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Get Started Studio | Foothills Blvd.
Description of Problem: Description of Problem: In this example of a busy arterial street, also from Florida (see For Cars Only), the street's outside lane is excessively wide. In fact, at certain locations motorists might travel side-by-side in the lane (e.g., where many drivers turn right). The first photo shows what happens where there is too much right-of-way for the need. In addition, while the sidewalk is wide, it suffers from being between the street and a large parking lot. There is nothing to encourage people to walk along this street. Problem Statement: How can this busy arterial be made a more attractive and safer place for bicyclists and pedestrians? Foothills Blvd. Ideas
Adding a 6-foot bicycle lane, as shown in the photo above, can help narrow the travel lane a bit and encourage more bicycling. However, adding in a 2- or 3-foot buffer strip between the sidewalk and the roadway helps reduce the right travel lane's width. Still, there is nothing to encourage walking. The major problem is that the sidewalk is surrounded by moving cars and parked cars. It is a place dominated by cars; travel destinations, such as shops and restaurants, are found on the other side of the parking lot. The only walking that gets done here is when people go from their cars to the stores and back. In the photo below, several additional elements have been added. First, there are pedestrian-scale street lights to serve those on foot. Buildings now front onto the sidewalk, instead of being behind a huge parking lot. This gives walkers destinations they can check out and choose to enter. The storefronts also help enclose the space of the street environment, giving motorists the sense that they are in a place where people may be found, rather than on a wide-open highway. The parking bays provide handy access for motorists. And the parking lots are still there; side and back entrances provide access for those using the lots.
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