(A) Automobile access.
(1) Access barrier. Access to public roads shall be controlled in the interest of public safety. Each building or group of buildings used for non-residential purposes, and its parking or service area, shall be physically separated from public roads by a greenbelt, curb, or other suitable barrier against unchanneled motor vehicle access or egress, except for access ways authorized herein. In addition to providing the access barrier, greenbelt requirements shall be provided in accordance with § 154.111.
(2) Driveway performance standards. Driveways shall conform to the following performance standards.
(a) Driveway design and placement must be in harmony with internal circulation and parking design such that the entrance can absorb the maximum rate of inbound traffic during a normal peak traffic period.
(b) Sufficient on-site storage must accommodate at least three queued vehicles waiting to park or exit without using a portion of the public right-of-way obstructing existing vehicle sight distance, or otherwise interfering with street traffic.
(c) Provisions for circulation between adjacent parcels are encouraged through coordinated or joint parking systems and driveways.
(d) Driveways shall be designed to accommodate all vehicle types having occasion to enter and exit the site, including delivery vehicles. There shall be clear delineation and/or separation, where appropriate, of entry and exit lanes within driveways.
(e) Driveway placement must be such that loading and unloading activities will in no way hinder vehicle ingress or egress.
(B) Pedestrian access.
(1) General standard. The parking and circulation system within each development shall accommodate the movement of vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and transit, throughout the proposed development and to and from surrounding areas, safely and conveniently, and shall contribute to the attractiveness of the development. The on-site pedestrian system must provide continuity, street crossings, visual interest, and security as defined by the standards in this section.
(2) Safety considerations. To the maximum extent feasible, pedestrians shall be separated from vehicles.
(a) Where complete separation of pedestrians and vehicles is not feasible, potential hazards shall be minimized by the use of techniques such as special paving, grade separations, pavement marking, signs or striping, bollards, pedestrian safety island, landscaping, lighting, or other traffic calming measures to clearly delineate pedestrian areas, for both day and night use.
(b) Where bicycle paths are required or are specifically part of a site plan and pedestrians and bicyclists share walkways, the pedestrian/bicycle system shall be designed to be wide enough to easily accommodate the amount of pedestrian and bicycle traffic volumes that are anticipated. A minimum width of eight feet shall be required and shall meet American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidelines. Additional width of up to four feet may be required to accommodate higher volumes of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.
(3) Curb cuts and ramps. Curb cuts and ramps shall be located at convenient, safe locations for the physically disabled, for bicyclists, and for people pushing strollers or carts. The location and design of barrier-free spaces, curb cuts, and ramps shall meet the requirements of the State Barrier Free Code and the Americans With Disabilities Act and, to the extent possible, shall avoid crossing or funneling pedestrian traffic through loading areas, drive-through lanes, and outdoor trash storage/collection areas.
(4) Site amenities. Development plans shall include site amenities that enhance safety and convenience and promote walking or bicycling as an alternative means of transportation. Site amenities may include bike racks, drinking fountains, canopies, and benches.
(5) Walkways.
(a) Directness and continuity. Walkways within the site shall be located and aligned to directly and continuously connect areas or points of pedestrian origin and destination, and shall not be located and aligned solely based on the outline of a parking lot configuration that does not provide such direct pedestrian access. Such connecting walkways shall either be grade separated from the parking lot or clearly delineated as to avoid pedestrian/vehicular conflicts with a paved surface not less than six feet in width. Drive aisles leading to main entrances shall have walkways on at least one side of the drive aisle.
(b) Street crossings. Where it is necessary for the pedestrian access to cross maneuvering aisles or internal roadways, the crossings shall emphasize and place priority on pedestrian access and safety. The pedestrian crossings must be well marked using such pavement treatments, signs, striping, signals, lighting, pedestrian safety islands, landscaping, and other traffic calming techniques.
(Ord. 285, passed 12-8-2003) Penalty, see § 154.999