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1. Public Roads: [Reserved]
2. Private Roads: [Reserved]
3. Internal Site Circulation:
A. Ingress And Egress:
(1) Access driveways providing reasonable access to required private or public parking areas including garages may extend through the front or street side setback in a perpendicular manner provided they comply with Section 11-07-04.3.B, below.
(2) Driveways that extend through the setback in other than a perpendicular manner may be approved due to physical limitations of the site or for aesthetic or safety purposes. The Director may approve driveways upon a determination that the following:
(a) The driveway is required to enhance the aesthetics of the site such as preserving existing trees; or
(b) The driveway is required for safety reasons such as avoiding backing into a busy street or a street with limited motorist visibility.
(3) Driveways that are not approved by the Director require a variance from the PZC or Hearing Examiner.
B. Service Drives:
(1) Standards:
(a) Service drives may not land lock adjacent property or interfere with the continuity of public streets.
(b) Service drives must not encourage or promote pass through between public or private streets.
(c) Service drives shall intersect a street at a 90 degree angle, unless otherwise approved by the Ada County Highway District.
(d) Drive through lanes shall be at least ten feet in width.
(e) One way service drives shall be at least ten feet in width.
(f) Two-way service drives shall be at least twenty feet in width.
(g) The width of a service drive at the intersection of a street shall be twenty feet.
(h) The width of a service drive between building appurtenances such as carport overhangs shall be at least twenty four feet.
(2) Widths:
(a) Drive through lanes and associated escape lanes shall each be a minimum of ten feet wide.
(b) A driveway for a single-family dwelling and for a two-family dwelling may be a minimum of nine feet wide.
(c) One-way service drives without parking on either side shall be a minimum of ten feet wide. Two-way service drives without parking on either side shall be a minimum of 20 feet wide.
(d) Garages shall be setback 20 feet or greater, or between three and eight feet from the edge of the service drive. The combined width of the service drive and the garage setback shall be a minimum of 28 feet.
(e) Except at the intersection of a service drive and public road, the service drive shall be narrowed to 20 feet where occupied by a crosswalk.
(f) 24 feet of clear width shall be maintained between building appurtenances, such as carport overhangs, that border service drives.
(g) Service drives shall comply with Fire Department standards before the service drive is used as a fire access drive.
(3) Grade: Maximum grade for service drives shall be ten percent unless a steeper grade is specifically approved by the City Engineer and the Fire Chief. A maximum grade of two percent, unless specifically approved by the ACHD and City Engineer, shall be required for the initial 80 feet from the intersecting curb to provide a landing at the junction of the service drive and the public right-of-way.
(4) Drives That Serve More Than 40 Dwelling Units: Service drives that serve more than 40 dwelling units will be designed based upon the standards of this Code and by a traffic plan prepared by a traffic engineer, submitted to and approved by the Director and the Public Works Department for the interior roadway and parking system. The required transportation plan shall include the following information:
(a) The adequacy of approach streets and highways to accommodate development traffic;
(b) The need to expand or modify existing facilities; the locations and design of development driveways; and
(c) Provisions for pedestrian and bicycle facilities that address the following:
i. consideration for service/emergency vehicular movement;
ii. safety for vehicular and pedestrian traffic;
iii. livability of the residential environment;
iv. economy of land use, construction and maintenance; and
v. a recommended street layout and dimensional standards. This requirement may be waived when it can be shown by the applicant that no section of on-site roadway will exceed 240 vehicles per day.
C. Minimize Driveways: As a means to improve traffic safety and to improve the visual quality of an area, the number of driveway intersections with public or private roadway in residential projects shall be minimized. Use of parking courts, alleys, and common driveways is strongly encouraged.
4. Pedestrian Access: The development shall provide sidewalks and crosswalks that link transit stations, parking areas, buildings, open spaces, and adjacent pathways. Sidewalks shall be at least four feet wide, sited and illuminated to provide safe passage and observation of the pathway route. Sidewalk crossings of service drives shall be provided and clearly distinguished from the service drive.
5. Micro-Paths:
A. Purpose: To encourage non-motorized forms of travel, and to provide safe, convenient, and aesthetic alternative travel routes to common destinations such as schools, parks, and shopping centers.
B. General Provisions:
(1) Micro-paths shall be utilized:
(a) where there are no sidewalks for safe and direct pedestrian access to the common destinations identified above;
(b) to connect with a regional path system; or
(c) to provide pedestrian connections from an internal to an external street.
(2) The following factors will be considered in the location of any micro path:
(a) the utility and need for a given path;
(b) impacts to existing neighborhoods;
(c) pathway design as it relates to both crime prevention and function; and
(d) the responsibilities of ownership, maintenance, and liability.
C. Location:
(1) The city shall require the creation and maintenance of micro-paths (except in cases where it is shown to be inappropriate) that provide access to the following facilities when adjacent to the new development:
(a) Existing or proposed schools,
(b) Existing or proposed public parks,
(c) Neighborhoods,
(d) Shopping areas,
(e) Public land,
(f) Transportation or other community facilities,
(g) Adopted pathway elements of the Boise Metro Plan including but not limited to: Ridge-to-Rivers Pathway Plan, the Parks Comprehensive Plan and the Downtown Plan,
(h) Vacant parcels, held either publicly or privately, that could provide future neighborhood connection(s) to the above noted sites, and
(i) In similar cases, where deemed appropriate.
(2) In addition, micro-paths may be required to connect sites other than those noted above:
(a) When there is evidence that a pedestrian/cyclist would otherwise be forced to travel along a roadway that may be hazardous for non-motorized forms of travel, in order to reach the desired destination; or
(b) When the pedestrian/cyclist would otherwise have to travel a distance of more than one-half mile alongside a local or collector roadway in order to reach the desired destination.
D. Design: While the city may exercise considerable discretion in determining the design of micro-paths, the following minimum standards should be followed:
(1) The paved portion of the micro-pathway may range from seven to ten feet in width. Generally, micro-paths that receive high use will be wider. Barriers may be placed at the terminal ends of paths to restrict use by motor vehicles while allowing use by bicycles, wheel chairs, and other modes of travel.
(2) A five-foot wide landscaped area/building and fence setback, as measured from both edges of the paved micro- path, shall be required, and will be owned by either the abutting property owner(s) or a home owners association unless accepted by a public entity. For safety purposes, planting material in this area is limited to three feet in height. The landscape, fence, and building regulations for this area shall be indicated by a note on the plat.
(3) In order to design for crime prevention the following design standards will be followed:
(a) Fencing that provides better visibility from adjacent homes or buildings. If solid fencing is used, it may not exceed four feet in height.
(b) Lighting may be required by Department of Public Works, and shall be owned and maintained by the city.
(c) The use of corners and curves in the design of micro-paths is discouraged.
(d) The placement of micro-paths that link high use public areas such as shopping malls with neighborhoods will be subject to review and recommendation by the Police Department.
(4) Micro-pathway standards in foothill projects may be varied to take into consideration topography, soils, and drainage. Typically in areas of steep slopes these trails should not be paved unless erosion is evident, may curve to follow the contour, may be narrow to limit disturbance, may take advantage of existing landscape features, and would not require lighting.
E. Site Development Standards: With the exception of single- family subdivisions, development proposals shall be in substantial compliance with the following requirements:
(1) Lighting and sidewalks shall be designed to encourage pedestrian access and security.
(2) Pathways shall have convenient connections within the development core and between surrounding neighborhoods and parking facilities.
(3) Safe, secure, and convenient bicycle storage areas will be provided and storage/rack facilities shall comply with standards adopted by the Boise Parks and Recreation Department.
(4) Pedestrian and bicycle circulation within the project shall be designed to minimize conflicts and hazards with motor vehicles.
F. Responsibility: The following provisions are intended to provide guidance to those entities that are responsible for construction, maintenance, and/or liability for a micro- path.
(1) No Clear Responsible Entity: Micro-paths for which there is no clear responsible entity may be reserved for future use by granting an easement to the city. If no entity accepts responsibility for the micro-pathway within the period of time specified in the easement, then the full use of the property will revert to the property owner and the easement shall terminate.