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BELLEVUE TRAFFIC CALMING PLAN
Prepared by
Transportation Engineering Division
of
City of Richmond
For
Bellevue Traffic Calming Committee
August 7, 2009
The Bellevue Civic Association appointed the Bellevue
Traffic Calming
committee, chaired by Carolyn O’ Leary, to work with the City’s
Transportation
Engineering Division to develop a coordinated traffic calming plan for
the community.
This report summarizes the results of the committee.
Overview
Bellevue is a predominantly residential community on the
north side of Richmond
bounded by the roadways Hermitage Road, W. Laburnum Avenue, Brook Road
and
Westbook Avenue. Other collector roads within this area include Bellevue
and Fauquier
Avenues. This plan focuses primarily on these roadways.
Type Traffic Calming Solutions Proposed
There area variety of engineering techniques to meet
traffic calming goals of
slowing vehicle speeds and reducing accidents in residential areas. A
description of the
specific types recommended for Bellevue includes:
1. Residential traffic
circle - this includes a landscaped
circle, generally 15-20 feet
diameter, which causes a “horizontal deflection” in traffic, thereby
slowing the
higher speed vehicles (see Figures 1 and 2). Several currently are being
installed
in Highland Park around Highland Plaza Park.
2. Splitters
- these are “football” shaped landscaped
medians, located mid-block,
which also slow higher speed traffic through horizontal deflection (see
Figure 3).
3. Chokers (also
bulbouts and curb extensions) -
several intersections along
Ellwood Avenue, near Carytown, have these intersection corner landscaped
sidewalk extensions (see Figures 4 and 5). The curb typically is
extended 6-8 feet
to protect curb parking, thereby also extending the pedestrian sidewalk
area,
reducing the width of open road a pedestrian must cross, and enhancing
the area
landscaping.
4. Modern roundabout
- these traffic calming devices
primarily are beneficial as
major intersection controls, and are extremely effective in efficiently
moving
traffic and reducing accidents (see Figure 6).
Long Range Plan
A traffic calming concept covering the southern half of
Bellevue (Bellevue
Avenue to W. Laburnum Avenue) is presented in Figure 7. These modern
roundabouts
“frame” the community located at Brook/Laburnum, Hermitage/Laburnum
(funded by a
safety grant, and hopefully constructed this fall - see Figure 8) and
Hermitage/Bellevue.
These improvements would provide attractive landscaped gateways to
Bellevue in
addition to improving traffic flow and safety.
Fauquier Avenue has all-way stops at Avondale, Greycourt,
Claremont and
Nottoway. It is recommended these revert to 2-way operation, and chokers
be provided
on Fauquier at each intersection.
Fauquier and Bellevue also is an all-way stop
intersection control. This is an
excellent candidate for a residential traffic circle. A landscaped
circle should be
installed, and intersection control revert back to stop control only on
the Fauquier
approaches (Figures 9).
Phase I Plan
Much of the concerns of residents attending the
committee meetings focused on
Westbrook Avenue. Accordingly, a comprehensive traffic calming plan for
Westbrook
between Hermitage and Brook has been developed. There are three
components to the
plan:
1. Pavement markings
- A white painted edge line the
entire length of the south
side of Westbrook (adjacent to the residences) is proposed. The line
would be a
minimum 6 feet from the edge of pavement and essentially would provide a
delineated parking area in front of the residences. This will require
relocating the
double yellow center line. The traffic merge between the northbound I95
off
ramp and westbound Westbrook, at Hermitage, is somewhat confusing. White
“sharks teeth” pavement markings have been installed near the ramp YIELD
sign
to emphasize the yield/merge condition to the ramp driver.
2. Residential traffic
circle - a modified circle at the
Crestwood Road/ Westminster
Canterbury main entrance is proposed (Figure 10). An oblong shaped
circle
allowing for a short left turn (eastbound Westbrook into Westminster
Canterbury)
will be incorporated into the design to account for the increased volume
of traffic
making the left turn.
3. Splitters
- Perhaps the most significant traffic
calming benefit will result from the
proposed three Westbrook splitters (Figures 11-14). In addition to
providing
multiple points of positive speed control, the included landscaping will
dramatically change the appearance of the corridor.
The Next Steps
It is hoped that the Westbrook Avenue Phase I Plan can
proceed to design and be
under contract for construction as early as the end of this year, or
likely spring of 2010.
The Long Range Plan is more of a work in progress that can be added to
or, with
Bellevue community support, proceed to a Phase II Plan of
implementation.
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