3.4 Roadway Users/Transportation Networks

While functional and context classification provides a general understanding of the type and activity level of different users, additional data related to travel patterns and user demographics assists to identify the needs of users and inform solutions to be considered to meet users’ needs. The anticipated users of a roadway and travel patterns of different transportation networks should be determined early in the planning phase of the project development process.

The context classification process includes anticipated future context conditions that are often defined in State, regional and local planning documents. The assessment of long-range transportation plans, land use studies and local street design guidelines as well as engagement with stakeholders provides a better opportunity to determine the likelihood of future context change.

Additionally, understanding the roadway network and the needs of all users is essential in the selection of the roadway context. The use of context classification incorporates all transportation networks including automobile, bicycle, and pedestrian networks allowing for a more complete approach in designing roadways. The application of these networks to context classification determination is essential to define the level of accommodation needed for the different modal users.

	Automobile Network - The basic roadway functions are defined on their network function and connectivity as discussed in Section 3.2 . Various user needs are identified during project planning to balance and make necessary tradeoffs among design elements to develop contextually appropriate multimodal solutions.
	Bicycle Network - The primary consideration of bicycle facilities for context classification is the level of separation between motorized and bicycle traffic. See Chapter 18 for application of bicycle considerations and design criteria in different contexts.
	Pedestrian Network – The primary consideration of pedestrian facilities for context classification is its width. See Chapter 19 for application of pedestrian considerations and design criteria in different contexts.
	Transit Network - It is important to incorporate transit facilities into the overall roadway network so that they can be considered in the context of the overall transportation network. The designer should perform close coordination with transit agencies to define where transit either exists or is anticipated to be located. See Chapter 22 for additional discussion on this topic.
	Freight Network - Freight networks can be characterized based upon the frequency and size of expected freight traffic. The designer should study the land use to identify industrial centers, multimodal ports, manufacturing, and commercial areas to determine existing and future freight networks. The preferred supply and delivery routes that connect the origin and destination of the freight traffic should be identified to determine the roadway context. See Chapter 21 for additional discussion.

The safety of all road users must be equitably addressed in the selection of roadway type and use. The road system should be planned, designed, and operated to be forgiving of inevitable human mistakes, so that serious injury outcomes are unlikely to occur.

Table 3-3

provides a menu of data sources that the designer can use to identify different needs for different users. Not all data in this table will be required for all projects. The data collected for a project should be tailored to the scale of the projects and the users the project needs to serve.

Table 3-3: Potential Data to Determine User Needs by Mode
Mode	Data
	Design traffic (existing and future AADT, K-factor, directional distribution, and traffic growth projections Trip length, origin/destination patterns Turning movement counts Posted and operating speeds Signal timing	Location and availability of parking Crash data Lighting levels Pavement condition Existing and future land use, building form and site layout, development scale and pattern. Evacuation Routes
	Local and regional bicycle network Posted and operating speeds Vehicular traffic volumes Number of vehicular travel lanes Location and availability of bicycle parking Bicycle user type Existing bicycle facility characteristics (location, width, obstacles, separation) Bicyclist counts	Crash data Location of destinations Lighting levels Pavement condition Existing and future land use, building form and site layout, development scale and pattern Transit Connections
	Location of signalized pedestrian crossings Location of marked or signed pedestrian crossing Posted and operating speeds Vehicular traffic volumes Existing sidewalk characteristics (location, width, condition, obstacles, gaps, separation from vehicles) Intersection ramps and alignment/ADA compliance	Utilities location Existing landscape buffer and shade trees Pedestrian counts Crash data Lighting levels Existing and future land use, building form and site layout, development scale and pattern Existing and future pedestrian generators (e.g., schools, parks, transit stops) Transit Connections
	Existing and future transit routes and stops Transit service headways Location and infrastructure at transit stops Sidewalk and bicycle facility connection to transit stops ADA compliant transit stops	Existing and future transit generators and attractors Existing and projected ridership (route or stop level) Type of transit technology Trip lengths, origin/destination patterns
	Designated truck routes Truck volumes Vehicle classification counts	Existing and future location of industrial land uses or other generators of freight trips Freight loading areas/truck parking Hazmat Routes

Table 3-4

shows the typical user priorities for each possible mode. Typical uses are based on current traffic trends and existing networks, and they should not be viewed as modal accommodation for each context and roadway-type combination.

Table 3-4: Context Classification Matrix and Typical User Priorities
Functional Class	Context Class
Functional Class	Rural	Rural Town	Suburban	Urban	Urban Core
Principal Arterial
Minor Arterial
Collector
Collector

Chapter 3: Context and Facility Type Considerations