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BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
DRAFT - AUGUST 2011
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SIDEWALKS
Principles Sidewalk Zones Sidewalk Width Chart Sidewalks by Boston’s Street Types Features to Activate Sidewalks Sidewalk Materials Greenscape Street Trees Vegetated Stormwater Management Street Furniture Transit Stops Street Lights
BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
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SIDEWALKS
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BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
TK DRAFT - JULY 2011
TK BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
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Features to Activate Sidewalks TK TK TK TK TK TK
Vibrant Street Wall Green Walls Plazas Sidewalk CafĂŠs Vehicular Access Across Sidewalks Building Entrances
SIDEWALKS
Sidewalks are the most vital feature of the public realm; they help create a sense of place and community, they provide a place to watch the world go by and to interact with the community. In order to be pedestrian-friendly, sidewalks should be comfortable in terms of scale, temperature, and security. And the sidewalk environment should be pleasing to the senses offering visual stimulation, greenery, and a social atmosphere. Pedestrian-friendly sidewalks attract activity and are both an indicator of and a factor in economic growth and prosperity.
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The sidewalk and street environment (public realm) work together with building facades (private realm) to create active and vibrant edges. The relationship between the public and private realm is a critical balance that has a significant impact on the walking experience. The quality of the materials or image the private realm presents to the sidewalk is very important, but so too is how the private realm crosses the sidewalk at driveways and entrances. CafĂŠs and plazas enliven the sidewalk by encouraging people to linger and socialize. As the use of cell phones and mobile computing devices continues to increase, traditional public spaces provide a location to use personal devices. Streetscape improvement projects are good opportunities to redistribute the public right of way to create places for people to gather along streets.
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
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Download this document FRONTAGE ZONE PEDESTRIAN ZONE GREENSCAPE/FURNISHING ZONE CURB ZONE
FEATURES TO ACTIVATE SIDEWALKS
Vibrant Street Wall Well-designed ground-floor retail space is a principal ingredient for a vibrant street front, particularly in Downtown Commercial, Downtown Mixed-Use, Neighborhood Main Street, and Shared Street Types. Offices and other uses that require privacy and seek to separate themselves from the public realm are best placed on floors that are above the street level. Retail and restaurant uses are more conducive to a vibrant street wall and are preferred on the ground floor adjacent to the sidewalk.
Awnings and signs should be scaled between car speed and pedestrian speed. Awnings can provide shelter from the elements for pedestrians, in addition to demarcating stores and entrances. Architectural awnings that provide no additional shelter should be avoided. Signs should be unique but made of appropriate materials for the urban context. With the exception of Parkways and Residential Street Types, vending in the Frontage Zone is encouraged where sufficient space exists to accommodate it. Street vending can take the form of movable pushcarts or permanent stands or kiosks (tables are discouraged). Vendors can sell food, print material, or goods and clothing.
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SIDEWALKS
The modulation of building facades and treatments creates visual interest along the street wall. Windows visible from the sidewalk expose the human activity and use within the building to the passerby. This transparency is most important along Downtown Commercial, Downtown Mixed-Use, and Neighborhood Main Street Street Types.
of color and seasonal variety to sidewalks. This can also be achieved with flower boxes, low planters, or vines on the building face.
Rec. 75’ 10-15 -0” Seco nds
On these corridors there should be a minimum of 50% transparency of the ground-floor street wall. Transparency calculations do not include garage entrances, loading docks, egress doors, utility vaults, and service areas. The desired distance between ground-level pedestrian entrances in new development projects along these Street Types is 75’-0”, or one entrance every 10-15 seconds as a person walks along a street. Awnings, lighting, signs, and foliage also contribute to the visual interest on streets. All of these elements add color and texture to the street edge. Hanging baskets of flowers and plants on street furniture and building facades provide lots
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BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
Street performers without amplification can perform along Downtown Commercial, Downtown Mixed-Use and Neighborhood Main Streets. On constrained sidewalks, an accessible route must be maintained. Street stands are not permitted to reduce the clear width of the Pedestrian Zone below minimums widths and vending or performing may not create hazardous edges that could impact pedestrians with vision impairments.
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
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Overview
Use
Where transparency in the building edge is not achievable, greenwalls can provide visual interest and variation to the street edge. Plants can be rooted in the ground and trained up the wall or in modular panels on the wall. In addition to making building surfaces more attractive, greenwalls can reduce the “heat island effect,� provide thermal insulation for buildings, improve air quality, and help manage building run-off. Most greenwall systems use irrigation systems to water plants throughout the year, and come in different forms, shapes, costs, and functions.
Modular panels come in three basic varieties of growing mediums. They are composed of use loose soil, fiber or felt mats, or structural mediums which combine the two. The appropriate type of system depends on the building structure and availability of water. >> Structural mediums are preferred despite higher installation costs. These systems are long-lasting, require less maintenance, and are more flexible. >> Loose-soil systems are best suited where occasional replanting and regular maintenance is possible. Loose soil can be messy, may erode over time, and is not suitable for tall structures. >> Mat mediums are appropriate for applications where the structure cannot support much added weight. Their shortcomings are that they tend to be thin, do not retain water well, do not support robust root systems, and are not suitable for tall structures.
Green walls make building surfaces more attractive, reduce heat island effect, provide thermal insulation, and help manage stormwater runoff.
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Green Walls
SIDEWALKS
FRONTAGE ZONE PEDESTRIAN ZONE GREENSCAPE/FURNISHING ZONE CURB ZONE
FEATURES TO ACTIVATE SIDEWALKS
Considerations >>Applications that require irrigation systems must be monitored and shut off so pipes do not freeze in winter.
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
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Download this document FEATURES TO ACTIVATE SIDEWALKS
FRONTAGE ZONE PEDESTRIAN ZONE GREENSCAPE/FURNISHING ZONE CURB ZONE
Plazas Use
As the presence of other people makes the public realm interesting and inviting, plazas are encouraged where appropriate as a part of streetscape design. Successful plazas attract people with the presence of other people and support a wide variety of activities including temporary markets, art installations, or performances. Plazas are also opportunities to incorporate the green and smart elements of these guidelines. The following guidelines suggest ways to design plazas that draw people in and encourage them to linger.
>> Locate plazas adjacent to transit or other pedestrian generators wherever possible. Make the transition between the sidewalk and plaza as broad and seamless as possible in order to make it inviting. >> Maintain an accessible path along the sidewalk and through the space to buildings entrances and transit stops. >> The proportion of landscaping to paving in plazas may vary according to the urban context and intensity of programming. Landscaping designs should be as sustainable as possible and take into consideration the level of maintenance that can practically be achieved in the space over the long run. >> Look for opportunities to make stormwater management a visible amenity. Trees and planters should be designed to provide shade, manage stormwater, and create visual interest. Porous materials may be used to reduce runoff. Subsurface recharge or storage of stormwater, though invisible, should be considered. >> Provide a variety of seating options, some of which should be movable. Seating can be incorporated into building edges, walls, and landscaping containers. A good rule of thumb is to dedicate at least 10% of a plaza’s open-space to seating. Movable chairs provide ultimate flexibility for a public space and allow for endless variation in arrangements to suite personal preference, to capture sun or shade, or to sit in a group or alone. >> Offer public Wi-Fi, if possible. Provide built or digital wayfinding and information installations. >> Install temporary or permanent public art.
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SIDEWALKS
Overview
Considerations >> Adjacent businesses can provide food or services to make the plaza more inviting, as well as share responsibility as caretakers of a space. >> Designate locations for movable vending carts or stalls as part of the design. Vending configurations should take into consideration maintenance of a clear pedestrian path and the potential for supplying power or water to stalls or carts.
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BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
>> Design should be sensitive to environmental conditions; for example, provide shade and shelter, wind breaks, or sunny spots. Consider using recycled and/or locally sourced materials, and materials to minimize heat absorption. >> Plazas can be a good place to locate bike parking.
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
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Overview
Use
Sidewalks cafés are encouraged for all street types where commercial activity occurs, including industrial areas. The extension of restaurant businesses into the public way brings activity and energy to the public realm. The renting of this space by private businesses can also result in a higher level of maintenance and cleanliness. Careful attention must be given to the design and layout of sidewalk cafés to maintain sidewalk function and the quality of the public environment.
>> Cafés can be as little as 6’-0” deep and must be continuous with the dining establishment (not across a public way). Cafés may not extend beyond the frontage of the establishment into neighboring businesses. A minimum 3’-8” clear path should be maintained to the front door of the dining establishment. >> A clear Pedestrian Zone of at least 4’-0” and preferably 5’-0” must be maintained on the sidewalk. Additional width should be considered in areas with higher pedestrian volumes. This clear path can include a portion of the Furnishing Zone but cannot direct pedestrians onto a nonADA compliant surface. >> All sidewalk cafés are encouraged to provide an enclosure dividing the café from the public right of way. If alcohol is served, an enclosure is required. Barriers must be attached to the ground but can be made of fence, rope, chains, or live plants. Permanent anchors may be installed as long as the barrier is removable and the anchor is flush with the ground and ADA compliant. Enclosures must be removed after the café season has ended. >> Furniture should be durable, free-standing, and matching. Plastic furniture is discouraged. >> Awnings and/or umbrellas are desirable. Heat lamps, either free-standing or affixed to the underside of awnings, can extend outdoor dining into the shoulder seasons.
All sidewalk café proposals must be approved by the Licensing Board and the Public Improvement Commission. The submission requirements and regulations for permitting are available at www.cityofboston.gov/publicworks/ permits. The following guidelines expand upon existing regulations and the Greenway Café Guideline while focusing specifically on the impact of sidewalk cafés on the pedestrian environment.
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Sidewalk Cafés
SIDEWALKS
FRONTAGE ZONE PEDESTRIAN ZONE GREENSCAPE/FURNISHING ZONE CURB ZONE
FEATURES TO ACTIVATE SIDEWALKS
Min. 3’-8” Min. 4’-0”
Considerations Min. 6’-0”
Depending on the location, applications may need BRA design review and/or Landmarks Commission approval.
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
35
Download this document FEATURES TO ACTIVATE SIDEWALKS
Vehicular Access Across Sidewalks
MIN DISTANCE FROM UNSIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
MIN DRIVEWAY WIDTH
MAX DRIVEWAY WIDTH
COMMERCIAL DRIVEWAYS
100’-0”
100’-0”
20’-0” (Two way)
24’-0” (Two way)
RESIDENTIAL DRIVEWAYS
40’-0”
20’-0”
10’-0” (Two way)
12’-0” (Two way)
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SIDEWALKS
The design of driveways should provide a continuous Pedestrian Zone across the vehicular path and encourage vehicles to yield to pedestrians on the sidewalk. While providing vehicular access across public sidewalks links streets to off-street parking facilities and loading and unloading zones, driveways can create conflicts and require special treatments in order to maintain a safe and comfortable walking environment. New driveways, or changes to existing driveways for either commercial or residential use, require approval from the Boston Transportation Department and the Public Improvements Commission.
MIN DISTANCE FROM SIGNALIZED INTERSECTION
Overview
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20’ 24’
M IN .
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BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
DRAFT - JULY 2011
1 0 0 ’-
0”
BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
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Considerations
The public sidewalk has the right of way over private crossings. The following general design guidelines should be followed to minimize disruption to pedestrians while ensuring safe operation: >> The Pedestrian Zone should be continuous and clearly delineated across driveways to encourage drivers to yield to pedestrians (e.g., if the sidewalk is composed of concrete, the concrete surface treatment should be continuous across the driveway). >> Residential driveways should be designed with standard curb cuts and an apron outside of the Pedestrian Zone. >> ADA guidelines for accessible pedestrian routes include a minimum 4’-0” clear width with no more than a 2% cross slope. (Refer to Sidewalk Materials, Accessibility Focus on page TK for more information).
>> Where space permits, aprons with fully raised continuous sidewalks should be provided on Downtown Commercial, Downtown Mixed-Use, and Neighborhood Main Street Types. >> In constrained locations where the width of the sidewalk is insufficient for a fully raised crossing, the roadway can be partially raised and the sidewalk partially lowered. This design minimizes the disruption to the pedestrian while still providing a traffic calming effect. On a typical 6” high sidewalk, this is achieved by ramping down sidewalk at the driveway by 3” and raising the driveway by the same amount. >> If the sidewalk is too narrow to meet the minimum width requirements in the Pedestrian Zone, a curb extension should be considered. Curb extensions are only appropriate where on-street parking is present, or where the curb extension will not disrupt the use of the street by all users, including cyclists, transit, and motorists. >> In locations where a driveway must function as an intersection, it should be designed with pedestrian safety features such as crosswalks, small corner radii, and pedestrian signal heads if signalized. Additional guidance on driveway design is provided in Boston Transportation Driveway Guidance for the Boston Zoning Board of Appeal.
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Use
SIDEWALKS
FRONTAGE ZONE PEDESTRIAN ZONE GREENSCAPE/FURNISHING ZONE CURB ZONE
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BOSTON TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT
DRAFT - JULY 2011
BOSTON COMPLETE STREETS GUIDELINES
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