The
City of Olivette Parks and Recreation
Bikeway
Design Fact Sheet
After
several years of planning, the Olivette Bikeway is moving into the critical
design phase. The following provides background on the design process and
probable design features of the bikeway.
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Governing
design guidelines. The Olivette Bikeway will be designed in accordance with
provisions of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), which is
providing substantial funds for this project. (Please refer to the following
page for an explanation of design sources and a definition of terms used
here.)
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Overall
design intent -- a system of trails and on-street bike routes. The Olivette
Bikeway System will be designed to meet two community needs. It will have
a trails component to meet recreational and practical needs. It will also
have on-street bicycle routes to meet the transportation and practical needs
of adult and older adolescent bicyclists.
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The
premise for on-street bikeway design. MoDOT encourages bicycle movement
on the state road system and also makes funding available for the development
of bicycle accommodations on roads operated by local communities. Missouri
is one of many states which encourage bicycle movement on its roads. As
with most states, it follows the AASHTO design guide for bicycle facilities.
AASHTO is sanctioned and recognized as a national clearinghouse in the design
of such facilities.
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Design
intent of Olivette's on-street bikeway. Olivette's on-street system will
be designed in accordance with MoDOT and AASHTO policies. It is intended
to facilitate movement by people who use bicycles for practical and commute-to-work
purposes, on existing roads. In addition to those who already ride bicycles
on city streets, others would also use bicycles as a practical means of
local movement, if there were improved accommodations. The use of bicycles
for some local trips can help to alleviate local traffic congestion and
bring about a better quality of life in our community. .
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Design
timetable. The Bikeway will be designed over the next 8 months, during which
time a consulting engineer will develop preliminary and final plans. These
plans will be produced working closely with the City of Olivette, and then
submitted for approval by MoDOT.
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Trail
design. The trails will be located on their own right-of-way separate from
city streets, and will have an asphalt surface with a ten (10) foot width.
They will be designed according to MoDOT guidelines to allow for safe usage
by adults, adolescents, and children, and by a variety of user types including
bicyclists, walkers, runners, roller-bladers, the disabled, and others.
Pets on leashes will be permitted. The trails will also have a center stripe,
safety/destination signage, and may have two-foot wide soft shoulders for
use by runners.
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On-street
design. Selected streets will have "Bicycle Route" and "Share the Road with
Bicycles" signs installed to alert both motor vehicles and bicyclists that
each is sharing the road with the other. Most of the on-street bikeway is
located on neighborhood and subdivision streets. The signage will increase
the safety level for children who already use subdivision streets to ride
bicycles. Several larger streets are also a part of the bikeway system.
They are intended for use by adult riders, who have increasingly been observed
on Olivette's street system. The placement of these signs will improve safety
conditions.
Design Sources and Common
Terms
The following terms are
derived from several sources, including MoDOT's design guidelines, the Guide
for the Development of Bicycle Facilities, published by the American Association
of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO, August, 1991), and Selecting
Roadway Design Treatments to Accommodate Bicycles, published by the Federal
Highway Administration (FHWA, January, 1994). These terms are also used in
the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Facilities Plan, produced by East West Gateway
Coordinating Council (August, 1994).
Bicycle Facility- A marked
or unmarked street route, bicycle lane or path for use by bicycles. The term
also applies to improvements and provisions to accommodate or encourage bicycling,
including parking facilities, and other features.
Bikeway- Any road or
path which in some manner is specifically designed as being open to bicycle
travel, regardless of whether such facilities are designated for the exclusive
use of bicycles or are to be shared with other transportation modes.
Key Bicycle Street- A
term sometimes used to describe a roadway not specifically designated for
the preferential or exclusive use of bicycles. It often applies to roadways
used by bicyclists, even though there are no specific designations, and even
though there may be factors present which do not promote safe bicycle usage.
Bicycle Route- A segment
of a system of bikeways designated by the jurisdiction having authority, with
appropriate directional and information markers, but without striping, signing,
and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists.
Sometimes referred to as a Class III bikeway.
Bicycle Lane- Bikeway
on a portion of a roadway which has been designated by striping, signing,
and pavement markings for the preferential or exclusive use of bicyclists.
Usually couplets, each one in a different direction and adjacent to the outside
through travel lane. Sometimes called a Class II bikeway.
Bicycle Path- A bikeway
which is physically separated from motor vehicle traffic by open space or
a barrier and either within the road right-of-way, or on an independent right-of-way.
Also referred to as a bike trail.