Broad historic boulevards and parkways often function as high-speed thoroughfares, even though their adjacent land uses may be primarily residential in nature. In many cases, these streets have excess width, underutilized on-street parking, and too many travel lanes. Retrofit residential boulevards by expanding or activating the median, adding curbside or left-side bike lanes, and curb extensions that provide direct access from homes to the center median.
Existing Conditions
The illustration above depicts a broad residential thoroughfare in an older neighborhood. The central median is underutilized. While traffic volumes may not be high, speeds are, creating highway-like conditions in a predominantly residential area.
1Many historic central medians are underused and lack recreational space. High speed crossings make it difficult for residents and children to safely access the median.
While parkways and boulevards provide natural links in an active transportation network, many lack safe and adequate paths for recreational use.
Parking demand and utilization may vary depending on the amount of off street parking available to residents.
Commonwealth Avenue has a linear park in its median.
A cycle track takes advantage of the central median and insulates cyclists from double parking.
Recommendations
The street illustrated above depicts an 80 foot roadway within a 110-foot right-of-way.
2Activate the central median with plantings, street trees, walkways, and seating. Broad central medians can become a community focal point as well as an active space for recreation, exercise, and leisure. Provide curb extensions and/or midblock crossings to make it safer and easier for residents to access the median.
3A raised cycle track takes advantage of the central right-of-way, avoids frequent conflicts with driveways and double-parked cars, and effectively expands the amount of recreational space along the corridor.1
4Provide curbside parking for residents. Curbside parking provides access to the recreational median for visitors, space for residents’ guests to park, and narrows the overall cross-section of the road, reinforcing its residential character. Where on-street parking remains underutilized, consider adding curb extensions, bicycle corrals, or expanding the sidewalk to take advantage of the excess pavement.
Many historic neighborhoods have medians with untapped civic potential.
- See “Bicycle Facility Evaluation,” (District Department of Transportation, Washington, D.C.: 2012) for a case study of median bike lanes installed on Pennsylvania Avenue. ↩︎