functional classification of streets: so important that no one wants to talk about it

Functional Classification So important that no one

wants to talk about it

Friday, July 26, 2013

Peter Norton historian, professor, author University of Virginia

norton@virginia.edu

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic

Andy Boenau, AICP

plangineer, raconteur Timmons Group

andy.boenau@timmons.com

http://www.urbanismspeakeasy.com

1

Not so bold

Content Speaker Time

housekeeping APA 5 min

interpretation of streets is critical Andy 5 min

traditional American streets Peter 30 min

modernist American streets Andy 20 min

discussion Everyone 30 min

2

3

1 The way we interpret

(or classify) streets

is critical.

Conformity is not maturity.

Street Interpretation

Or:

How I

learned

to stop

worrying about

folklore

engineering

and love common sense

the opposite of

Land Use.

Transportation.

Land Use.

2 traditional American streets

Functional

Classification

Does this make sense?

Functional classification of what?

High-Speed Trains Express Trains Automobiles Rail Rapid Transit Bus Rapid Transit Local Trains Local Buses Bicycles Pedestrians

Functional classification for whom?

“Mobility” for what?

“Mobility” for what?

—for cars

for cars

“Mobility” for what?

—for cars

for cars

What is “higher mobility”?

“Mobility” for what?

—for cars

for cars

What is “higher mobility”?

speed

“Mobility” for what?

—for cars

for cars

What is “higher mobility”?

speed

function = fast access for cars

For the 1972 Highway Needs report, the

highway departments included as a “need”

road improvements sufficient to move all

projected traffic during the period 1970-1989

at a minimum speed of 35-40 miles per

hour. The total bill for achieving this goal

would be would be 592 billion dollars.

— Mashaw (1973), citing 1972 USDoT National Highway Need Report

High access for whom?

What is mobility?

What is mobility?

Do we really mean speed?

Austell Road, Marietta, Georgia

an urban arterial affording “higher mobility”

Austell Road, Marietta, Georgia

an urban arterial affording “higher mobility”?

javascript:void(0)

Austell Road, Marietta, Georgia

an urban arterial affording “higher mobility”?

javascript:void(0)

Rochester 1904: no functional classification (?)

Is this low mobility? —or just low speed?

Is this low mobility? —or just low speed?

Boston 1906

No functional

classification?

Low mobility?

What about

access?

Functional classification was not invented by AASHO.

Functional classification was not invented by AASHO.

Objective research cannot tell us definitively which

functions are correct and which are incorrect.

.

Functional classification was not invented by AASHO.

Objective research cannot tell us definitively which

functions are correct and which are incorrect.

Objective research cannot tell us which classifications

to choose.

Functional classification was not invented by AASHO.

Objective research cannot tell us definitively which

functions are correct and which are incorrect.

Objective research cannot tell us which classifications

to choose.

History can open the black box to disclose alternatives.

Functional classification was not invented by AASHO.

Objective research cannot tell us definitively which

functions are correct and which are incorrect.

Objective research cannot tell us which classifications

to choose.

History can open the black box to disclose alternatives.

Does this make sense?

Out of public funds made available by generous

contributions of street users themselves, [we can

build] adequate, safe, efficient, and modern traffic

facilities so that automobile users will will provide

their own transportation of a high character at

their own operating costs.

— Miller McClintock, 1930

for Cars

In a city, what does “land access” for cars mean?

for Cars

AASSTO

AASSTO

American Association of

State Septic Tank Officials

AASSTO

American Association of

State Septic Tank Officials

Want the right septic tank for your setting?

AASSTO

American Association of

State Septic Tank Officials

Want the right septic tank for your setting?

Check the AASSTO Brown Book for

our Functional Classification Guide

AASSTO

American Association of

State Septic Tank Officials

Want the right septic tank for your setting?

Check the AASSTO Brown Book for

our Functional Classification Guide

You’ll find the right septic tank for your needs—

whether you’re in Manhattan, Kansas,

or Manhattan, New York.

surface septic fields

multistory septic structures

surface parking lots

parking garages

for Cars

Parking

for Cars

Parking for Cars

Parking

Parkin

g (zero

mo

bility)

for Cars

Land access for cars in Portland, Oregon (1962)

Google autocomplete test:

What will we get if we add a v?

1917: mobility ≠ speed

function ≠ speed x access

Streets are for children to play in.

— “Mr. Aronson,” Newark, New Jersey,

1912

Who belongs in the street?

JUSTICE

The streets were made for the public

in general, not specially for autoists.

— James O. Millar, Chicago pedestrian, 1915

Pittsburgh 1928

Are streets for commercial

and pleasure traffic alone?

— Bessie Buckley, Milwaukee teacher, 1920

St. Louis 1923

New York 1928 St. Louis 1923

New York City, 1916

1920

Baltimore 1922

Baltimore 1922 St. Louis 1923

Speed must always give way to safety.

— Ralph Richards, 1912

Speed is identified in the public

mind—at least in the pedestrian

public mind—with accidents.

— Harold Stokes, November 25, 1924

Speed must always give way to safety.

— Ralph Richards, 1912

“If safety is not realized, there will come a time when the

public will demand drastic action—no matter how hard

it may hit the pocketbooks of automobile manufacturers,

dealers and owners.”

— Milwaukee Leader, 1920

“If safety is not realized, there will come a time when the

public will demand drastic action—no matter how hard

it may hit the pocketbooks of automobile manufacturers,

dealers and owners.”

— Milwaukee Leader, 1920

“This dreadful slaughter must be stopped. If necessary,

regulations severe and searching enough to do it must be

adopted and enforced. … If reasonable safety of life

and limb can only be had by impairing the motor car’s

efficiency the motor car will have to pay that price.”

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1923

“If safety is not realized, there will come a time when the

public will demand drastic action—no matter how hard

it may hit the pocketbooks of automobile manufacturers,

dealers and owners.”

— Milwaukee Leader, 1920

“This dreadful slaughter must be stopped. If necessary,

regulations severe and searching enough to do it must be

adopted and enforced. … If reasonable safety of life

and limb can only be had by impairing the motor car’s

efficiency the motor car will have to pay that price.”

— St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 1923

The causes of accidents … are

men and not machines.

— Cincinnati Enquirer, 1923

The causes of accidents … are

men and not machines.

— Cincinnati Enquirer, 1923

The reckless driver … is the

main cause of accidents.

— Alfred Reeves, General Manager,

National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, 1923.

Are streets for commercial and

pleasure traffic alone?

— Bessie Buckley, Milwaukee teacher, 1920

The streets were made

for vehicles to run upon.

— Charles Hayes, president, Chicago Motor Club, 1920

Are streets for commercial and

pleasure traffic alone?

— Bessie Buckley, Milwaukee teacher, 1920

1923

Pedestrians must be

educated to know that

automobiles have rights.

— George M. Graham, auto manufacturer, 1924

Automotive Industries, 1924

The ridicule of their fellow citizens is far more

effective than any other means which might be

adopted [to control pedestrians].

The ridicule of their fellow citizens is far more

effective than any other means which might be

adopted [to control pedestrians].

The ridicule of their fellow citizens is far more

effective than any other means which might be

adopted [to control pedestrians].

We have recognized that in controlling traffic

we must take into consideration the study of

human psychology, rather than approach it

solely as an engineering problem.

— E.B. Lefferts, Automobile Club of Southern California, 1927

The ridicule of their fellow citizens is far more

effective than any other means which might be

adopted [to control pedestrians].

We have recognized that in controlling traffic

we must take into consideration the study of

human psychology, rather than approach it

solely as an engineering problem.

— E.B. Lefferts, Automobile Club of Southern California, 1927

Jaywalker (n): One who crosses a

street without observing the traffic

regulations for pedestrians.

—The Practical Standard Dictionary of the

English Language (New York, 1924), p. 620.

We hear the

shameful

complaint of

jay walkers,

to console

jay drivers.

—George

Davies, St. Louis

pedestrian, 1922

We hear the

shameful

complaint of

jay walkers,

to console

jay drivers.

—George

Davies, St. Louis

pedestrian, 1922

1924

1922

1925

The day of the

emotional sob

sister campaign

has passed. — Charles M. Hayes, president,

Chicago Motor Club, 1926

EFFICIENCY

“Streets are public property—not to be

abused but to be used with convenience

for the good of the greatest number.”

— George H. Herrold, city planning engineer, 1927

“Scientific organization of traffic could

cut traffic congestion at once by half.”

— J. Rowland Bibbins, traffic engineer, 1924

“Streets are public property—not to be

abused but to be used with convenience

for the good of the greatest number.”

— George H. Herrold, city planning engineer, 1927

The obvious solution … lies only in

a radical revision of our conception

of what a city street is for.

— Engineering News-Record, 1922

FREEDOM

“Americans’ ancestors came to this country

for the sake of freedom and adventure. The

automobile satisfies these instincts.”

— Roy Chapin, Hudson Motor Car Company, 1924

“Americans’ ancestors came to this country

for the sake of freedom and adventure. The

automobile satisfies these instincts.”

— Roy Chapin, Hudson Motor Car Company, 1924

“Street traffic congestion is a problem of

unbalanced supply and demand.”

— Miller McClintock, traffic expert, 1930

The motor car was invented so

that man could go faster. …

the major inherent quality of

the automobile is speed.

— Ray W. Sherman, 1935

“The city of tomorrow will be an

automotive city”

— Miller McClintock, traffic expert, 1937

Super-highways must be

constructed and they must

serve the heart of the city.

— Charles Hayes, president of

the Chicago Motor Club, 1945

“Who controls the past

controls the future; who

controls the present

controls the past.”

— George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)

“our burning love affair with the automobile”

“our burning love affair with the automobile”

“the long honeymoon with our new sweetheart”

“our burning love affair with the automobile”

“the long honeymoon with our new sweetheart”

“The motor car was being treated like the new girl in

town.”

“our burning love affair with the automobile”

“the long honeymoon with our new sweetheart”

“The motor car was being treated like the new girl in

town.”

“Our romance with the automobile—it’s still going on.

Our honeymoon ended … but we’re still very much

married to Lizzie. We don’t always know how to get

along with her, but you certainly can’t get along

without her. And if that isn’t marriage I don’t know

what is.”

frequency of love affair with the automobile in works in English scanned by Google, 1900-2000

3 modernist American streets

The

false

choice

hierarchy.

Arterial

Collector

Local

Successful

application of

folklore engineering.

Level of Service A.

Highly efficient operations.

Message from the authorities:

A silly performance.

(said every DOT everywhere)

20 mph = livable

40 mph = killable

The perceived war

Change the conversation.

My community’s campaign

The

myth

of a

faster

horse.

reclaiming our streets

equal pay for

equal work

a tree in your

living room

Redemption

J FKFB INAT OUP S

JFK FBI NATO UPS

re- v

Fact: engineers and planners sometimes have the same goal

http://www.virginiadot.org/info/transportation_efficient_land_use_and_design_guide.asp

Accommodate people

New uses drawn in Existing uses adapt

Auto-centric corridor

Take this

with you.

- Virginia DOT Transportation & Land Use Publications

“fundamental modes”

“enhance quality”

Take this

with you.

“…will accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians…in the

of Virginia’s transportation network”

planning, funding,

design, construction,

operation, and maintenance

- Virginia DOT

Take this

with you.

“…[roundabout] should be considered the Department’s

preferred alternative…”

- Virginia DOT Design Manual

Context.

Transects.

Modal priorities.

Human-scale design.

1

2

3

Interpretation (classification) of streets is critical.

Traditional streets promoted activity.

Modernist streets discriminate against people.

be disruptive

Monday morning to-do list

The

design

hierarchy

of

freedom.

Picture the future you want.

We have history as a teacher,

consensus with engineering community,

Peter Norton historian, professor, author University of Virginia

norton@virginia.edu

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/fighting-traffic

Andy Boenau, AICP

plangineer, raconteur Timmons Group

andy.boenau@timmons.com

http://www.urbanismspeakeasy.com

Functional Classification So important that no one

wants to talk about it

Friday, July 26, 2013