This section discusses recommended changes to street design standards pertaining to walking and bicycling fatalities. Depending on the corridor under focus, standards are either dictated by the city or ODOT.
(A) ODOT Street Design Standards.
(1) Within the city, designated state highways include E Wallowa Avenue/Imna ha Highway, and the north-south corridor formed by Oregon 82, Main Street, E Eighth Street and Wallowa Lake Highway. These highways are subject to ODOT design standards, which are laid out in the agency’s Highway Design Manual (HDM), updated in 2003. The HDM standards are based on several parameters, including a highway’s functional classification and traffic volumes. Within the city limits, the HDM classifies E Wallowa Avenue/Imnaha Highway as a “Rural Major Collector”, while the Oregon 82/Main Street/Eighth Street/Wallowa Lake Highway corridor is classified as a “Rural Principal Arterial-Other”. Based on these classifications and traffic volume data collected for this plan, the HDM requires five- to eight-foot wide shoulders on E Wallowa Avenue/Imnaha Highway, and six- to eight-foot wide shoulders on the Oregon 82/Main Street/Eighth Street/Wallowa Lake Highway corridor. Rural roadway shoulders, as stated in the HDM, are intended for shared bicycle/pedestrian use. Although the HDM does not require sidewalks on these corridors, the relatively urban character of these roadways in Joseph indicates a potential need for sidewalks which are addressed by the city’s street design standards.
(2) Within the city, the segment of Oregon 82/Main Street between Russell Lane and Third Street includes ODOT’s “Special Transportation Area” (STA) designation. Within an STA, local auto, pedestrian, bicycle and transit movements on a state highway are considered equally important as the movement of thru traffic. State highways passing through STAs typically include design standards to foster a more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly environment. The HDM does not provide design standards for designated rural highways passing through STAs, but provides the following bicycle/pedestrian facility design guidance for urban highways:
(a) Thirteen- to 15-foot wide center landscaped median;
(b) Five-foot wide (minimum) striped bike lanes;
(c) Seven-foot wide minimum on-street parking lanes (or 12-foot wide combined parking/bike lanes); and
(d) Ten-foot wide curb-tight sidewalks (or a minimum six-foot wide sidewalk separated from the curb by a four-foot wide planter strip).
(3) It should be noted that on-street parking tends to increase conflicts between vehicles and cyclists, especially if parking and bicycle travel is accommodated in the same lane. In these areas, bicyclists need room to operate and safely maneuver around open car doors, side mirrors and vehicles entering or leaving parking spaces.
(4) This plan does not recommend changes to ODOTs bicycle/pedestrian facility design standards for state highways in the city, as they generally reflect sound design practices. However, as mentioned earlier, this plan recommends the inclusion of sidewalks on the urbanized portions of state highways within the city.
(B) City Street Design Standards.
(1) The Joseph TSP presents recommended design standards for city-owned streets (based on a street’s functional classification, as shown in the TSP), listed in the following table. The standards generally reflect best practices for bicycle and pedestrian facilities, although this plan recommends that the collector street design standard be revised to include striped bike lanes. Dedicated bike lanes would enhance bicyclists’ comfort and safety on these higher-order roadways. Figures below depict the city’s existing collector street design standard and the proposed design revision.
Existing and Recommended City Street Design Standards (bicycle and pedestrian facilities) | ||||||
Functional Classificati on | Bike Lanes | Sidewalks | Planter Strips | |||
Existing TSP Standard | Proposed Standard | Existing TSP Standard | Proposed Standard | Existing TSP Standard | Proposed Standard | |
Alley | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
Arterial | 5’ min. | 5’ min. | 6’ min. | 6’ min. | 7’ min. | 7’ min. |
Collector | Not required | 5’ min. | 5’ min. | 5’ min. | 7’ min. | 7’ min. |
Local | Not required | Not required | 5’ min. | 5’ min. | 7’ min. | 7’ min. |
(2) The proposed standards noted above are intended for application when new streets are built and when major reconstruction of existing streets (e.g., if a street is completely rebuilt) occurs. As the city works to complete the bicycle and pedestrian network within the current built environment, adhering to the proposed standards noted in the table above will provide tremendous improvements in many locations.
(Ord. passed 6- -2009)