County of Fairfax, Virginia

County-wide Urban Transportation Design Standards

Board of Supervisors Transportation Committee
May 8, 2012

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County of Fairfax, Virginia

Purpose
The purpose is to develop a set of urban transportation design standards that can be utilized anywhere in the County, including its urban activity centers and revitalization areas. VDOTs current standards are primarily based on high-speed rural and suburban design. The new standards are based on context-sensitive design that accommodate low-speed urban roadway design. The new standards will create a flexible platform that focus on urban design elements, and allow for construction of complete streets that effectively accommodate all modes of transportation, including pedestrian, bicycle, and transit.
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County of Fairfax, Virginia

Primary Reference Sources

Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan. Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) recommended practice: Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, 2010.

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, 2004; low speed urban street design. VDOT Access Management Design Standards for Entrances and Intersections.

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Background
In April 2010, the General Assembly of Virginia enacted HB 222 (Watts), Design standards for state secondary highway system components (presently codified at Va. Code Ann. Section 33.1-69.001, which required the Virginia Department of Transportation to work in conjunction with Fairfax County to develop new context sensitive, urban design standards for the county.

Design standards for Tysons Corner were developed by Fairfax County Department of Transportation, in partnership with other County agencies, and the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) On September 13, 2011, the Board adopted Transportation Design Standards and a Memorandum of Agreement with VDOT (MOA), for the Tysons Corner Urban Center.

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Background Continued
VDOTs flexibility and support in development of the standards and MOA was instrumental in their successful adoption. County staff is now proposing a plan for expanding these standards county-wide, including the Countys urban activity centers and revitalization areas.

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County Comprehensive Plan Objectives

Objective 1 Provide for both through and local movement of people and goods via a multi-modal transportation system that provides transportation choices, reduces single-occupancy-vehicle (SOV) use and improves air quality. (complete streets policy) Objective 2 Increase use of public transportation and non-motorized transportation. (complete streets policy) Objective 3 Ensure that the roadway system provides adequate local access and capacity for through movements, consistent with financial, social, and environmental constraints and with the Countys goal of reducing SOV use. (context sensitive design policy)

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County Comprehensive Plan Objectives

Objective 4 Provide a comprehensive network of sidewalks, trails and bicycle routes as an integral element of the overall transportation network. (complete streets policy) Objective 6 Ensure that improvements to the transportation system are cost-effective and consistent with environmental, land use, social, and economic goals. (context sensitive design policy) Objective 11 Ensure that land use and transportation policies are complementary. (context sensitive design policy)

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Revitalization and Urban Activity Centers

Annandale Huntington McLean Merrifield Reston Richmond Highway Seven Corners and Baileys Crossroads Springfield

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Recommended Process
Develop a County-wide set of Urban Transportation Design Standards (excluding Tysons Corner) that will be applicable within the Countys revitalization areas and urban activity centers, and adopt a County-wide Memorandum of Agreement with VDOT to implement the standards. Develop applicability criteria, entailing land-use and density, that will establish specifically how and where the Design Standards can be applied within and around the Countys revitalization areas and urban activity centers. The Design Standards would entail traffic engineering criteria that would be general enough to apply to all of the Countys urban activity centers and revitalization areas, and to other areas of the County that match the land-use and density applicability criteria.

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Recommended Process Continued

The Design Standards would reference the Countys comprehensive plan and Comprehensive Plan overlays, or would include special appendices for specific information on sidewalk widths and landscape amenity panel requirements for different districts. The Design Standards, where applicable, will reference or incorporate work already done within the Countys revitalization areas and urban activity centers.

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Recommended Public Outreach

The Design Standards are intended to support implementation of the Revitalization Area and Urban Activity Center plans, as well as to provide a framework for implementing urban street standards in other areas that demonstrate urban land-use characteristics. No changes to the revitalization areas, urban activity centers, or the comprehensive plan are being recommended. County staff proposes to hold community workshops in different areas of the county to discuss the draft transportation design standards, and receive comments from the public. The outreach efforts will similarly follow, and improve upon the collaborative process that was used to build consensus on the Tysons Corner Design Standards.

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Recommended Public Outreach

Since the transportation design standards are county-wide, the meetings will be more broadly advertised and cover larger geographic regions of the County, as opposed to holding exclusive meetings for individual revitalization areas or urban centers.

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Elements of the Design Standards

Functional Classifications Level of Service Standards Design and Operating Speed Access Management Lane Widths and On-Street Parking Median Islands and Turn Lanes Horizontal Radius Design Control Vehicles Intersection Sight Distance Multi-Modal Characteristics Bicycle Facilities Utility Placement

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Expected Timeframe
Based on experience from the adoption of the Tysons Corner Transportation Design Standards, but given the larger geographic area being covered and the opportunity for expanded public input, expectations are to have the standards adopted in about 12 to 18 months.
Develop Draft Design Standards. Meet with VDOT to reach initial consensus. Meet with community groups and accept public comment. Refine the Design Standards.

Revisit the Design Standards with VDOT and the community groups, and through a collaborative process, build consensus on the final design criteria.
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Expected Timeframe
This timeframe could be longer, if there is substantial feedback and dialogue stemming from the general public, landowners, or community groups. Comments from VDOT should be modest given the standards will mirror those already adopted for Tysons Corner.

VDOT has expressed an interest in seeing one set of urban design standards for Fairfax County. This will require a creative approach that allows for diversity within the County, without overly complicating the approval process.

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Revitalization Areas and Urban Activity Centers

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Annandale Revitalization Area

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Huntington Transit Station Area

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McLean Revitalization Area

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Merrifield Revitalization Area

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Reston Urban Activity Centers

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Richmond Highway Revitalization Areas

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Seven Corners and Baileys Crossroads Revitalization Areas

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Springfield Revitalization Area

Outside Revitalization Area

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Questions?

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Appendix A Elements of the Standards

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Functional Classifications
Functional classification is the process by which streets and highways are grouped into classes, or systems, according to the character of service they are intended to provide. (FHWA) It is necessary to balance and blend three separate systems into one useable classification system:
Federal Classification system used by VDOT, including primary National Highway System (NHS) routes, and secondary routes; Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan; and ITE classifications based on context zone characteristics, and context sensitive solutions for designing urban thoroughfares.

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County of Fairfax, Virginia

Recommended Functional Classifications

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial or Collector Collector or Local Local ITE Functional Classification Federal Highway Function Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial or Collector Collector or Local Local

Low Speed Boulevard Avenue N/A Local

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Example of Urban Arterial or Collector

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Example of Urban Arterial or Collector

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Example of Urban Local Street

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Example of Urban Local Street

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Roadway Level of Service

The Fairfax County Comprehensive Plan establishes a recommended overall Level of Service D (LOS). This level is defined as near capacity, and is intended to proved a minimum and maximum vehicle flow rate, thereby maintaining a balance between vehicle progression and pedestrian walkability. The FHWA requires that a LOS D be maintained to the maximum extent possible on National Highway System (NHS) routes.

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Level of Service Standards

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Level of Service Standards D D D D

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Tiered Approach to Level of Service

Analyze the problem areas not meeting the LOS standards; Reanalyze and provide measurable TDM mitigation measures; Evaluate additional grid links, including offsite grid links; Consider temporary traffic mitigation measures; Consider permanent traffic mitigation measures; Phase the development; Make adjustments to the land-use mix; Provide financial contributions; Evaluate other traffic mitigation measures; Analyze through, left, or right-turn lane improvements; and Evaluate other alternative criteria.

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Design and Operating Speed

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Number of Through Lanes 4-8 4-6 2-4 2 Design Speed (mph) 40 30-35 25-30 25 Operating Speed (mph) 35 25-30 25-30 25

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Access Management
Access management means the systematic control of the location, spacing, design, and operation of entrances, median openings, traffic signals, and interchanges for the purpose of providing vehicular access to land development in a manner that preserves the safety and efficiency of the transportation system. (VDOT) VDOTs current access management standards are more suitable for high speed rural and suburban design. The proposed standards are for low speed urban design, allow for closer spacing of street intersections, and thereby permitting the development of a walkable grid of streets.

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Access Management
Recommended Functional Classification Access Management Operational Analysis Signalized Intersection Spacing Unsignalized Intersection Spacing (full access) Unsignalized Intersection Spacing (partial access) Driveway Spacing

Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector

Moderate Low Low

Required Discretionary Discretionary

Operational Analysis 525-660 425-660

Operational Analysis 200-660 200-660

325-660 200-660 155-660

Restricted Access 200 155

Local Street

Very Low

N/A

325-660

100-660

N/A

50

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Roadway Design Criteria

Reduced 10 and 11 foot lanes are incorporated into the standards to create narrow, pedestrian scale streets, and slower vehicle speeds that are more conducive to pedestrian activity. On-street parking is required on most streets to create a useable street frontage that serves street-level commercial retail, and to create side friction that reduces vehicles speeds. Except as stipulated in the Countys Comprehensive Plan, or General Plan Overlays, raised median islands, and left-turn and right-turn lanes are discouraged in order to create narrow, pedestrian scale streets.

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Lane Widths and On-Street Parking

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Lane Width On-Street Parking On-Street Parking Width N/A 8 8 7-8

11 10-11 10-11 10

Restricted Required Required Required

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Median Islands and Turn Lanes

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Raised/Landscaped Median Median Width Left and Right Turn Lanes Left and Right Turn Lane Widths 11 10-11 10-11 10

Required Optional Optional N/A

16-20 16-20 4-8 N/A

Optional Optional Optional Optional

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Horizontal Radius
Design Speed (mph) 20 Minimum Radius (standard crown) 107 Minimum Radius emax = 0.02 (superelevation) 92

25
30 35 40

198
333 N/A N/A

183
273 408 593

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Design and Control Vehicles

Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial DV CV Minor Arterial DV CV DV Collector CV Local Street DV CV

Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street

WB-62 CITYBUS CITYBUS SU

WB-62 WB-50 WB-50 WB-50 CITYBUS CITYBUS SU WB-50 WB-50 WB-50 CITYBUS SU WB-50 WB-50 P WB-50

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Intersection Sight Distance

Design Speed (mph) -9% 20 25 30 35 40 130 175 230 290 385
(355 SSD)

Minimum Intersection Sight Distance Road Gradient (percent slope) -6% 120 165 215 275 385
(335 SSD)

-3% 120 160 205 260 385

(315 SSD)

Level 115 155 200 250 385

(305 SSD)

+3% 110 150 200 240 385

(290 SSD)

+6% 110 145 185 230 385

(280 SSD)

+9% 105 140 180 225 385

(270 SSD)

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Multi-Modal Characteristics
Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Transit Service Express and Local Local Local Local Freight Movement Regional and Local Truck Routes Local Deliveries Local Deliveries Local Deliveries

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Pedestrian Facilities
Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Streetscape Zone Width Min/Max Building Zone Width Minimum Sidewalk Width Minimum Landscape Amenity Panel Width

Design Standards are per the Countys Comprehensive Plan, and Comprehensive Plan Overlays

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Streetscape Zone Diagram

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Bicycle Facilities
Recommended Functional Classification Principal Arterial Minor Arterial Collector Local Street Bicycle Facilities N/A On-Street Bike Lane On-Street Bike Lane N/A Bike Lane Width Adjacent to Curb N/A 4 4 N/A Bike Lane Width Adjacent to Right-Turn Lane N/A 5 5 N/A Bike Lane Width Adjacent to Parking Isle N/A 5-6 5-6 N/A

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Utility Placement
Utility Streetscape Zone Location Curb Zone Parking Isle Travel Lane

Storm Drainage
Sanitary Sewer Water Natural Gas Electrical Telecommunications

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Appendix B Context Land Use Zones

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Context Land Use Zones

A wide variety of factors create context in the urban environment:
Land use and zoning Block length Parking type and orientation Building orientation and setback Building height and thoroughfare enclosure Building width Building scale and variety Building entries

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ITE Context Zone Characteristics

Natural Zone C-1 Natural Landscape. Rural C-2 Agricultural with scattered Development. Suburban C-3 General Urban C-4 Urban Center C-5 Attached housing types, such as townhouses and apartments mixed with retail, workplace, and civic activities. Urban Core C-6
(recommended)

Primarily single Mix of housing family types including residential. attached units, with a range of commercial and civic activity.

Highestintensity areas, with highdensity residential and workplace uses, entertainment, civic, and cultural uses.

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ITE Context Zone Characteristics

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