(A) The city shall use the best design standards and recommendations available to maximize design flexibility and innovation for balanced user and modal needs in our rural community. This includes a shift toward designing at the human scale for the needs and comfort of pedestrians. Street layout, width, operating speeds, hierarchy of streets, and connectivity should consider all types of travelers, not just cars. Design criteria shall not be purely prescriptive but shall be based on the thoughtful application of engineering, architectural, urban, and rural design principles.
(B) At a minimum, design components should include:
(1) Sidewalks and crosswalks;
(2) Bike and shared lanes;
(3) Wide shoulders;
(4) Refuge medians;
(5) Bus pullouts;
(6) Raised crosswalks;
(7) Audible pedestrian signals;
(8) Pedestrian countdown signals;
(9) Sidewalk bump outs;
(10) Bus priority signals;
(11) Transit stop accommodation;
(12) Road diets;
(13) Access management;
(14) Roundabout intersections;
(15) Traffic calming strategies; and
(16) On-street parking.
(C) Other important elements to consider incorporating:
(1) Green streets. In addition to providing safe and accessible streets in the city, care shall be given to incorporate best management practices for addressing storm water runoff. Wherever possible, innovative and educational storm water infrastructure shall be integrated in to the construction, reconstruction, or retrofit of a street.
(2) Attention to aesthetic. Complete streets are beautiful, interesting, and comfortable places for people. The design of a city begins with the design of streets, as a community places where people want to be. As part of the city's public realm, streets shall be held to a higher standard for design at a human scale. Multi-modal accommodations and all city projects in the right- of-way shall be approached as opportunities to enhance the aesthetic qualities of the city through the thoughtful creation of place. Wherever feasible, streetscapes shall include:
(a) Trees;
(b) Native plants;
(c) Landscape architecture elements;
(d) Public art;
(e) Pedestrian amenities;
(f) Parklets;
(g) Wayfinding signage;
(h) Sidewalk cafes and street-facing retail;
(i) Bike racks;
(j) Benches;
(k) Trash and recycling collectors;
(l) Decorative lamp posts;
(m) Welcome signage;
(n) Bricks and pavers for crossings;
(o) Water stations; and
(p) Any other elements that enhance the attractiveness of the city for healthy lifestyles and healthy economic growth.
(D) Guiding resources shall include but not be limited to the:
(1) Indiana Department of Transportation;
(2) INDOT Smart Complete Streets Guidelines;
(3) Documents and plans created for and approved by the city, including, but not limited to, the comprehensive plan and the bicycle and pedestrian master plan;
(4) Title VI/environmental justice;
(5) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices;
(6) American Association of State Highway Officials;
(7) Institute of Transportation Engineers;
(8) National Association of City Transportation Officials;
(9) Americans with Disabilities Act;
(10) Public right-of-way accessibility guidelines;
(11) U.S. Department of Transportation Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations;
(12) U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration's Manual of Uniform Traffic Design Control;
(13) U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration Traffic Monitoring Guide;
(14) National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Street Design Guide;
(15) National Association of City Transportation Officials Urban Bikeway Design Guide;
(16) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Official's Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets;
(17) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide for Planning, Designing, and Operating Pedestrian Facilities;
(18) ITE Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach; and
(19) Municipal topographic map.
(E) In recognition of the various contexts and needs of many users, a flexible, innovative, and balanced approach that follows other appropriate design standards may be considered, provided that a comparable level of safety for all users is present.
(Ord. 10-2018, passed 4-10-18)