A Transportation Plan for the Greenleaf Terrace Neighborhood
A Transportation Plan for the Greenleaf Terrace Neighborhood
A Transportation Plan for the Greenleaf Terrace Neighborhood
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Many people have a mental image of traffic circles that can create serious challenges to<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir implementation. Several misconceptions exist regarding <strong>the</strong> safety of both vehicles<br />
and pedestrians negotiating traffic circles and <strong>the</strong>ir larger <strong>for</strong>m, known as “roundabouts.”<br />
In reality, properly designed traffic circles have been shown to significantly reduce <strong>the</strong><br />
number of vehicular accidents at<br />
intersections. 23 Traffic circles in<br />
<strong>Greenleaf</strong> <strong>Terrace</strong> will not only help<br />
reduce <strong>the</strong> speed of traffic in and<br />
around intersections; <strong>the</strong>y will also<br />
help to improve vehicular and<br />
pedestrian safety. An additional side<br />
benefit will be <strong>the</strong> elimination of <strong>the</strong><br />
confusion that can accompany<br />
intersections with multi-way stop<br />
signs.<br />
The traffic circles recommended <strong>for</strong><br />
all of <strong>the</strong> above intersections should<br />
be designed with mountable or semimountable<br />
center islands to allow<br />
negotiation by emergency and road<br />
maintenance vehicles. Center islands<br />
can incorporate landscaping and<br />
decorative materials such as brick or<br />
Figure 4: Traffic Circle<br />
Source: Cityoflansingmi.com<br />
stone and <strong>the</strong>reby also provide an aes<strong>the</strong>tic benefit to <strong>the</strong> neighborhood in addition to<br />
traffic-calming benefits.<br />
Objective Implementation:<br />
The City of Charlottesville should install traffic circles in <strong>Greenleaf</strong> <strong>Terrace</strong> in<br />
accordance with <strong>the</strong> design considerations included in <strong>the</strong> Charlottesville Traffic Calming<br />
Guidebook. The design of <strong>the</strong> circles should be consistent with that shown in Figure 3<br />
and should include “splitter bars” to help direct traffic into <strong>the</strong> circle and slow its<br />
approach.<br />
The traffic circles at Del Mar Drive and Oakleaf and <strong>Greenleaf</strong> Lanes will be connected<br />
by an island because of <strong>the</strong>ir proximity to one ano<strong>the</strong>r. Each road entering <strong>the</strong> traffic<br />
circle will feature a pedestrian crosswalk that will utilize <strong>the</strong> splitter bar as a mid-point of<br />
<strong>the</strong> crossing. The remainder of <strong>the</strong> traffic circles will follow a design similar to that in<br />
figure 4.<br />
Clear signage should be included on all roads entering each circle to warn motorists of its<br />
presence, especially in cases where visibility of <strong>the</strong> intersection is limited. Pedestrian-<br />
23 2000 City of Charlottesville Traffic Calming Device Implementation Guidebook