1. Current style

The current style of traditional streets includes curb and gutter, sidewalks at back of curb and no planting strips or landscape trees. Mail boxes placed in the sidewalk act as barriers to pedestrian movement. The current style of street design is wide, usually 36 feet, and so permits very high vehicle speeds. Often cars park on the sidewalks because the high travel speeds create concern among residents for the safety of their parked cars. The current style of traditional street design is an improvement over the rural design but still encourages high vehicle speeds and does not encourage bicycle and pedestrian use.

2. Historic

The historic style of traditional street has narrow travel lanes (24 feet maximum width of asphalt), curb and gutter, nature or landscape strips, street trees every 30 to 50 feet, and sidewalks set close to the property line. This is a good design for all users, but can suffer from high-speed vehicles if constructed as long straight streets.

In the design of a modern street, the width of the street is dependant on the number of houses to be serviced and may vary in width from 16 feet with parking on one side to 24 feet wide with parking on both sides. Modern streets will include a curb and gutter, nature or landscape strips, street trees every 30 to 50 feet, and sidewalks set close to the property line. If the street length is greater than 1,320 feet, then traffic calming devices, such as speed tables or curb extensions, are designed into the street to limit vehicle speeds and improve the overall ambiance. The modern street is the safest form of street design. Vehicle speeds are limited, and the street is pleasant, quiet, and easy to cross.

The only street design that exceeds the modern street for safety and beauty is the Woornerf, a street design that originated in the Netherlands. A Woornerf street is a highly calmed street designed as a shared space for pedestrians and vehicles that keeps vehicle speeds very low, often 5 miles an hour or less.

There are two major roads within the City. State Route (SR) 169 runs north-south and SR 516 that runs east-west. There are a large number of discontinuities within the City that force drivers to travel long distances between home and services and that severely hamper emergency vehicle access. The lack of a grid network increases congestion on the two major roads and in particular the intersections along these roads, culminating in a high level of congestion at the intersection of SR 169 and SE 231^st Street.

The construction of very large schools well away from residential areas and the busing contribute to congestion from the driving and busing of all school children. A small sample of Maple Valley school children revealed essentially none of them regularly walk or bicycle to school.

SR 169 is currently performing several functions. It provides a conduit for north-south traffic and access for local citizens. According to the Maple Valley Planning Assistance report, 45 percent of the traffic is local and 55 percent is through traffic. As the City and the area to the south develop, the demands on SR 169 will increase. SR 169 is currently operating at level-of-service F;

As Facilitated and Recorded by Walkable Communities, Inc.
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E-mail comments to Gregory J. McCormick
       AICP, Director of Community Development.