A Master Plan for Courthouse Village - College of Humanities and ...

This number may then be applied to the number of households that could be
accommodated in the planned unit developments to determine likely number of
automobiles these new developments would generate. Doing so results in a low
estimate of 1,422 additional automobiles and a high estimate of roughly 2,400
additional automobiles.
A value indicating average number of car trips per household per day must then
be applied in order to determine the traffic effect. It has been estimated that the
average number of car trips varies considerably, depending on the type of
development. For instance, “in modern suburbia…the average household
currently generates thirteen car trips per day”, while a pedestrian-friendly historic
town core typically, “generates half the automobile trips of a modern-day suburb”
(Duany, 2001: 22). For this reason, it may be assumed that there will be average
of seven car trips per household per day. This would yield a range of between
9,954 and 16,800 car trips generated each day to and from these developments,
depending on the amount of clustering in each development.
As was discussed in the existing conditions of this Plan, the 1.74 mile segment of
state route 6/US Highway 522 that occurs within the Village saw average daily
traffic volumes of around 8,000 vehicles in 2004 and is approaching its projected
design capacity of roughly 9,000 vehicles. Should the proposed planned unit
developments in this Plan generate the above-mentioned traffic volumes, it is
clear that a road widening or other form of transportation enhancement may be
necessary along Sandy Hook Road.
However, it should be stressed that, given the proximity of these planned unit
developments to the Village core, provisions existing for cycling and other modes
of non-vehicular transportation, along with the possibility of small, select
commercial businesses locating within the R-PUD, these estimates may
overstate how many daily car trips will be likely in and around Courthouse
Village.
Commercial
This land use is intended to allow for those traditional commercial uses, which
are normally permitted under B-1 and B-2 zoning designations, but is limited as
to prevent a negative impact to the mixed-use core of the Village. As commercial
businesses already exist (including the Courthouse Commons Shopping Center)
to the north on Sandy Hook Road past Fairground Road, this general area will
remain designated for commercial use and should be encouraged to include only
those uses that can not be located within the Village core. This may include
those businesses which require more land than is available in the core or those
whose owners are unwilling to adhere to the design standards in place for
development within the core.
A Master Plan for Courthouse Village Page 53 of 96
Spring, 2006
Goochland County