1999 Eugene Arterial & Collector Street Plan

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Arterial and Collector Street Design Standards and Guidelines The typical design elements found within the right- of-way for arterial and collector streets are: vehicle lanes, bicycle lanes (with some exceptions), drain- age and curbs, planting strips, street Lighting, sidewalks, and utilities. Optional features include median islands and on-street parking. All of these design elements are specified within a designated paving width and right-of-way width for each particular street, based on the specific needs and setting of that street. Design Standards Design standards in this chapter are required for the following types of street improvement projects in Eugene (unless otherwise specified in the word- ing of the particular standard): • Newly constructed arterial and collector streets. • Major reconstruction of existing arterial and col lector streets, to upgrade the street to urban standards through reconstruction of the roadbed and addition of curbs, gutters and sidewalks. • Major widening of existing improved arterial and collector streets that results in adding one or more through vehicular travel lanes. For all other types of street improvement projects, these standards are to be considered as desirable design guidelines but are not mandatory. The standards are not intended to apply to construc- tion of or improvements to freeways and express- ways. Design Guidelines In addition to spelling out the minimum design standards for arterial and collector streets, this plan also provides a set of Design Guidelines to help design professionals and the general public reach a consensus on the best possible design for any particular street improvement project. While the Design Standards can be regarded as specifying a set of "minimum tolerable" conditions for certain attributes of arterial and collector streets, the Design Guidelines found in this chapter are to be used as a working manual of best design practices for con- structing, reconstructing, and improving Eugene's major street network. Criteria for Exceptions Design standards in this chapter must be met except when an exception can be justified through consid- eration of the following: 1) Topography or slope constraints; 2) Significant trees or other vegetation; 3) Other natural resource constraints, including wetlands, wildlife habitat, etc.; 4) Historic resources; 'i __ 1 ,'; fi ~_ _, ', i r! 5) Insufficient right-of-way, and inability to obtain additional right-of-way at reasonable cost and within a reasonable time frame for the project; 6) Adopted Council policies, including those found in neighborhood plans. Design exceptions might be considered for streets with topographic, vegetation, or right-of-way constraints like this street in the South Hills 47