Design Specifications Submitted Geotechnical Report Submitted
Deviations From Standards (Application) Deviations From Standards (Approval) Detailed Clearing and Grading Plans Building Grade Plans
Approved Franchised Utility Design Driveway Location and Street Furniture Approval from AESRD and Others Mechanical Plants (As required) Conforms to Parks Standards Project Schedule Included
Agreements with Utility Franchises Complete
4 Transportation, Roads and Sidewalks
4.1 GENERALThis guideline covers the general design and construction standards of roads, lanes, curbs & gutters, sidewalks, boulevards, and accessories to be built or re-built in the Regional Municipality Wood Buffalo (the Municipality). Pedestrian trails and bike paths are covered in Section 10 – Landscape and Park
Development Standards. Standard Drawings relating to roadway design and construction are provided at the end of this section.
4.1.1 Related Municipal Documents and Standards
The following municipal documents provide further details on the design, materials specifications, and installation procedures of traffic and transportation related infrastructure:
Transportation Master Plan
Traffic Impact Assessment Guidelines
Municipal Contract Documents and Project Specifications
Guidelines for Design and Installation of Traffic Signals
Utility Installation and Traffic Control Manual 4.2 TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERINGAll traffic and roadway designs shall ensure the safe and efficient movement of vehicular traffic and multimodal transportation including pedestrians, cyclists and persons with limited mobility.
The road network shall conform to the current Area Structure Plan and the Transportation Master Plan. The roadway design shall provide sufficient capacity for the anticipated traffic loads with consideration given for the following factors:
1. Roadway Geometrics
Road right-of-way, road width, lane width, turning lane storage lengths, road geometry, grade and curvature, intersection configuration, and so on.
2. Traffic Characteristics
Traffic volume, design speed, traffic composition, traffic fluctuations, level of service, saturation flow, and so on.
3. Road “Frictions”
Traffic control measures, parking conditions, access locations and numbers, driver sight distance, street furniture, school zones, transit zones, and so on.
4.2.1 Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA)
A Traffic Impact Assessments (TIA) is to be provided by the Developer whenever a development proposal has a significant impact on traffic operations and on other components of the transportation system, or upon
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request of the Municipality. The TIA methodology is to meet the “Traffic Impact Assessment Guidelines” (January 2011 or latest), available online at:
http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/Assets/Departments/Engineering/pdf/Traffic+Impact+Assessment+Guidelines .pdf
4.2.2 Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
At the direction and discretion of the Municipality, new developments may be required to incorporate the principles of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). The BRT system may consist of buses in mixed traffic with priority queuing, dedicated lanes on surface streets, and/or busways completely separated from traffic, with the appropriate right-of-way width and carriage way for the required infrastructure. BRT should also integrate transit service and bus stop locations with appropriate land uses. It shall be incumbent on the Developer to work with the Engineering Department and other Municipal Departments to develop a BRT system that provides a level of service appropriate for the benefitting population, to the satisfaction of the Municipality. The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) has published the “BRT Planning Guide” to provide further guidance on the planning and design of BRT systems and elements. This document is available for download:
http://www.itdp.org/documents/Bus%20Rapid%20Transit%20Guide%20-%20complete%20guide.pdf.
The Municipality may consider a Deviation to the Level of Service (LOS) standards for vehicular traffic, if it can be demonstrated by the Developer that the implementation of BRT will provide a net positive benefit for the movement of people, and the right-of-way and infrastructure for the implementation of BRT is provided by the Developer.
4.3 ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND GEOMETRIC STANDARDS
The classification and designation of roads and walkways shall be undertaken during the subdivision design stages, commencing with the outline plan and Area Structure Plan, in order that roads and walkways, utility and right-of-way requirements can be coordinated, established and approved in the design stages of subdivision development.
4.3.1 General
1. Roads are classified in a functional hierarchy. The road classifications are local, collector and arterial for urban, and collector and local for rural.
2. The design standards for urban and rural streets shall be in accordance with the geometric design Standards outlined in the latest edition of the “Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads” - Transportation Association of Canada (TAC). The Alberta Infrastructure Highway Geometric Design Guide may also be applicable.
3. Typical cross-sections are provided in Standard Drawings at the end of this section. The following Table - Road Classifications and Geometric Guidelines - provides a summary of the design Standards.
4 - Transportation, Roads and Sidewalks
4. Alternatives to the Standard Road Classifications and Road Cross-Sections described in the Standard Drawings may be approved by the Municipality provided that the Developer is able to demonstrate that all functional, safety, operational, statutory and architectural requirements can be met for all stakeholders and occupants on the street, including but not limited to the general public, shallow and deep utilities, residents and occupants, street maintenance and transit.