09-16-2004 Regular Meeting, Public Hearing, and Workshop Meeting of the La Porte Planning and Zoning Commission

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• • A. Large speed differentials among motor vehicles traveling the same or connecting roadways creates unsafe driving conditions. Minimizing speed differentials through the proper design of driveway approaches promotes driver and pedestrian safety. It is desirable that all driveway design create no more than a 20 mph maximum speed differential on roadways. The City strives for a balance between optimal access and safety. B. Generally, as the widths of streets and vehicular speeds increase, the number of driveway approaches should decrease. Driveway approaches accessing major thoroughfares should be situated in a manner that minimizes the number of potential conflict points. A single piece of property served by multiple driveways may increase speed differentials and should be considered undesirable. Regulated access, removing turning vehicles from the traffic stream and channelization of traffic should be determined on asite-specific basis, taking into consideration the policies and requirements of the City and other regulating entities following generally- accepted traffic engineering principles. C. Turn bays and acceleration/deceleration lanes on major thoroughfares shall be considered by the design engineer. Such auxiliary lanes or other effective traffic-controlling methods that will minimize speed differential and increase overall safety shall be considered by the design engineer. 7.04 DESIGN REQUIREMENTS A. Driveways shall not be located within the turning movement areas of intersections and shall be no closer than 40 feet from the nearest intersection as measured from the intersection of the property lines common with the street right-of--way. B. The maximum slope of the approach grade allowed is 5%. C. At a signalized intersection in which a public street terminates at the intersection of a connecting cross street, a driveway may be placed on the cross street as to be in alignment with the terminating street. D. Driveway approaches shall be built with a circular curb radius connecting the raised curb of the roadway to the driveway approach. In order that the definition of the location of the edge of pavement for the roadway may be maintained, driveway approach radii shall always be designed to become tangent to the street curb line. Driveway curb returns shall terminate within the projection of the boundaries of the lot or lots served by the driveway to the centerline of the roadway. This requirement shall not be construed so as to prohibit the used of shared access driveways or shared access easements. E. All driveways shall be designed to intersect the adjacent street at a 90-degree angle. F. Driveways shall not be permitted in the transition area of any right-turn lane, deceleration lane or auxiliary lane unless such auxiliary lane represents the total frontage of the property in question. G. A lot which does not have sufficient frontage to meet the driveway approach spacing requirements herein (an existing, non-conforming lot), shall be allowed no more than one driveway approach. H. All nonconforming driveways on a lot, tract, parcel or site shall be allowed to continue until the occurrence of one or more of the following events: 1. A change in use, or an increase in intensity of use, occurs such that the site requires a ten percent (10%) increase in required parking spaces. 2. Any modification that changes the design or function of the existing driveway. Upon the occurrence of the events described, the nonconforming status of the driveway shall cease and the driveway either be reconstructed in accordance with these design criteria, or eliminated. Commercial and industrial driveways should be designed considering the amount and type of traffic that will be using both the driveway and the adjacent street. Adequate access for service vehicles should be reviewed by determining the size and operating characteristics of service vehicles, particularly the turning radii. In addition, the length of the driveway from the frontage road to the business should also be considered. Residential driveways shall not access major thoroughfares or major collector streets. Driveway Requirements Page 3 of 10