Details:

Creators:
Kastenhofer, Ilona O
Corporate Creators:
Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) ; Virginia. Dept. of Transportation ; United States. Federal Highway Administration
Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC) ; Virginia. Dept. of Transportation ; United States. Federal Highway Administration Less -
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Pedestrian Areas Pedestrian Areas--Planning--Virginia Retrofitting Sidewalks Sidewalks--Planning--Virginia Sidewalks--United States Sidewalks--Virginia Surveys
Publication/ Report Number:
FHWA/VTRC 10-R4 ; VTRC 10-R4
FHWA/VTRC 10-R4 ; VTRC 10-R4 Less -
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
Virginia
Edition:
Final report
Corporate Publisher:
Virginia Transportation Research Council (VTRC)
Abstract:
In Virginia, as in the United States, many roads were built without sidewalks. With steadily increasing efforts to

develop a more balanced, multimodal transportation system, missing sidewalks pose a unique connectivity issue. Although the

Virginia Department of Transportation’s (VDOT) Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations allows for the

construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities separate from highway construction, it does not specifically address the issue of

missing sidewalks. The purpose of this study was to identify and examine current practices relating to retrofitting existing roads

with sidewalks in order to provide VDOT with guidance on addressing the issue of missing sidewalks in its transportation

system.

Three tasks were performed to achieve the study objectives. First, a literature review was conducted to identify material

that addressed issues relating to retrofitting existing roads with sidewalks. Second, VDOT’s current practices were documented

and reviewed based on a survey and interviews of district staff. Third, the practices of state departments of transportation

(DOTs) and selected localities were identified based on a survey of the DOT and locality representatives, the literature review,

and a search of agency websites.

With regard to the literature review, no publication focusing on the topic of missing sidewalks was found. Most of the

literature was focused on accommodations for pedestrians along newly constructed roads and on operational issues for existing

pedestrian facilities.

With regard to VDOT’s current practices, VDOT has no current policy to construct missing sidewalks. No VDOT

district has an inventory of sidewalks or missing sidewalks or any “wish-list” for sidewalk connections. Further, there is no

prioritization method should more requests for sidewalk connections be received than is possible to accommodate. Although

VDOT has completed a limited number of projects to provide missing sidewalks, there is no dedicated funding source to address

future requests.

Most state DOTs are similar to VDOT in not having a program to construct missing sidewalks. Experiences of localities

across the United States show successful sidewalk retrofit programs, which focus on targeted areas with high pedestrian activity.

The study recommends that VDOT develop guidelines for identifying, prioritizing, and constructing missing sidewalks.

Such guidelines are expected to provide guidance relating to identifying high-priority targeted areas for constructing missing

sidewalks, prioritizing needed projects, and identifying funding options.


Format:
PDF
Funding:
83999
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:8fba04fb12e2d1af8f2d3ac2c6a7fc77d37a8ec034e961bba70c2c9c81fa04b5
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/20246/dot_20246_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

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