Got a nasty Stroad?  Should you focus on placemaking to make it more street-like? Or focus on improving speed and capacity to make it more road-like?  In the two cross-sections above, the second is not only a more "Complete Street," but it also serves more vehicles in a "drive slower, travel faster" way.  Both a better Street, and a better Road!  How is that possible?  We're the only ones in the country who know... call us!  

 

If you have several corridors, how do you know which is the highest priority?  When you're not the only stakeholder, and when the future is changing, you need tools to assess each situation.  

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As part of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program's rightsizing effort, Urban Innovators developed a spreadsheet tool with checklists to help you identify opportunities and to assess the strength each case: Placemaking vs Mobility Management.  If both cases are strong, call us!  If neither is strong, look for a higher priority corridor.  

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Below is the top view that matches the previous cross-sections.  Installing a "Bowtie" format U-turn intersection reduces signal phase from 4 to 2, increasing capacity.  In turn, that allows you to reduce the speed limit without making drive trips take longer.  You also get planted medians, pedestrian refuge, mid-block two-stage ped crossing... improves placemaking AND traffic mobility!