Home>Economic Development>Comprehensive Plan Update>Full Text of the Comprehensive Plan>Dev. Framework: Transportation Plan

JUNE 2005

4. TRANSPORTATION PLAN

The Transportation Plan is based upon a total transportation system and how it relates to and serves the land use patterns within the community. The transportation system encompasses several modes of transportation that include but are not exclusive to automobile, pedestrian and bicycle, and to a certain extent, rail, mass transit.

The transportation system serves to tie together the various land use activities in the community. This section of the Plan describes the relationship between transportation and land uses.

A key physical element in the Development Framework is transportation. Specific components include a desired compatibility between various transportation modes (i.e., automobile, rail, mass transit, pedestrian, etc.) and recognition of the roadway classification system as the network that provides the primary connection between the various geographic areas of the community and beyond.

4.1 Compatibility of Modes
It is important that all of the City’s various transportation modes - automobile, mass transit, rail, bicycle, pedestrian, etc. - are able to coexist in a safe and functional manner. To ensure such coexistence, the planning of one specific mode of travel should recognize other overlaying modes and acknowledge potential impacts upon the other transportation systems.

4.2 Functional Classification of Roadways
Functional classification refers to the role each roadway should perform before determining street widths, speed limits, intersection controls or other design features. Functional classifications will be used in North Liberty’s road network as a comprehensive planning tool used to determine the number of access points which should be permitted on major roads, and the design and relationship of local roads to other county and state highway systems. The following is the general classification of North Liberty’s roadways (refer to the Master Transportation Plan Map for additional details):

• Expressway (Interstates, freeways, expressways)
• Major/Minor Arterial (Highways, major streets)
• Collector (Main streets, avenues)
• Local (Neighborhood streets, alleys)

Generally, trip length and speed is greater on the primary arterials and decreases down the list. Generally, access is greater at the local street and decreases up the list.

Functional Classification of Roadways: Expressway
Interstate 380, located just west of North Liberty, provides a high level of mobility between cities. Direct access to the interstate from the City has been of great benefit in the steady growth and development of North Liberty.

Functional Classification of Roadways: Major / Minor Arterials
Major arterials collect and distribute traffic to and from major activity centers, collector streets and expressways. There have been several concerns with safety, accessibility, and segregation of the community along the City’s major arterial: the Highway 965 corridor. Numerous access points created through the years by development along the highway have resulted in several traffic accidents and significant safety concerns due to the complicated vehicular movements along a high-speed roadway. In addition, there are concerns regarding pedestrian crossing of the highway. Highway 965 is a major gateway to the City. Improvements in the design of this corridor are critical towards removing the highway as a community-dividing element and improving the City’s image.

In addition, Penn Street is an east-west roadway providing an important link between the City and Interstate 380. Access along this roadway should be extremely limited, and allowed only for large developments. As urban development expands along in this area, the City must closely monitor and regulate the development.

Minor arterials function in the same manner as major arterials only with smaller traffic counts. Important minor arterials in North Liberty include Dubuque Street, Forevergreen Road and Jones Boulevard.

Functional Classification of Roadways: Collector
Collector streets serve to connect neighborhoods with activity centers or the arterial street system. The planned extension of the City’s collector street system (as shown on the Mater Transportation Plan Map) should be incorporated into future development proposals. Direct lot access from the listed collector streets should be discouraged.

An additional concept that should be considered within the City’s developing transportation system is the establishment of a series of minor-collector streets. Such streets typically lie within the interior of developing areas and are designed to assist in the overall functioning of traffic movements within projected development areas.

Functional Classification of Roadways: Local Streets and Alleys
Local streets serve to provide direct lot access to individual land uses. A number of the existing local roads within the older portions of the City are designed below contemporary standards, creating functioning and safety concerns. The City should identify problem areas and establish a system to prioritize the needed improvements. Subsequently, these roadways should be updated to contemporary standards as warranted.

Some of the older subdivided areas of development contain dead-end or incomplete road systems that complicate development and do not provide access to neighboring or future development.

In order to resolve these issues with future development, proper consideration of the street system and layout is essential while reviewing proposed plats. Natural features, such as topography and drainageways, as well as coordination with adjacent plats, and logical street extensions into undeveloped areas, must all be evaluated and addressed within proposals.

Municipal design standards for North Liberty do not permit alleys in new residential subdivisions. The City may consider the use of alleys in designs where goals of higher density residential land use is desired. In new commercial/industrial developments, alleys should only be used as a last resort as a means of accessing off-street loading facilities.

Alleys were common throughout the “original town” portion of the City. Where possible, alleys should be vacated when their existence is no longer required. In such cases, however, the City should simultaneously preserve drainage and utility easements. In those instances where a rear lot, secondary means of access is still required, alleys should be updated to modern standards with paving and related maintenance.

4.3 Pedestrian/Bicycle Trails
At present, although there has been a significant improvement due to the City’s sidewalk program, the pedestrian walkways in North Liberty do not form a comprehensive system of pedestrian connections. However, support for additional trailways is strong, as evidenced by the town meeting and internet surveys.

A well-designed trail system can serve to unify a community and enhance the City’s image and identity within the region. An effective trails system serves to link important destinations within the City and surrounding region, through the use of public right-of-way along collector and arterials, streets, and along environmentally sensitive areas such as drainageways.

The City’s Subdivision Ordinance requires a four-foot wide concrete sidewalk be installed in all developments. While this sidewalk system provides for pedestrian movement within neighborhoods, travel into other portions of the City and along major streets is much more limited. Furthermore, these sidewalks are designed to accommodate primarily pedestrian traffic, making bicycle traffic hazardous.

In order to produce a well-planned and efficient system of bicycle and pedestrian movement throughout the City and surrounding region, a comprehensive trails system plan should be developed and maintained in conjunction with the Comprehensive Plan. Although the trails plan may closely parallel the Master Transportation Plan Map, it focuses specifically on the needs of the non-motorized transportation modes (i.e., pedestrian and bicycle). In identifying potential trail corridors, the plan should take the following factors into consideration:

1. Trails should link user destinations such as residential areas, commercial/civic areas, and parks.

2. Arterial and collector streets provide the most direct routes to these destinations.

3. Street right-of-way provides available area for trail development. In addition, trail construction in conjunction with road improvements results in lower overall construction costs.

4. Crossings at thoroughfares can be better accommodated with traffic controls that exist or are planned with the development of thoroughfares.

5. Trails provide a positive user experience when developed along positive natural amenities such as natural drainageways.

6. Drainage easements and floodplains provide undevelopable land that can be utilized as trail corridors.

The proposed trails plan should connect to and integrate sidewalk systems within the various residential neighborhoods and serve to provide safe access to various activity centers such as the Central Commercial Area, the elementary schools, and community parks. In addition, the importance of providing designated crossings in order to reduce the impact of Highway 965 should be a high priority goal of the City’s.

As illustrated on the Master Trail System Map, trail segments have been proposed in locations that offer direct and convenient pedestrian connections between City activity centers and the surrounding region, while striving to minimize neighborhood disruptions. The map is conceptual in nature. However, whenever possible, the proposed trails should be incorporated into future developments.


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