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<br />A key to the success of Greater Downtown overall will be the proper design of streets so that <br />they both support a well functioning street network for mobility; but so that they also <br />complement walkable mixed use environments at the pedestrian-scale. The Comprehensive <br />Plan policies support this approach: <br /> <br />"Develop a [pedestrian] network... through the La Porte area, including an <br />interconnected system of paths, trails, lanes and routes (Goal 7.7) <br /> <br />"Maximize network continuity to provide for the free flow of people...." (Obj. 5.2.d) <br /> <br />"Provide a safe and effective means to accommodate pedestrian traffic and prioritize <br />sidewalk improvement areas based on type of street and adjacent land use (Goal <br />5.7) <br /> <br />But the tools available in terms of support for streets design to accomplish these goals are in <br />some sense in conflict with another comprehensive plan policy that states "[e]stablish a <br />hierarchy of thoroughfare classifications that will provide for safe and convenient flow of traffic <br />throughout the community" (Obj.9.6.d). The figure below shows the application of this policy of <br />mobility to the street network of Greater Downtown. If the streets depicted below are <br />designed strictly to move cars, they will not provide the kind of context that will support <br />sustained investment in walkable urbanism, an underpinning of the place-based economic <br />development recommendation herein. <br /> <br /> <br />COR;N)1t" n If\m:~ <br /> <br /> <br />tEGENI) <br /> <br />o ("i'l.Ur ";1'411'&"in~""'\ftUl~~.!lil.oJ <br /> <br />The potential refinement of the cross-sections implementing the thoroughfare plan, with the <br />guidance of the new Manual for Walkable Urban Thoroughfares by the Institute for <br />Transportation Engineers (ITE), will enable the effective marriage of the mobility needs of the <br /> <br /> <br />Forward La Porte Economic Development Strategic Plan I <br />