Santa Clara River Trail Final Master Plan - Development Services ...

Santa Clara River Trail Plan
Chapter 6: Summary of Design Guidelines,
Maintenance Schedules and Best Practices
Design Guidelines
This section presents recommended design guidelines for the Santa Clara River Trail. Guidelines have
been established for the typical trail cross section, surfacing options, access controls, trail amenities and
signs. Trail design guidelines refer to the characteristics of a trail to provide varying levels of access, user
experience, maintenance requirements, and costs. In order to select the appropriate trail guidelines, a
number of factors should be considered. These include:
Corridor location and environmentally sensitive areas
Anticipated trail traffic volumes and seasonal demands
Trail user types
Drainage needs
Maintenance needs
Maintenance costs and schedules
Additionally, a trail theme creates a cohesive and memorable trail, while establishing a distinctive
identity or “sense of place.” A unifying theme serves to inform subsequent design elements from site
furnishings to interpretive information. A trail specific logo may also be developed to compliment the
name.
Multi-Use Path Cross Section
Horizontal and Vertical Clearances
The recommended width for the SCRT is a 12’ paved trail with 2’ graded earth shoulders as shown in
Figure 4. This cross section meets the minimum City of Oxnard Class I Multi-use path design standard.
An 8’ vertical clearance free from vegetation is required by the Ventura County Watershed Protection
District along areas of levee and flood protection.
Recommended designs are based on the City’s existing standards and the pending Bicycle and Pedestrian
Facilities Master Plan (Planning and Zoning Permit No. 09-700-1) for design and construction, the
California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) Highway Design Manual, Chapter 1000 Bikeway Planning and
Design, and the City of Oxnard Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.
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