The City of

San Diego Street

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2002

“If we can develop and design streets so that they are wonderful,fulfilling places to be—community-building places, attractive forall people—then we will have successfully designed about one-third of the city directly and will have had an immense impacton the rest,” Alan B. Jacobs, Great Streets.

November 2002

The City of

San DiegoStreet Design Manual 2002“To offer guidelines for the design of streets that will createharmony and promote function for all users while respectingand supporting the needs of the surrounding community.”

City of San DiegoStreet Design Manual Advisory Committee

Prepared by:City of San Diego Street Design Manual Advisory Committeeand the City of San Diego Planning Department

With the assistance of:The M.W. Steele Group and the Stepner Design Group

Approved by:Council of the City of San Diego

Resolution Number: 297376Adopted on: November 25, 2002

Mayor Dick MurphyDistrict 1, Scott PetersDistrict 2, Byron WearDistrict 3, Toni AtkinsDistrict 4, George StevensDistrict 5, Brian MaienscheinDistrict 6, Donna FryeDistrict 7, Jim MadafferDistrict 8, Ralph Inzunza

Planning Commission:

William Anderson, ChairAnthony Lettieri, Vice ChairBruce BrownCarolyn ChaseKathleen GarciaBarry SchultzMark Steele

Project Team:

City Council:

Jared BradleyMark Steele, M.W. Steele GroupMichael Stepner, Stepner Design GroupRosado Wiseman, Stepner Design GroupGail Goldberg, City Planning DirectorGary Halbert, Chief Deputy DirectorSamir Hajjiri, Sr. Traffic EngineerRick Brown, Graphic DesignerLisa Goehring, Graphic Designer

Street Design ManualAdvisory Committee

Roger BallJim BarossBeth FisherTom FullerTony GangitanoAndy HamiltonDavid HopkinsKathy KeehanBrent McDonaldDoug PaulDrew PotockiGuy PreussTheresa QuirozJim RobertsChris SchmidtMartin SchmidtDavid SchumacherDave SorensonJeffery TomStephan VanceJim VarnadoreLinda Woodbury

This information is available in alternative formats upon request. Printed on recycled paper.

Table of Contents

Street Design Manual 2002

Introduction ............................................................................................... 1

Applicability............................................................................................... 3

How To Use This Manual .............................................................................. 4

Design Requirements ................................................................................. 7

Alleys ....................................................................................................... 9

Residential Streets ..................................................................................... 13Cul-de-SacLow Volume Residential LocalResidential Local

Commercial Streets .................................................................................... 21Commercial LocalIndustrial Local

Collector Streets ........................................................................................ 29Two-Lane Sub-CollectorTwo-Lane CollectorTwo-Lane Collector with Two-Way Left Turn LaneTwo-Lane Industrial CollectorFour-Lane Urban Collector with Two-Way Left Turn Lane

Major Streets ............................................................................................. 41Four-Lane Urban MajorFour-Lane MajorSix-Lane Urban MajorSix-Lane Primary Arterial

Rural Roads................................................................................................ 51Rural LocalRural Collector

Aly

Res

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Cl

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Ru

141618

2226

3032343638

42444648

5254

Facilities Without the Automobile ............................................................... 57Shared Pedestrian/Bikeway FacilityPedestrianwayTransitway

Pedestrian Design ..................................................................................... 611. Understanding ADA & Designing for Various Disabilities and Ages2. Street Design3. Intersection Design and Operation4. Sight Distance5. Pedestrian Crossings6. Pedestrian Refuge Islands7. Sidewalks for Overpasses, Underpasses and Highway On/Off Ramps8. Creating Pedestrian Realm

Traffic Calming .......................................................................................... 77General GuidelinesTraffic Calming TechniquesHorizontal DeflectionsVertical DeflectionsIntersection Pop-outsTraffic DivertersChannelization

Street Lighting ........................................................................................... 93

Parkway Configurations

Urban ................................................................................................... 97

Rural .................................................................................................... 107

Design StandardsGeometric Design ................................................................................. 115

A. Horizontal CurvesB. Vertical CurvesC. IntersectionsD. TransitionsE. Cul-de-Sacs

Street Design Manual 2002

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115116116117117

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Street Design Manual 2002Street Element Design ........................................................................... 119

A. Standard DrawingsB. Street RequirementsC. DrainageD. MediansE. PavementF. Rolled CurbsG. Right-of-WayH. SidewalksI. Landscape RequirementsJ. DrivewaysK. Guardrail and Safety DevicesL. Street Name SignsM. Traffic Control and SignalizationN. Street Furniture

Planned Development Design ................................................................ 123

Appendix................................................................................................... 125 I. Street Classification II. Land Use III. References IV. Mid-Block Pedestrian CrosswalkV. Summary of Traffic Calming MeasuresVI. Best Management Practices Available to Address

Storm Runoff Water Quality Associated with Street DesignVII. Transit StreetsVIII. Deviation from Standards Form

Glossary ................................................................................................... 147

Index ....................................................................................................... 151

119119119119119120120120121122122122122123

126129131132133135

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1

Introduction

Introduction

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“Community streets are public rights-of-way,which unite neighborhoods, provide accessfor motorists and non-motorists, and promoteneighborhood identity, health, comfort, andsafety.” Moorish and Brown, Planning to Stay.

INTRODUCTIONStreets play a major role in shaping the form ofthe urban environment. The quality of the streetexperience is a key element in the quality of aneighborhood. The Progress Guide and GeneralPlan describes the function of the City’s streetsystem as follows:

Streets serve a variety of purposes. One is for thecirculation of people, vehicles, goods, andservices (utilities). Streets also serve as shoppingcorridors, restaurant rows, linear parks,residential front yards, extensions of officelobbies, ceremonial gathering places, paradegrounds, racing courses, display areas,entertainment strips, etc. The street is really theCity, organized along a corridor. It is a continuousforum for gathering where all those activities havetheir overture, making city life what it is. It haseconomic, social, aesthetic, political, ecological-even philosophical-implications. And, all this is inaddition to providing a right-of-way for people andthings.

The City of Villages Initiative recognizes streetsas an important element in shaping our urbanform and improving our neighborhood quality by:

• Balancing the needs of emergency vehicleswith everyday traffic concerns—such asvehicle speeding and pedestrian safety—through street design policy.

• Promoting an interconnected street networkthat includes pedestrian and bicycle accesswhere topography and land form permit.

• Creating a more attractive and safepedestrian environment through thepromotion of an active streetscape and theuse of public art and artistic elements.

• Reducing peak energy demand through theincorporation of urban heat island reductionmeasures into the appropriate site and streetdesign guidelines, landscape standards, andbuilding codes.

• Promoting pedestrian- and transit-friendlydesign of City streets.

• Providing capacity and operationalimprovements to streets to minimizecongestion and focus on persons and goods,not just vehicles.

These are the guiding principles of the StreetDesign Manual.

The purpose of the Street Design Manual is toprovide information and guidance for the designof the public right-of-way that recognizes themany and varied purposes that a street serves.The Street Design Manual is intended to assist inthe implementation of the Progress Guide andGeneral Plan, the Strategic Framework Element,the Transit-Oriented Development DesignGuidelines, and the Land Development Code. Inaddition, it is intended to assist in theimplementation of the special requirementsestablished through community plans, specificplans, precise plans, or other City Council-adopted policy and/or regulatory documents.

Introduction

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Applicability

APPLICABILITYThese guidelines are applicable primarily tonewly developing areas and to older areas thatare undergoing major revitalization andredevelopment. In areas with sensitive habitat orunusual and difficult terrain, these guidelines maybe modified as appropriate. In historic and older,developed neighborhoods, the existing characterof the streets should be maintained andenhanced. In these older neighborhoods,nonstandard street widths are frequently in placein many locations. Existing street designs andconfigurations not illustrated in this manual maybe considered appropriate for continued use insuch neighborhoods.

The manual establishes guidelines to carry outthe City’s street design functions. It does notestablish a legal standard for such functions noris it intended that it should do so. Moreover,these guidelines do not supersede requirementsand policies established through communityplans, specific plans, precise plans, regional andCity standard drawings or other City Council-adopted policy and/or regulatory documents; but,rather, they are designed to work in concert withthem.

It should be noted that all drawings included inthis manual are for illustrative purposes only andshould not be used as construction plans.

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How To Use This Manual

The Street Design Manual is divided into sixsections: Roadway Design, Pedestrian Design,Traffic Calming, Street Lighting, ParkwayConfigurations, and Design Standards. It isimportant to understand how all six parts work. Allsix parts should be considered, in order to designan effective street system. The manualcomplements the Transit-Oriented DevelopmentDesign Guidelines and substantiates theimportance of site planning in the design of aneffective street system. Each of the streetclassifications described in this manual includesicons (at the bottom of the page) that indicate theappropriate parkway configuration and trafficcalming devices for the type of street, asillustrated below and on the following page.

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U-1

U-3

U-4a

U-2

U-4b

U-5a

U-5

U-6a

U-6b

R-1

R-2a

R-2b

R-3

R-4

10’ parkway with tree grates

10’ parkway - contiguoussidewalk

12’ parkway - non- contiguous sidewalk

15’ parkway - non-contiguous sidewalk

22’ parkway - non-contiguous sidewalk

14’ parkway - with tree grates

14’ parkway - with tree grates(transit area)

20’ parkway - (transit area)

20’ parkway -with tree grates

12’ parkway

14’ parkway

14’ parkway

18’ parkway

26’ parkway

chicane

traffic circle

median slow point

road hump

speed tableraised crosswalk

intersection pop-out

semi-diverter

channelization

Traffic CalmingParkway Configurations

U R

B A

NR

U R

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How To Use This Manual

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DESIGN REQUIREMENTS• The necessary width and configuration of a

street is also related to the estimated futureaverage daily traffic (ADT).

• Ordinarily, the ADT is the motor vehiclevolume projected within the next twenty years.However, in newly developing communities,the volume after buildout may be considered.

• Special studies may be required to establishfuture traffic volumes for a given street. Whenrequired, the study must be performed by aRegistered Traffic Engineer. In the absence ofsuch a study, ADT in residential areas willcomputed on the basis of the City’s standardtrip generation factors.

• The “Design ADT” for streets of Collectorclassification and higher indicates an ADTrange. The lower number represents themaximum ADT for LOS C as indicated in theCity of San Diego Traffic Impact StudyManual. The higher number represents LOS Daccording to the Manual. LOS C is theappropriate design parameter for streets inurbanizing communities in accordance withthe City’s General Plan. LOS D is anacceptable level of service for CEQA(California Environmental Quality Act) review.

Design Requirements

• The ADTs corresponding to the various LOSincluded in the Traffic Impact Studies Manualare intended as guidelines to correlate thequality of traffic service with typical sectionsof different street classifications. The ADTshould not be used as the sole factor indetermining the appropriate streetclassifications, since other factors play animportant role in shaping the operatingconditions on a facility. Designers areencouraged to perform analysis usingHighway Capacity Manual method-ologies toassist in determining appropriate streetclassifications and accompanying levels ofservice for their street projects.

• Basic width and alignment requirements aredescribed in the Roadway Design section ofthis Manual.

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9

Alleys

Aly

10

Aly Alleys

plan (not to scale)

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AlyAlleys

section A-A (not to scale)

A. An alley is a secondary means of accessusually lying along the rear of property, thefront of which abuts on and has primaryaccess from a street. Alleys should notintersect streets of four-lane urban major orhigher classification.

B. Alleys are to be improved 20 feet (6.1 m) widewithin a 20-foot (6.1 m) right-of-way. Whereutility services, fire hydrants, etc. are located inthe alley, the right-of-way must be widened asrequired. At the intersection of two alleys, atriangular area at the corner, 20 feet (6.1 m) oneach side, shall be improved and included inthe right-of-way.

C. Maximum grade is 15 percent. Minimum curveradius is 100 feet (30 m) or as needed toaccommodate commercial and emergencyvehicle access and provide for 15 mph(25 km/h) minimum sight distance.

D. Curb ramps shall be installed on both sides ofan alley entrance in the sidewalk path of travel.

E. Alleys shall be constructed in accordance withSan Diego Regional Standard Drawings.

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