17.10.050 Transportation facility standards

17.10.050 Transportation facility standards.

A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure that developments provide a safe and efficient public street system for pedestrians and vehicles, in conformance with the city’s transportation system plan and applicable ordinances.

B. Development Standards. No development shall occur unless the development has frontage or approved access to a public street, in conformance with the provisions of TMC 17.10.060, Vehicular access and circulation, as well as Chapter 18.115 TMC, and the following standards are met:

1. Streets within or adjacent to a development shall be improved in accordance with the transportation system plan standards;

2. Development of new streets, and additional street width or improvements planned as a portion of an existing street, shall be improved in accordance with this section, and public streets shall be dedicated to the applicable city, county or state jurisdiction;

3. The city may accept a future improvement guarantee (e.g., owner agrees not to remonstrate (object) against the formation of a local improvement district in the future) in lieu of street improvements if one or more of the following conditions exists:

a. A partial improvement may create a potential safety hazard to motorists or pedestrians;

b. Due to the developed condition of adjacent properties it is unlikely that street improvements would be extended in the foreseeable future and the improvement associated with the project under review does not, by itself, provide increased street safety or capacity, or improved pedestrian circulation;

c. The improvement would be in conflict with an adopted capital improvement plan; or

d. The improvement is associated with an approved land partition on property zoned residential and the proposed land partition does not create any new streets.

C. Variances. A variance to the transportation design standards in this section may be granted pursuant to Chapter 18.160 TMC.

D. Creation of Rights-of-Way for Streets and Related Purposes. Streets, sidewalks and walkways shall be created through the approval and recording of a final subdivision or partition plat; except the city may approve the creation of a street, sidewalk or walkway by acceptance of a deed; provided, that the street is deemed essential by the city council for the purpose of implementing the transportation system plan, and the deeded right-of-way conforms to the standards of this code. All deeds of dedication shall be in a form prescribed by the city administrator and shall name “the public” as grantee.

E. Creation of Access Easements. The city may approve an access easement established by deed when the easement is necessary to provide for access and circulation in conformance with TMC 17.10.060, Vehicular access and circulation. Access easements shall be created and maintained in accordance with Uniform Fire Code Section 10.207.

F. Street Location, Width, and Grade. Except as noted below, the location, width and grade of all streets shall conform to the transportation system plan, as applicable, and an approved street plan or subdivision plat. Street location, width and grade shall be determined in relation to existing and planned streets, topographic conditions, public convenience and safety, and in appropriate relation to the proposed use of the land to be served by such streets:

1. Street grades shall be approved by the public works director or designee in accordance with the design standards in subsection (O) of this section; and

2. Where the location of a street is not shown in an existing street plan (see subsection (I) of this section), the location of streets in a development shall either:

a. Provide for the continuation and connection of existing streets in the surrounding areas, conforming to the street standards of this section; or

b. Conform to a street plan adopted by the planning commission, if it is impractical to connect with existing street patterns because of particular topographical or other existing conditions of the land. Such a plan shall be based on the type of land use to be served, the volume of traffic, the capacity of adjoining streets and the need for public convenience and safety.

G. Minimum Rights-of-Way and Street Sections. Street rights-of-way and improvements shall be within the range of appropriate widths adopted in the transportation system plan. A variance shall be required to vary the standards in the transportation system plan. Where a range of width is indicated, the width shall be determined by the decision-making authority based upon the following factors:

1. Street classification in the transportation system plan;

2. Anticipated traffic generation;

3. On-street parking needs;

4. Sidewalk and bikeway requirements based on anticipated level of use;

5. Requirements for placement of utilities;

6. Street lighting;

7. Proposed traffic-calming devices;

8. Minimize drainage, slope, and sensitive lands impacts, as identified by the comprehensive plan;

9. Street tree location, as provided for in TMC 17.10.040, Street trees;

10. Protection of significant vegetation (i.e., trees with a caliper of four inches (dbh) or greater);

11. Safety and comfort for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians;

12. Street furnishings (e.g., benches, lighting, bus shelters, etc.), when provided;

13. Access needs for emergency vehicles; and

14. Transition between different street widths (e.g., existing streets and new streets) where applicable.

1. Traffic-calming features, such as traffic circles, roundabouts, curb extensions, crosswalks, speed bumps, narrow residential streets, and special paving, should be used to slow traffic in existing and planned neighborhoods and areas with high pedestrian traffic.

Figure 17.10.050-1. Traffic-Calming Features

2. Traffic signals shall be required with development when traffic signal warrants are met, in conformance with the Highway Capacity Manual and the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices. The location of traffic signals shall be noted on approved street plans. Where a proposed street intersection will result in an immediate need for a traffic signal, a signal meeting approved specifications shall be installed. The developer’s cost and the timing of improvements shall be included as a condition of development approval.

1. A future street plan shall be filed by the applicant in conjunction with an application for a subdivision in order to facilitate orderly development of the street system. The plan shall show the pattern of existing and proposed future streets from the boundaries of the proposed land division and shall include other dividable parcels within 600 feet surrounding and adjacent to the proposed land division. The street plan is not binding; rather, it is intended to show potential future street extensions to serve future development.

2. Streets shall be extended to the boundary lines of the parcel or tract to be developed, when the planning commission determines that the extension is necessary to give street access to, or permit a satisfactory future division of, adjoining land. The point where the streets temporarily end shall conform to subsections (I)(2)(a) though (I)(2)(c) of this section:

a. These extended streets or street stubs to adjoining properties are not considered to be cul-de-sacs or permanent dead-end streets since they are intended to continue as through streets when the adjoining property is developed.

b. A barricade (e.g., fence, bollards, boulders or similar vehicle barrier) shall be constructed at the end of the street by the subdivider and shall not be removed until authorized by the city or other applicable agency with jurisdiction over the street. The cost of the barricade shall be included in the street construction cost.

c. Temporary turnarounds (e.g., hammerhead or bulb-shaped configuration) shall be constructed for stub streets over 150 feet in length.

1. Staggering of streets making “T” intersections at collectors and arterials shall not be designed so that jogs of less than 300 feet on such streets are created, as measured from the centerline of the street.

2. Spacing between local street intersections shall have a minimum separation of 125 feet, except where more closely spaced intersections are designed to provide an open space, pocket park, common area or similar neighborhood amenity. This standard applies to four-way and three-way (offset) intersections.

3. All local and collector streets that abut a development site shall be extended within the site to provide through circulation unless prevented by environmental or topographical constraints, existing development patterns or compliance with other standards in this code. This exception applies when it is not possible to redesign or reconfigure the street pattern to provide required extensions. Land is considered topographically constrained if the slope is greater than 15 percent for a distance of 250 feet or more. In the case of environmental or topographical constraints, the mere presence of a constraint is not sufficient to show that a street connection is not possible. The applicant must show why the environmental or topographic constraint precludes some reasonable street connection.

4. Proposed streets or street extensions shall be located to provide direct access to existing or planned commercial services and other neighborhood facilities, such as schools, shopping areas, parks and transit facilities wherever possible.

5. In order to promote efficient vehicular and pedestrian circulation throughout the city, the design of subdivisions and alignment of new streets shall conform to the standards in TMC 17.10.060, Vehicular access and circulation, and block length shall not exceed the dimensions in subsections (J)(5)(a) through (J)(5)(c) of this section:

a. Four-hundred-foot maximum block length, and 1,200-foot maximum perimeter in the residential zones;

b. Four-hundred-foot maximum block length and 1,200-foot maximum perimeter in the central business district zone;

c. Eight-hundred-foot maximum block length and 2,400-foot maximum perimeter in the light industrial district.

Exceptions to the above standards may be granted when the developer can clearly demonstrate that compliance is not feasible, or when a nonvehicle access way is provided at or near mid-block, in conformance with the provisions of TMC 17.10.030, Pedestrian access and circulation. (See examples in Figure 17.10.050-2.)

K. Sidewalks, Planter Strips, Bicycle Lanes. Sidewalks, planter strips, and bicycle lanes in a public right-of-way shall be installed in conformance with the TSP. Pathways and bike paths within subdivisions shall be designed to promote the safety of those using the path, and the privacy of adjoining property owners to the greatest extent practicable. For example, pathway connections shall be as direct as possible. Overhead street lighting shall be coordinated with pathway entrances wherever possible, and pedestrian-oriented lighting shall be considered in other areas where overhead lighting cannot be provided. Fences and landscaping may be required for privacy screening and buffering between pathways and adjacent land uses. Alternatively, grade change between pathways and adjacent uses may be a suitable buffer. Ease of maintenance of paved areas and use of native landscaping shall also be encouraged. Maintenance of sidewalks and planter strips is the continuing obligation of the adjacent property owner (ORS 105.672).

L. Intersection Angles. Streets shall be laid out to intersect at an angle as near to a right angle as practicable, except where topography requires a lesser angle or where a reduced angle is necessary to provide an open space, pocket park, common area or similar neighborhood amenity. In addition, the following standards shall apply:

1. No street intersection may be created within 25 feet of a street curve, and no street curve may be created within 25 feet of a street intersection (on the same street). Such intersections and curves shall have at least 25 feet of tangent between them unless topography requires a lesser distance;

2. Intersections that are not at right angles shall have a minimum corner radius of 20 feet along the right-of-way lines of the acute angle; and

3. Right-of-way lines at intersections with arterial streets shall have a corner radius of not less than 20 feet.

M. Existing Rights-of-Way. Whenever existing rights-of-way adjacent to or within a tract are of less than standard width, additional rights-of-way shall be provided at the time of subdivision or development, in conformance with the standards in the transportation system plan.

N. Cul-de-sacs. A permanent dead-end street shall be no more than 250 feet long, shall not provide access to more than 12 dwelling units, and shall only be used when environmental or topographical constraints, existing development patterns, or compliance with other standards in this code preclude street extension and through circulation:

1. All cul-de-sacs shall terminate with a circular or hammerhead turnaround. Circular turnarounds shall have a radius of not less than 30 feet, and not more than a radius of 40 feet (i.e., from center to edge of pavement); except that turnarounds may be larger when they contain a landscaped island or parking bay in their center. When an island or parking bay is provided, there shall be a fire apparatus lane of 20 feet in width;

2. The length of the cul-de-sac shall be measured along the centerline of the roadway from the near side of the intersecting street to the farthest point of the cul-de-sac pavement; and

3. Pathways shall be provided to connect cul-de-sacs in conformance with TMC 17.10.030(B).

O. Grades and Curves. Grades shall not exceed 10 percent on arterials, 12 percent on collector streets, or 12 percent on any other street (except that local or residential access streets may have segments with grades up to 15 percent for distances of no greater than 250 feet), and:

1. Centerline curve radii shall not be less than 700 feet on arterials, 500 feet on major collectors, 350 feet on minor collectors, or 100 feet on other streets; and

2. Streets intersecting with a minor collector or greater functional classification street, or streets intended to be posted with a stop sign or signalization, shall provide a landing averaging five percent slope or less. Landings are portions of the street within 20 feet of the edge of the intersecting street at full improvement.

P. Curbs, Curb Cuts, Ramps, and Driveway Approaches. Concrete curbs, curb cuts, wheelchair and bicycle ramps and driveway approaches shall be constructed in accordance with standards specified in TMC 17.10.060, Vehicular access and circulation, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards.

Q. Streets Adjacent to Railroad Right-of-Way. Wherever a proposed residential subdivision is adjacent to a railroad right-of-way, a street approximately parallel to such right-of-way at a distance suitable for the appropriate use of the land shall be created. Exception: This standard shall not apply where physical constraints (e.g., wetlands, slopes, etc.) make development of a road impracticable. In this situation, the subdivision shall contain adequate buffering and additional setbacks may be required, as determined by the planning commission. New railroad crossings and modifications to existing crossings are subject to review and approval by the Oregon Department of Transportation.

R. Development Adjoining Arterial Streets. Where a development adjoins or is crossed by an existing or proposed arterial street, the development design shall separate residential access and through traffic, and shall minimize traffic conflicts. To satisfy this requirement, the design shall include one or more of the following:

1. A parallel access street along the arterial with a landscape buffer separating the two streets;

2. Deep lots abutting the arterial or major collector to provide adequate buffering with frontage along another street. Double-frontage lots shall conform to the buffering standards in TMC 17.10.060(F), Access Options;

3. Screen planting at the rear or side property line to be contained in a nonaccess reservation (e.g., public easement or tract) along the arterial; or

4. Other treatment suitable to meet the objectives of this subsection.

S. If a lot has access to two streets with different classifications, primary access shall be from the lower classification street, in conformance with TMC 17.10.060, Vehicular access and circulation.

T. Alleys, Public or Private. Alleys shall conform to the standards in the transportation system plan. While alley intersections and sharp changes in alignment shall be avoided, the corners of necessary alley intersections shall have a radius of not less than 12 feet.

U. Private Streets. A private street shall not provide access to more than two single-family residential lots. A private street shall not be used to avoid connections with public streets. Gated communities and private street systems (i.e., where a gate limits access to a development from a public street) are prohibited. Design and construction standards for grading, base rock, compaction, paving and drainage of private streets shall be the same as for public streets, except as modified through a PUD.

V. Street Names. No street name shall be used which will duplicate or be confused with the names of existing streets in Jackson County except for extensions of existing streets. Street names, signs and numbers shall conform to the established pattern in the surrounding area, except as requested by emergency service providers.

W. Survey Monuments. Upon completion of a street improvement and prior to acceptance by the city, it shall be the responsibility of the developer’s registered professional land surveyor to provide certification to the city that all boundary and interior monuments shall be reestablished and protected. The certification shall be a signed statement submitted with the final plat.

X. Street Signs. The city, county or state with jurisdiction shall install all signs for traffic control and street names. The cost of signs required for new development shall be the responsibility of the developer. Street name signs shall be installed at all street intersections. Stop signs and other signs may be required.

Y. Mail Boxes. Plans for mailboxes to be used shall be approved by the United States Postal Service.

Z. Streetlight Standards. Streetlights shall be installed in accordance with city standards. Street lighting shall be designed to provide necessary lighting only, with all fixtures hooded and all resulting lights projected downward, and with no light projected onto adjoining property.

AA. Street Cross-Sections. The final lift of asphalt or concrete pavement shall be placed on all new constructed public roadways prior to final city acceptance of the roadway and within one year of the conditional acceptance of the roadway unless otherwise approved by the city engineer. The final lift shall also be placed no later than when 50 percent of the structures in the new development are completed or three years from the commencement of initial construction of the development, whichever is less.

1. Sub-base and leveling course shall be of select crushed rock;

2. Surface material shall be of Class C or B asphaltic concrete;

3. The final lift shall be Class C asphaltic concrete as defined by A.P.W.A. standard specifications; and

4. No lift shall be less than one and one-half inches in thickness. [Ord. 818 § 2 (Exh. A (§ 8-2.250)); Ord. 692 § 6.]