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Planning Principles for the Design <br />of Arterial and Collector Streets <br />Arterial and collector streets are the backbone of <br />the regional transportation system. They provide for <br />the movement of significant volumes of traffic and <br />freight. The majority of Eugene's arterial and collec- <br />tor street system, as depicted on the Street Classifi- <br />cation Map, has been built, but several of these <br />streets have not yet been constructed. Over time, <br />the arterial and collector street system will require <br />reconstruction and adaptation to meet future <br />demands for mobility and access for all modes of <br />travel. These principles are intended to guide City <br />of Eugene staff in making planning and design <br />decisions on new and reconstructed streets. <br />The order in which the planning principles are listed <br />is not intended to imply an order of importance. <br />1) Col lector and arterial streets carry proportion- <br />ately larger volumes of traffic than local streets; <br />-the design and location of arterials and collec- <br />ors should facilitate movement of traffic and <br />enhance mobility throughout the region. <br />2) Collectors and arterials should be designed as <br />multi-modal streets to promote a choice of travel <br />mode for al I residents and all users of the street <br />system. These streets should be designed to meet <br />the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians and transit <br />users, to encourage the use of public transit, and <br />to promote walking and bicycling as viable <br />transportation modes. <br />3) Major streets serve as primary emergency <br />vehicle response routes. Arterial and collector <br />streets should be designed to efficiently and <br />safely accommodate emergency fire and medi- <br />cal service vehicles. <br />4) Collector and arterial streets should accom- <br />modate the movement of goods and the ex- <br />change of services that are essential to the <br />economic vitality of the city and the region. <br />5) The physical appearance of the street, the <br />volume of traffic, and the speed of traffic dictate <br />the success of businesses along major streets. <br />High speeds and excessive traffic volumes reduce <br />access to businesses and create an unpleasant <br />environment for pedestrians. Collectors and <br />arterials adjacent to commercial areas should be <br />designed to support and complement local <br />businesses and to encourage pedestrian activity. <br />6) Arterial and collector streets help determine <br />the form, identity, and character of neighbor- <br />hoods. Street designs should help foster a <br />positive neighborhood identity and character, <br />help orient the user to where they are in the <br />region, and should consider individual charac- <br />teristics of neighborhoods. Gateway treatments <br />and unifying themes in landscaping help define <br />unique neighborhood characteristics. <br />7) Future nodal development sites are invariably <br />located on streets that are identified as either <br />arterials or collectors. Street designs within and <br />adjacent to nodal development areas should be <br />consistent with the overall purpose and intent of <br />nodal development concepts. <br />8) Arterial and collector streets should incorpo- <br />rate high gquality construction and design to <br />promote livability, enhance the quality of the <br />physical environment, support human comfort <br />and safety, and enhance the status and eco- <br />nomic value of adjacent properties. <br />9) The design and geographic arrangement of <br />major streets should constitute an overall system <br />of collectors and arterials that, together with <br />local streets, provides the desired levels of <br />mobility and access for all modes of travel. <br />25 <br />