04 Connectivity & Walk Ability

8/3/2019 04 Connectivity & Walk Ability

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CONNECTIVITY AND

WALKABILITY



WALKABILITY

Connectivity

Connectivity refers to the directness of links and the density of

connections in path or road network.

A well-connected road or path network has many short links,

numerous intersections, and minimal dead-ends (cul-de-sacs).

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High Connectivity Low Connectivity



As connectivity increases, travel distances decrease and

route options increase, allowing more direct travel between

destinations, creating a more Accessible and Resilient system

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Disconnected street

pattern

Connected street

pattern



Do shorter greater street connectivity provide any benefits for

communities ?

Regardless of their size, three major benefits from better

connectivity are shorter trips; a wider variety of travel

choices; and more cost-effective public services and

infrastructure.

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Do shorter greater street connectivity provide any benefits for

communities ?

More direct connections shortens travel time, whicheffectively brings people closer to their destinations.

Community residents can get to schools, shopping centres,

and other spots – not because these places were too far away,but because they were too far out of the way .

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firefighters, police, and ambulance services can save precious

minutes reaching the scene of an emergency, and can serve abroader area without driving up their operating costs.

Similarly, greater connectivity can reduce costs of providing

other services, such as waste collection, by decreasing travel time

and mileage

Another benefit: by creating more ways for people to get from

point A to point B, communities can diversify the flow of traffic and,

in many cases, also enable travel choices other than driving.

This improves overall mobility and helps reduce congestion on

overworked arterials.

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The key is to create strategically located

links that benefit broad cross-sections of the

community.

“Good connectivity does not necessarily

mean eliminating every last cul- de-sac.

The real purpose of connectivity is toprovide a variety of routes for daily travel,

such as to schools, grocery stores, and after

school activities.

Connected street networks provide aframework for cohesive communities that

can provide public services in a highly

efficient way and can adapt to change

without losing their core identity. C


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The number of ways to get to

each intersection from 1st and

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Connectivity And Walkability

A walkable neighbourhood isn’t walkable unless it has a well-connected

thoroughfare network.

A well-connected network, composed of direct, convenient routes, is one of

the key ingredients of walkability.

Well-connected neighbourhoods have a host of advantages for residents and

for the greater community.

street connectivity is associated with more walking, less driving, greater safety, less crime, better physical fitness, and fewer per capita

emissions.

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Connectivity on the neighbourhood scale is about connectivity

within neighbourhoods. It’s about the routes and

connections from building to building, from lot to lot, and

from block to block.

There are a variety of metrics that can characterize connectivity,

such as density of intersections, block size, number of 3-

and 4-way intersections and cul-de-sacs, and route

directness.

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Walkability is a complex phenomenon involving such elementsas sidewalks, appealing streetscapes, and doors facing the

street. But from the perspective of someone trying to

decide on a dwelling, the most basic measure of walkability

is, “What can I walk to from here?”

availability of public transit, safety, and connectivity, all of which

are quite important to what I consider a walkable

environment; an environment that supports pedestrian

travel in an area.

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Walkable

What is the definition of “walkable”?

Destinations close by

If people are going to walk, there have to be places to walk to.

Walkable neighbourhoods have a variety of destinations

within walking distance.

Destinations might include commercial establishments or civicestablishments, civic spaces or transit stops.

Direct and convenient routes

Walkers don’t like to take long detours, so routes from place

to place are relatively close to a straight line. That means small blocks and few or no dead ends.

There are also plenty of alternate routes between any two

places, which both reduce traffic bottlenecks and provide the

variety that encourages walking. C

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Walkable

Comfortable and interesting pedestrian ways

Pedestrian safety is greatest when vehicle speeds are low.

On-street parking, trees, and other design elements are a

buffer between pedestrians and traffic.

Sidewalks are sized appropriately for the number of

walkers.

Buildings meet the street in such a way to make the

“outdoor rooms” that are the mark of the best urban places.

Building facades are human scale, with frequent doorways

and windows, and attractive details and ornament. These design elements also allow workers and residents to

keep an eye on the street and respond to criminal activity;

in addition, popular walking areas tend to be more safe

than deserted areas. C

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How It Is Implemented

Connectivity can be increased during roadway and pathway

planning, when subdivisions are designed, by adopting s

treet connectivity standards or goals, by requiring

alleyways and mid-block pedestrian shortcuts, by

constructing new roads and paths connecting destinations,by using shorter streets and smaller blocks, and by applying

Traffic Calming rather than closing off streets to control

excessive vehicle traffic.

New Urbanism development practices emphasize a high degree of

street connectivity.

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Typical street connectivity standards or goals include the featureslisted below.

Encourage average intersection spacing for local street to be

300-400 feet.

Limits maximum intersection spacing for local streets to about

600 feet.

Limits maximum intersection spacing for arterial streets to

about 1,000 feet. Limits maximum spacing between pedestrian/bicycle

connections to about 350 feet (that is, it creates mid-block

paths and pedestrian shortcuts).

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Typical street connectivity standards or goals (cont.)

Reduces street pavement widths to 24-36 feet.

Limits maximum block size to 5-12 acres.

Limits or discourages cul-de-sacs (for example, to 20% of streets).

Limits the maximum length of cul-de-sacs to 200 or 400 feet.

Limits or discourages gated communities and other restrictedaccess roads.

Requires multiple access connections between a development

and arterial streets.

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Typical street connectivity standards or goals (cont.)

Requires a minimum connectivity index, or rewards

developments that have a high connectivity index with

various incentives.

Specifically favors pedestrian and cycling connections, and

sometime connections for transit and emergency vehicles,

where through traffic is closed to general automobile traffic.

Creates a planning process to connect street “stubs,” that is,

streets that are initially cul-de-sacs but can be connected

when adjacent parcels are developed in the future

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Travel Impacts

Increased street connectivity can reduce vehicle travel byreducing travel distances between destinations and by

supporting alternative modes.

Increased Connectivity tends to Improve Walking and Cycling

conditions, particularly where paths provide shortcuts, so

walking and cycling are relatively faster than driving. This

also supports transit use.

Alba and Beimborn (2005) finds that improved local streetconnectivity can reduce traffic volumes, and therefore traffic

congestion, on major arterials.

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Benefits and Costs

Improved Connectivity tends to increase transportation system

Resilience by increasing route options, reducing problemswhen a particular link is closed.

It improves emergency response by allowing emergency vehicles

more direct access, and reduces the risk that an area will

become inaccessible if a particular part of the roadway isblocked by a traffic accident or fallen tree.

A more connected street system allows a fire station to serve about

three times as much area as in an area with unconnected

streets, increases the efficiency and safety of services such as

garbage collection and street sweeping, and tends to reduce

water quality problems that result from stagnant water in

dead-end pipes at the end of cul-de-sacs (Handy, Paterson and Butler, 2004,

p. 37 and p. 56). C

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Benefits and Costs

Increased road and path connectivity reduces per capita vehicle

travel and improves overall accessibility, particularly for non-

drivers - therefore help reduce traffic congestion, accidents and

pollution emissions, and improve mobility for non-drivers.

Increased Connectivity may require lower traffic speeds, since there

are shorter links and more intersections.

Residential properties tend to have lower values on connected

streets than on cul-de-sacs.

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Best Practices

Handy, Paterson and Butler (2004) provide recommendations

for improving roadway and pathway connectivity.

Minimize dead-end streets, and where they exist limit their

length to about 200 feet.

Where dead-end streets exist, try to create paths that provide

shortcuts for walking and cycling.

A modified-grid street network with a high degree of

connectivity should generally be used in urban areas.

As much as possible, new developments and urban

redevelopments should have a high degree of roadway

and pathway connectivity.C

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Best Practices

Handy, Paterson and Butler (2004) provide recommendations for

improving roadway and pathway connectivity.

Use short street and small blocks as much as possible. An ideal for

urban development is a 300 to 500 foot grid for pedestrians

and bicycles networks and a 500 to 1,000 foot grid for motor

vehicle streets.

Planners should watch for opportunities to increase connectivity,

particularly for non-motorized paths.

Traffic Calming should generally be used instead of street closures

to control excessive vehicle traffic on urban streets.

We actually started to use congestion as a means to

slow and regulate traffic, rather than trying to build

roads in order to arrive at zero congestion (an

impossibility)C

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If you live in a suburb like this one in Las Vegas, it might be hard to walk to the grocery st



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04 Connectivity & Walk Ability