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Purpose: Reduce the speed of traffic, reduce crossing distances and/or provide additional space for other elements of the roadway.

Description: Reduce the width of lanes.

Benefits

• Increase available space for additional safety infrastructure for pedestrians or bicyclists.
• May reduce the number of potential conflict points.
• May slow motor vehicle operating speeds.
• May reduce crossing distances if a pedestrian median island is provided as a result of the additional ROW freed up by narrowing lanes (width)

Street Types & Context: Streets with multiple lanes and streets with existing (and/or prioritized) bike and pedestrian paths.

• Example: Cowen to 8th; Snowmass from Sopris Ave.

Implementation Considerations:

• Bicyclists must be safely accommodated. Bike lanes or wide curb lanes are needed if motor vehicle volumes and/or speeds are high.
• Road narrowing must consider school bus and emergency service access, and truck volumes.
• Evaluate if narrowing may encourage traffic to divert to other local streets in the neighborhood.

Cost: $ to $$$$ depending on existing street features/the need for construction

Purpose: Reduce vehicle speeds, reduce high-speed collisions, and eliminate all left turns.

Description: Circular intersections controlled by yield-control rather than a signal or stop.

Benefits

• Reduces vehicle speeds.
• Eliminates angle collisions.
• Places emphasis on motorists yielding to all road users.

Street Types & Context

• Highway 133
• The intersections of some local roads/neighborhood streets might benefit from “mini roundabouts”.

Implementation Considerations

• Too large of a project for most roadways in Carbondale; roundabouts require considerable ROW
• Bike and pedestrian volumes through the existing intersection should be determined; multi-lane or high-speed roundabouts may not be suitable for intersections w/ high pedestrian or bike volumes
• Wayfinding should be provided for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists.
• Roundabouts present unique challenges for individuals with visual disabilities. Wayfinding and gap selection cues need to be adequately addressed in roundabout designs. Accessible pedestrian signals should also be considered.

Cost: $$$$

Purpose: To provide a vegetated physical barrier between modes (either the same or different one). Planter islands also do not need to be planted the entire length of the median, and they can serve as pedestrian islands, transit boarding zones, or rests at lights for bikers.

More information on landscaped pedestrian medians can be found below.

Description: Vegetated space on pedestrian refuge islands, bikeway buffers, transit boarding islands, or other constructed elements that are offset from the curb can improve the streetscape and provide space for street trees. Planter islands provide additional landscaping and beautification to streets.

Benefits:

• Providing green, vegetated space via planter islands (or pedestrian refuges, transit islands, and bikeway buffers) can enhance the quality and aesthetic of transportation infrastructure that confers strong mobility benefits.
• Elements that calm traffic, shorten crossing distances, and protect people bicycling can open new opportunities for trees and vegetation that enhance the streetscape.
• Street trees and planted in medians provide shade and urban cooling effect. Other plants may also provide some urban cooling effect.
• Landscaping can reduce a drivers line of sight, and thus may reduce vehicular speeds.

Street Types & Context: All street types but may be best suited to streets where physical separation of modes is desired, or streets with desired landscaping improvements.

Implementation Considerations:

• NACTO encourages planter islands to also be used as bioretention facilities.
• Continuous raised medians require 6 feet width to provide pedestrian refuge or 8 feet width to provide bicyclist refuge.
• Planter islands may take up space that would otherwise be used for bike lanes or wider sidewalks.
• See Implementation Considerations in “Raised Medians” below.

Cost: $$

To be determined.

To be determined.

To be determined.