01-19-12 Regular, Public Hearing and Workshop Meeting of the Planning and Zoning Commission

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to preserve their vehicle carrying capacity, but as they enter urbanized settings implementing access control becomes more challenging. Secondary Arterials Secondary arterials are intended to carry less traffic than primary arterials. Generally, secondary arterials can be anticipated to accommodate 5,000- 30,000 vehicles per day and they are typically fed by collectors, although local streets may also connect to them. Spencer Highway, Underwood Road, and the frontage roads along the state highways are good examples of secondary arterials. Access to these streets from neighboring properties should be controlled to limit conflicts. Secondary arterial streets should include bike lanes, tree lawns and street trees, sidewalks and transit facilities. Collectors Collectors are intended to carry fewer trips than minor arterials, but they are "higher order" roads than local streets. Collector streets can typically be expected to accommodate 1,000- 15,000 vehicles per day. To adequately serve their role to collect and distribute traffic from local streets to the arterial street system, collectors are generally placed between arterial streets, with a desired spacing of no more than approximately one -half mile. To maximize mobility it is essential that collector streets traverse adjacent neighborhoods to provide access and circulation not only within, but also among, neighborhoods. Access via driveways to individual residential properties along collectors should be limited. Where numerous residential driveways exist, the City should require access spacing, on -site turn- arounds, semi - circular driveways, or alley access (where available) when properties with direct access to the street are substantially improved or redeveloped. All collector streets should include bike lanes, tree lawns and street trees, sidewalks and transit facilities (where necessitated). Local Streets Local streets are principally intended to provide access to abutting properties. Traffic on local streets is generally slow and relatively sparse and such streets can typically be anticipated to accommodate between 5,000 and to 100 vehicles per day. Local streets in areas of cut - through traffic are candidates for traffic calming. Where local streets provide only local access to adjacent residential developments, narrower streets may be allowed to reduce the amount of impervious surfaces (to reduce stormwater runoff) and to slow local traffic through residential areas. Local streets should include tree lawns, street trees, and sidewalk facilities. Implementing the Thoroughfare Plan Implementation of thoroughfare system improvements occurs in stages over time as the community grows and, over many years, builds toward the ultimate thoroughfare system shown by the Thoroughfare Plan. The fact that A COMMUNITY VISION FOR LA T't?RTE, TEXAS - 2010 UPDATE