Bike Lanes, Sidewalks, Crossings, etc.

Go back to the Safety Report Table of Contents.

How wide a sidewalk? Should a sidewalk be passable by a stroller, a wheel chair? What makes an official bike lane? Should busy intersections be striped for cross walks? Should they have chirpy pedestrian timers?

Needs Bike Lane, Bike Route standards


General Parameters for Sidewalk Width/Paving Decisions

Sidewalk Width
Just like aisles in markets, street sidewalks should vary in width to accommodate the varying levels/degrees of pedestrian and bike traffic. Smaller, neighborhood corner stores tend to have narrow aisles, while larger super markets accommodate heavier use with wide aisles. Even wider 'congregation areas' are provided around the cash registers, store entrance, and customer service desk.

Sidewalks provide dedicated travel lanes for slow moving pedestrian traffic, separated from the road bed which is designed for fast moving automobile, motorcycle, and bicycle traffic. Separating slower traveling pedestrians from high speed traffic reduces conflict between street users and lowers the chance of accidents occurring. When sidewalks become too narrow for the level of foot traffic, sidewalk users tend to step off the concrete, either onto someone's front lawn or into traffic.

An individual person walking needs a space approximately 3 feet wide in order to move forward at a steady pace. If there is more than casual use of a sidewalk and travel requires passing (either overtaking or passing in the opposite direction) than a minimum of 6 feet of space (a second "lane" for passing) is required for more than one pedestrian to continue forward progress. Most people would feel more 'comfortable' with a width of 8 feet, which provides an ample safety buffer between pedestrians at moderate use. Sidewalk areas in commercial areas along Baltimore Ave, Queens Chapel Town Center, and PG Plaza and University Town Center have much wider sidewalks, around 20 feet.

ADA Compliance
The Americans with Disabilities Act specifies an unobstructed 5 foot minimum sidewalk width to accommodate wheelchair users. Other sidewalk users such as those pushing strollers or toting groceries require additional width as well. The Act also provides standards for driveway curb cuts, slope incline, embedded tactile bumps (for the visually impaired), and intersection signals at crossings. Prince George's County standards call for 6 foot minimum width for new development to be in compliance with the Act.

Practicalities
As a practical matter, the City of Hyattsville cannot feasibly replace all sidewalks to a 6 or 8 foot standard. Such a project would not only be prohibitive, in terms of cost, but the city does not, in the majority of cases, have the right-of-way necessary to take on such a task. Many Hyattsville neighborhoods were developed with 4 foot sidewalks along both sides of the street. These existing sidewalks allow for light use and meet the demands of most everyday traffic. Heavier use will, occasionally, spill onto the pavement, but on many of Hyattsville's low-traffic volume streets, this is not of too much concern. Some areas of Hyattsville have wider sidewalks and others lack sidewalk facilities all-together. Our recommendation for most streets in the city is to only refresh the existing sidewalks at their currents widths (or 4 feet, whichever is greater). This work is already happening as part of the core rehabilitation plan and is required to allow for improved drainage curb work and to fix many of our sidewalks that are at the end of their serviceable lifespan.

However, it is the committee's goal to identify streets in the city that lack adequate sidewalk facilities given their current use, planned use, or feasible adaptation as thoroughfares (i.e. pedestrian boulevards). We recommend that several streets have sidewalk facilities added or widened to match the level of use. Often, these are on State or County roads and will require coordination with those entities to alleviate the conflict between different modes of transportation (vehicular, bike, ped, etc.). When we recommend city streets for new or wider sidewalks it is because:

A) the current planned use (as outlined in various city planning documents) requires additional width,
B) there is a 'gap' in the existing sidewalk network,
C) there is apparent demand for improvements from city residents who use the route
D) the street provides an important 'through' route...linking important sections of the city or landmarks

In many cases the right-of-way exists to accommodate our recommendations but in others the usual public process will be followed to allow input by all interested parties.


Lighting Improvements
Lighting
Lighted corridors extend the hours of practical use for sidewalks and trails. In addition the presence of adequate lighting reduces the frequency of accidents and deters crime. Many residents have recently expressed a desire for improved lighting near METRO stations, retail areas, and into the core of nearby residential areas. The committee is charged with collaborating with DPW, the police force, and city council to produce an implementation plan for street lighting upgrades west of Queens Chapel Road. The city has secured $70,000 in a Community Legacy Grant to see the project through. This money is secured exclusively for work in West Hyattsville. In addition, the committee hopes to establish a feasible plan (again in concert with DPW, police and city council) for lighting upgrades east of Queens Chapel and to move forward with a plan to secure additional funds to cover these expenses.



The AASHTO Guide for the Planning, Design, and Operation of Pedestrian Facilities is a new (2004) national manual published by the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Organizations (AASHTO, for short). In this 128 page guide, the organization recommends a 6 foot sidewalk with a 5 foot minimum requirement.

The Federal Highway Administration publishes accessibility resources, including the Best Practices Design Guide which offers the following:




More information is available HERE