Street closures are:
- Volume control measures.
- Formed by barriers extending the entire width of the roadway obstructing
all traffic movements.
- Able to eliminate unwanted through traffic by altering the traffic
pattern.
- A street closure can create a 3-way intersection out of 4-way intersection,
or eliminate an intersection where a 3-way intersection existed.
- Able to be designed with gaps that allow pedestrians, cyclists,
and sometimes emergency vehicles to pass through.
- Ideal for local residential applications.
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Typical Design:
- Street Closures can be constructed simply with proper signage and
a guardrail or barrier placed across the lanes of travel.
- Street Closures can be more complex to install when the street needs
to be widened to allow for a cul-de-sac turn around.
- Street closures can incorporate landscaping, drainage modifications,
and curbing.
- The Institute of Transportation Engineers has design recommendations.(2)
- The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has design recommendations.(3)
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Placement Issues:
- Traffic volumes can be reduced by up to 80 percent or more.(3)
- Street closures are most effective when they are implemented throughout
a community, making navigation complex for unwanted through traffic.
- Emergency vehicle service must be taken into account when deciding
where to close streets.
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Approximate Cost:
- Installation costs of street closures start around $1,500 for one
created with a guardrail, and can increase to over $25,000 for closures
with landscaping, poured-in-place curbs, and other features.(3)
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Comments:
- Should be installed only with strong community support since they
restrict access for neighborhood residents.
- Street closures in one neighborhood can cause unwanted cut through
traffic to move to other neighborhoods.
- Closures can be installed temporarily with low cost to test the effectiveness;
the trial period should last 6-12 months.
- When designing a street closure, proper signage is necessary and considerable
attention should be given to aesthetics.
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Advantages
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Disadvantages
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- Eliminates all cut through traffic
- May reduce speeds
- Can improve the aesthetics of a neighborhood when landscaped
tastefully.
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- Access is restricted for neighborhood residents
- Emergency services can be obstructed unless the closure is traversable.
(An example of a traversable barrier is a concrete cell with grass
planted in it.)(3)
- Can shift cut through traffic problem elsewhere.
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