Walkways, Sidewalks, and Public Spaces

1 Walkways, Sidewalks, andPublic SpacesFHWA COURSE ON BICYCLEAND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATIONWALKWAYS, SIDEWALKS, ANDPUBLIC SPACESL E S S O N 1 3L E S S O N 1 3L E S S O N 1 3L E S S O N 1 3L E S S O N 1 3 FHWA13 - PurposeNo single design feature can ensure that astreetscape will be attractive to pedestrians. Rather,the best places for walking combine many designelements to create streets that feel right to peopleon foot. Street trees, separation from traffic,seating areas, pavement design, lighting, and manyother factors should be considered in locationswhere pedestrian travel is accommodated andencouraged.

2 This lesson provides an overview ofthese design elements, with examples of successfulstreetscapes throughout the United Basic Urban SidewalkRequirementsAll urban sidewalks require thefollowing basic ingredients forsuccess: adequate width of travellanes, a buffer from the travel lane,curbing, minimum width, gentlecross-slope (2 percent or less), abuffer to private properties, adequatesight distances around corners andat driveways, shy distances to wallsand other structures, a clear path oftravel free of street furniture,continuity, a well-maintainedcondition, ramps at corners, and flatareas across driveways.

3 Sidewalksalso require sufficient storagecapacity at corners so that thepredicted volume of pedestrians cangain access to and depart from signalized intersec-tions in an orderly and efficient Width of SidewalksSidewalks require a minimum width of feet if setback from the curb or feet if at the curb face. Anywidth less than this does not meet the minimumrequirements for people with disabilities. Walking isa social activity. For any two people to walk together, feet of space is the bare minimum. In some areas,such as near schools, sporting complexes, someparks, and many shopping districts, the minimumwidth for a sidewalk is feet.

4 Thus, any sidewalks (permitted as an AASHTO minimum) often force pedestrians into the roadwayFHWA COURSE ON BICYCLEAND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATIONFHWA13 - 2 WALKWAYS, SIDEWALKS, ANDPUBLIC SPACESin order to talk. Even childrenwalking to school find that a width is not Sidewalk WidthThe desirable width for asidewalk is often much shopping districts require12, 20, 30, and even 40 feet ofwidth to handle the volumes ofpedestrian traffic they encoun-ter. Pennsylvania Avenue inWashington, has 30-footsidewalk sections to handle tourbus operations, K Street inWashington, has 20=foot sections to handletransit off-loading and commercial activity, thecommercially successful Paseo de Gracia boulevardin Barcelona, Spain has 36 to 48 feet in most must pay close attention to minimums, andonly use variances below these levels for shortsections.

5 On the other side of the width equation,overly ample sidewalk widths are rarely justified. It isessential to work out the peak volumes of transitdischarge, the likely commercial appeal of an area,and the influence of large tour buses and otherfactors when designing Public 13 of the Highway Capacity Manual coversthe topics of sidewalk width and pedestrian level two people to walk abreast, 5 feet is the bareminimum for sidewalk ammenities such as newspaper stands and kiosks along corners createslively, more defined Spaces ; however, they should not interrupt the flow of sure to calculate the commer-cial need for outdoor cafes,kiosks, corner gathering spots,and other social needs for asidewalk.

6 Sidewalk widths havenot been given sufficientattention by most working in a commercialarea, designers should alwaysconsult property owners,chambers of commerce, andlandscape architects to makecertain that the desired width isrealistic. Corner or mid-blockbulb-outs can be used to their advantage for creatingboth storage space for roadway crossings and forsocial safety needs of motorists and bicyclists in theroadway must be considered when determining thedesirable widths of adjacent sidewalks. There iscompelling evidence that generous lane width (12-foot) standards applied to downtown and commercialstreets are counterproductive and lead to specifically permits 10- or 11-foot travellanes on arterials in commercial districts, and alsopermits turning lanes to be restricted to 10 volumes and the volume of bicycles must alsobe factored into this equation.

7 As a general rule,when speeds are at or near bicycle speeds (15 to 20mph), then bike lanes may not be as essential as theappropriate width of sidewalk. Thedesigner is reminded that in CentralBusiness Districts (CBD), thepedestrian volume may be 50 to 90percent of total traffic. When theseneeds are not met, the commercialand social success of the communityis lessened, and safety may MaterialsAlthough most sidewalks are madeof concrete, in some instances,asphalt can provide a useful trails, joggers and some othersprefer asphalt. As a general rule,FHWA COURSE ON BICYCLEAND PEDESTRIAN TRANSPORTATIONFHWA13 - 3 WALKWAYS, SIDEWALKS, ANDPUBLIC Spaces downtown areas, nature strips are also a convenientlocation for the swing-width of a door, for place-ment of parking meters, hydrants, lampposts, andother way to achieve border width and the neededbuffer from traffic is to provide bike lanes.

8 This 5-footspace creates a minimal safe width to the sidewalk,even when at the back of the curb; reduces theeffects of noise and splashing; and provides a higherlevel of general comfort to the parking has two distinct advantages for thepedestrian. First, it creates the needed physicalseparation from the motorist. Second, on-streetparking has been shown to reduce motorist travelspeeds. This creates an environment for safer the back side of sidewalks, a minimum widthbuffer of 1to 3 feet is essential. Without such abuffer, vegetation, walls, buildings, and other objectsencroach on the usable sidewalk space.

9 With justseveral months of growth, many shrubs will dominate asidewalk space. This setback is essential, not only tothe walking comfort of a pedestrian, but to ensureessential sight lines at each residential and commer-cial of Street Furniture/Shy DistancesPedestrians require a shy distance from fixed objects,such as walls, fences, shrubs, buildings, parked cars,and other features. The desired shy distance for ahowever, the long life of concrete,and the distinct pattern and lightercolor are preferred. Paver stonescan also be used, and in someapplications, they have distinctadvantages (see section later inthis lesson).

10 Border Areas and BuffersA border area should be providedalong streets for the safety ofmotorists and pedestrians as wellas for aesthetic reasons. Theborder area between the roadwayand the right-of-way line should bewide enough to serve severalpurposes, including provision of abuffer space between pedestriansand vehicular traffic, sidewalk space, snow storage,an area for placement of underground utilities, and anarea for maintainable esthetic features such as grassor other landscaping. The border width may be aminimum of 5 feet, but desirably, it should be 10 feetor wider.