12.4.4 Dimensions and Design
A. Sidewalks
1. In rights-of-way with curb and gutter, sidewalks shall be a minimum of five feet in width with a minimum three-foot grass strip between the sidewalk and curb, unless otherwise specified in this Article.
a. A wider grass strip or planting area shall be required as necessary to accommodate street trees planted within rights-of-way.
b. Alternative widths can be allowed if permitted pursuant to development guidelines maintained by the City Public Works Director, or NCDOT, as applicable.
2. Conventional sidewalks shall be constructed of concrete unless an alternate material is approved by the City Public Works Director, or Designee.
3. Along strip-paved roads sidewalks shall be located behind the roadside ditch or guardrail.
B. Bicycle Facilities
Either wide outside travel lanes or bicycle lanes, as determined by the City Transportation Director or NCDOT, or appropriate designees, shall be a part of any road improvement made on roadways which are indicated as bicycle routes on the Durham Trails and Greenways Master Plan, the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Transportation Plan, or other adopted bicycle plan.
C. Shared Facilities
Rather than utilize separate pedestrian and bicycle facilities, shared facilities with a 10 foot minimum width are allowed in any area where both sidewalks and bicycle facilities are required, unless separate facilities have been previously developed or approved in the area. Shared facilities of that same width shall be required, however, following the initial installation of shared facilities in the area.
D. Standards
Pedestrians and bicycles shall be accommodated as shown in the table below. All street design standards shall be established by the City Transportation Director or NCDOT, or appropriate designees.
|
Standard |
Rural Tier |
Suburban Tier |
Urban Tier |
Compact Neighborhood/ Downtown Tiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES |
||||
|
Public sidewalk, 5 feet minimum, all roadways (see paragraph 12.4.2, Sidewalk Requirement) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Pedestrian crossing treatment at intersections (marked crosswalk, bulb-out, hot button etc.) |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Pedestrian routes in parking areas protected from vehicular traffic |
No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
BICYCLE FACILITIES |
||||
|
Bike lanes on all boulevards and thoroughfares, either 4-foot minimum width striped outside gutter edge or 14-foot outside lanes, determined on a case-by-case basis |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |