterialsbefore freeway construction is considered.The total cost of freeway construction,including Socio-Economic costs must bedetermined to insure the best route isselected.Satisfactoryprovisionforlandscaping, in order to provide a buffer,improve aesthetics, and serve as majorentrances to and through the communityshould also be included.B.ExpresswaysAn expressway is commonly defined as adivided arterial highway for through trafficwith full or partial control of access, withintersections either at grade or gradeseparated. It is distinguished from a freewayby the latter’s full control of access.Partial access entails the control of access togive preference to through traffic but withprovision for selected, limited crossings atgrade.Expressways may be furtherdistinguished by their somewhat slowerdesignspeedsandreduceddesignrequirements for vertical and horizontalalignments. Because access can be providedthrough normal intersectional design ratherthan through interchanges and becausedesign requirements are somewhat lessstringent than for freeways, expressways canbe considerably less expensive. In effect,expressways perform many of the functionsof, and are designed similar to major arterials.They differ from arterials in that the control ofaccess is considerably more stringent, and isnormally limited to major/minor arterialconnections.C.Arterial Streets and HighwaysThe first and most important function ofarterials is to move large volumes of vehiclesand goods. Usually they accommodate longertrips, as from one part of the community toanother. Access to adjacent lands should be asecondary consideration for an arterial.Major and minor arterials, in addition toserving the functions of moving largevolumes of traffic, also serve as routes forutilities and as a means of providing access toopen space. However, arterials should bePage 4

Official Streets and Highways Planto a lesser degree on minor arterials thanon major arterials.In order to best perform their function withthe least amount of disruption to the community, the following guidelines in thedevelopment and location of arterials shouldbe followed:primarily designed for the movement oftraffic, with compromises only as necessary toservice adjoining properties. These facilitiesshould be landscaped and include provisionfor the control of driveway and curb access.The intent of this plan is to provide for theminimization of uncontrolled access, in orderto both reduce conflicting vehicularmovements and increase their traffic carryingcapacity. The differences between major andminor arterials stem from their intendedaccess and traffic carrying functions. Thefollowing definitions generally identify theprincipal distinctions between the two typesof facilities.1. Major Arterials: Major arterials should provide directlinkage between major employment andactivity centers and connect these centerswith large residential areas. They shouldprovide little or no direct land accessfunction. Major arterials should serve as a primarydistribution system to and from freewaysand expressways.In addition, theyshould provide major parallel trafficroutes to the freeway system. Futuresubdivisions along major arterials shouldbe designed to prevent direct access fromresidential lots or smaller clusters of suchlots. Commercial and industrial access tomajor arterials should be carefullycontrolled. Major arterials should not bisect thecommunity in such a way that largeresidential areas are isolated or cut offfrom major service facilities such as parksand schools. Pedestrian access to thesefacilities should be safely provided for.Satisfactory provision for landscaping inorder to buffer the areas and improveaesthetics should also be included.1. Major Arterial -- A major facility formoving large volumes of inter-area trafficand for moving traffic to and from thefreeway/expressway system. The majorarterial is designed to rapidly move largevolumes of traffic. It interconnects majortraffic generators within a city and linksimportant inter-city routes, therebyforming an integrated system within thecommunity. It also performs a secondaryland service function. Because of its trafficcarrying function, access to the arterialshould be carefully controlled.2. Minor Arterial -- Although these streetsare primarily intended to move throughtraffic, they also provide an importantland access function.However, suchaccess should be at block intervalswherever possible. They carry trafficparallel to or connecting with majorarterials, supplementing the flow on themajor system. Minor arterials have thefollowing characteristics: 1) they serve lessconcentrated traffic generating areas, suchas neighborhood shopping areas andschools; 2) they distribute traffic fromneighborhood collector streets to majorarterials, as well as between majorarterials; and 3) they should not bedeveloped to penetrate identifiableneighborhoods. Direct access is controlled2. Minor Arterials: Minor arterials should serve as thedistribution link between major arterialsand streets of lesser importance, such ascollector or residential streets. Minor arterials should serve to connectsmaller residential areas, such asresidential neighborhoods. In addition, itshould connect residential areas withthose facilities which serve one or moreneighborhoods, such as communityPage 5

Official Streets and Highways Plan D.residential districts. Such facilities should alsobe designed to minimize curb and drivewayaccess except at those locations where trafficmovement patterns may be effectivelycontrolled. Parking along collectors should bediscouraged.schools, neighborhood business areas, andrecreationalfacilities.Satisfactoryprovision for landscaping in order tobuffer areas and improve aestheticsshould also be included.Minor arterials should not divideidentifiable neighborhood areas. Wherenecessary, neighborhood areas should beconnected with safe pedestrian facilities.Minor arterials should have a significantdegree of access control with accesspreferably at not less than block intervals.Direct access to minor arterials fromindividual lots should be discouraged.The location of residential collectors isinfluenced by their function as well as by thedensityofurbandevelopmentandtopography.The following guidelines should be followedin planning for new collector streets: Collector streets should serve to collecttraffic from local streets of all types andtransmit this traffic to the arterial streetsystem or to important trip generatingactivities within small residential areas. The collector street system should bedesigned so that through traffic isdiscouraged between larger residentialareas or between larger residential areasand major activity areas. In residentialareas, collector streets should be plannedto not exceed one-half mile in length ifpossible, and to discourage continuouslinks between arterials. Collector streets should be designed toprovide priority to through traffic movement, as compared to the access functionof local streets. They should provide somedegree of access control, in order tomaximize safety and minimize trafficmaneuvering problems, and they shouldprovide a limited land service function toabutting property.New subdivisionsshould be designed to not allow directdriveway access to collectors. In areas oflow density residential development,limited direct driveway access to collectorsmay be allowed but only if the collectorstreet will not become a major link in thefuture to more densely developed areas.Reverse lot design should be used insubdivisions, in order to minimizedriveway access onto collector streets.Collector StreetsA collector street collects traffic from localstreets and then conducts it to arterials or tolocal traffic generators such as shoppingcenters, schools, community centers, or parkand recreational facilities. It may supplyabutting property with some degree of landservice but this should be avoided as much aspossible. Collector streets are designed togive priority over local streets in trafficcontrol locations. In commercial areas, trafficvolumes are often too high to permit theutilization of collectors. In these areas, localstreets are designed to connect directly withan arterial. In large industrial areas wheretraffic volumes are lower, collector streets aremore often needed.The main function of a residential collectorstreet is to conduct traffic from localresidential areas to arterials. Land accessshould be a secondary function of theresidential collector, and both curb anddriveway access should be discouragedexcept at those locations where trafficmovement patterns may be effectivelycontrolled. A collector may also function asan easement for utilities. Collectors may alsobe designed to provide access functions forcommercial and industrial development,interconnecting such areas with adjoiningPage 6

Official Streets and Highways Plan Collector streets should provide access tolocalneighborhoodschoolsandneighborhood recreation areas. Pedestrianfacilities should be provided alongcol

Official Streets and Highways Plan Maps, Policies and Standards incorporating all adopted amendments through October 2005 Prepared by . Title 21 of the Municipal Code in regard to the major highway system serving Anchorage. In a developing community such as Anchorage, the location of major and minor