USDOT Roadway Sizing Study

[Richhamleigh, DC]

USDOT is reconsidering standards for roadway design with the understanding that not all roads should be designed the same -- that local conditions; urban design and economic development goals, etc., may be varied. 

This may be a good first step for those of us who think one size does not fit all, i.e. residential streets are too wide.

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/economic_development/right_sizing/index.cfm

[DPK]

Can a moderator edit this topic to be a bit more "on topic" without the capslock explosion?  It's also not directly Triangle related.

Edited May 3, 2019 by DPK

[Richhamleigh, DC]

I disagree.  This information is absolutely germane to the Triangle (especially rapidly changing cities and regions).  If implemented, it has the potential for profound impacts on the design standards used by local municipalities and NCDOT.

 

Edited May 3, 2019 by Phillydog

[ctl]

Developers in the Raleigh limits/ETJ  (and I believe Morrisville also, if not more) can already build narrow residential streets if they provide off-street parking, typically behind the houses/townhomes in a service alley, and prohibit on-street parking. Hard to imagine those streets getting narrower than they already are.  The street has to be wide enough for two full-width vehicles to pass. 

[KJHburg]

story about first leg from Apex to Garner of NC 540 and how it is going from WRAL

Only on WRAL: A tour of the progress so far building NC 540 toll road :: WRAL.com

[Richhamleigh, DC]

From Charlotte and how much development has taken place in the South End since the opening of the Lynx line.  

https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/community/development-reshaping-lower-south-end-charlotte/275-929acff1-67d7-4a22-8ff3-121b277a8045

 

[dmccall]

Here is a still shot from the WRAL story showing the rendering of the I-540/70/I-40 turbinate interchange in Garner.  Simple for the user, but wickedly complex. It really isn't like a roundabout.  SMH.

That's I-40 that cuts from the top (west) to the bottom (east). I-540 goes from the left to the upper right, and Hwy 70 goes off to the right, toward Smithfield. 

It's odd to me that I-40 west traffic getting onto I-540 clockwise (headed toward Apex) will get a simple right loop instead of a spin in the turbinate. Certainly there will be a lot of cars making this move, and I wonder if they have provisional plans to put in a turbinate loop for this move.

I know I know, this is hardly "Urban", but it is fun to trace the path of each potential move a car would make passing through there. 

Edited August 11, 2021 by dmccall

[jthomas]

Wow - what an obscene waste of land. I bet you could fit a compact city of 25,000 people inside the footprint of that interchange.

I'm curious about how much of the nearly brand-new interchange with the 70 bypass has to get torn up to build this monster. Welcome to America, where every transit project is a "boondoggle", but projects like this get rubber stamped without a peep.

[nicholas]

On 8/11/2021 at 4:50 PM, jthomas said:

I'm curious about how much of the nearly brand-new interchange with the 70 bypass has to get torn up to build this monster. Welcome to America, where every transit project is a "boondoggle", but projects like this get rubber stamped without a peep.

From driving through here a few times in the past couple of months, looks like the existing bridges for US 70 are being replaced.  Seems very shortsighted considering that everyone has known for a long time that 540 was going to run through this area.

[rancenc]

On the NCDOT front, new construction starts next spring on a major road project for the Angier area.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/article268101057.html