3A General

3A.01 Purpose

These Transportation Design Standards are intended to provide for an integrated transportation system for all transportation modes, including pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and motor vehicle. The purpose of these standards is to regulate new development and redevelopment of previously developed sites within the corporate limits of the City of Asheville.

3A.02 Standards Addressed

These Transportation Design Standards are intended to address the design of the following components of the City of Asheville transportation system:

∙    Streets

   ∙    Street Types Defined

   ∙    Street Width and Curbing Design

   ∙    Street Geometric Design

   ∙    Sight Distance Requirements

∙    Driveways

∙    Sidewalks

∙    Bicycle Facilities

∙    Off-Street Path Systems

∙    Transit Facilities

3B Streets

Streets are the most important part of Asheville’s transportation system. Ideal street design must accommodate all modes of transportation (motor vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, and transit), although there are certain street classes, such as alleys, that have specialized purposes. Residential streets should provide connectivity while discouraging high-speed cut-through traffic.

The standards in this section are required for new public and private streets constructed within the corporate limits of the City of Asheville.

3B.01 Street Types Defined

Low impact – A public or private street providing primary access in steep slope and/or ridge top areas. In addition, a low impact street may be identified as a street that is designed and constructed to minimize stormwater runoff through surface treatment and infiltration (using swales and other type of filtering and retention) or designed and constructed as access for minor subdivisions of less than 15 single family homes.

Alley - A public or private way providing secondary or service access to abutting property. All new alleys are to be privately-maintained with measures to ensure the travelway is not obstructed in any manner, including by parking.

Alternate Access - A private way providing primary access to four or fewer single family residential lots.

Local - A public or private street providing primary access to a limited number of abutting properties.

Collector- A public or private street “collecting” traffic from local streets and carrying it to arterial streets while providing primary access to abutting properties.

Arterial - A public street carrying large volumes of through traffic while providing primary access to abutting properties, which are typically developed with commercial, industrial, or multifamily residential uses.

Figure 3-1: General Street Layout

Table 3-1 : Street Width and Curbing Design Standards

Design Element	Description	Street Classification
		Low Impact	Alley	Alternate Access	Local	Collector - Urban	Collector - Suburban	Arterial
A	Right-of-Way Width	32’-40	20’-30’	20’	50’	60’, 68’-72’*	62’, 70’-84’*	All Design Elements Based on Traffic Study Findings
B	Setback From Right-of-Way	N/A	N/A	N/A	1.5’	3’	1’
C	Sidewalk Width	N/A	N/A	N/A	**	**	**
D	Utility Strip Width	N/A	N/A	N/A	**	**	**
E	Curb & Gutter Width	2.5	2.5’	2.5’	2.5’	2.5’	2.5’
	Curb Type Allowed	a, b, c	a, b, c	a, b, c	a, b	b	b
F	Bicycle Lanes	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/R	4’-6’*	4’-6’*
G	Street Pavement Width	20’	12’-16’	12’-16’***	22’	30’-40’	30-40’
Key: *   The larger right-of-way width ranges for Collector-Urban (68’-72’) and Collector-Suburban (70’-84’) is necessary when bicycle lanes are required on one or both sides of street. **   See Sidewalk Design “Tables 3-18: Sidewalk, Utility Strip and Setback Dimensions for Local Streets” and “3-19: Sidewalk, Utility Strip and Setback Dimensions for Collector & Arterial Streets”. ***   Includes horizontal portion of curb. Curb Types a=Valley (see “Standard Detail 3.10a: Valley Curb Detail”) - allowed when associated street grades do not exceed 5% and when consistent with existing curbing in the area b=Vertical (see “Standard Detail 3.11: Standard Curb and Gutter” or “3.11A Standard Stand-up, Mountable & Median Curb”) c=None Bicycle Lanes As indicated in “Table 3:19: Sidewalk, Utility Strip and Setback Dimensions for Collector & Arterial Streets”, bicycle lanes are not appropriate in all cases, and will be replaced by striped shoulders, unmarked space reservation, or other facilities at the determination of the City Engineer or his/her designee. Where there is on-street parking adjacent to bicycles parallel or back in parking is preferred. Parking On street parking is to be approved on a case by case basis by the City Engineer or his/her designee.

 

3C Streets - Geometric Design

3C.01 Composition

The right-of-way width required for new streets may include the following elements:

∙    The paved roadway section including travel lanes, turning and acceleration or deceleration lanes, transit lanes, bicycle lanes, and parking lanes

∙    Curbs and gutters or drainage swales (drainage swales must be designed in accordance with “Section 8 - Stormwater” of this manual)

∙    Roadside and median landscaping areas

∙    Sidewalks and multi-use paths

∙    Any necessary utility corridors