1. Curbside Management Goals & Guidance
Align curb space use with the comprehensive plan:
establish goals & guidance
World Class Example from Fairfax County, VA
Goal 1: Safety First - Ensure a Safe Curbside Environment
Guidance: Safety related curb space realm uses should represent the highest priority in all community environments
Safety related curb space realm uses include:
- Direct access for emergency response vehicles
- Optimal location for fire hydrants
- Buffers for safe multimodal and traffic operations
- Street narrowing for pedestrian crossings and intersection safety
In addition to reserving curb space for safety purposes, the location of the variety of uses on a street segment should be strategically located to minimize conflicting movements between all modes of travel. The proximity of curb space realm components must be designed to function in a manner that maximizes the safety of the users.
When necessary, use road diet techniques to narrow road curb-to-curb distance to (a) reduce the distance for pedestrians to cross the street; and / or (b) reduce motor vehicle speeds. Adding on-street parking / docking capacity for adjacent uses may also be a technique to optically narrow travel lanes and calm motor vehicle speeds.
Support functions, such as enforcement, are critical to a safe curbside environment.
Goal 2: Maximize Accessible Opportunities for People with Specific Access Needs
Guidance: The next highest priority for the curb realm, after curb space reservation for safety, is parking / docking solutions for people with access needs. The location, space specifications, and quantities of designated accessible parking spaces must conform to the latest federal standards.
Goal 3: Optimize the Movement of People Along the Curb to Support Block-level Community Needs and the Greater Mobility Needs of the Community
Guidance: Curbside management is a critical element of Fairfax County’s strategy to achieve its multi-modal travel goals detailed in the Comprehensive Plan, particularly within urban areas and activity centers. Traditional parking for vehicle storage - measured by vehicle turnover, revenue generation, and parking space occupancy - should be replaced with a progressive curbside management program metrics that prioritizes curb space to optimize the movement of (1) people and (2) goods and commerce. Below is the industry’s best illustration of measuring person movement at the curb, created by NACTO.
Optimizing curb space use for person and goods movement varies greatly based on the land use context and function of the street. Thus, guidance should account for the environment the curb space is serving. Section 3 details the prioritization of the curb space realm based on this approach.
Listed below are factors to consider as input to the optimization of the curb space realm for person and goods movement:
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When appropriate, define the modal priority of the street and accommodate the facility. Example consideration: existence / or planned bike or transit priority lane
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Ensure that the necessary curbside accommodations exist to promote transit use, comfort, and convenience.
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Support micromobility use with conveniently located corrals / stations / racks.
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Identify opportunities to offer flexible curb space use for short-term docking of shared mobility and ecommerce vehicles and passengers.
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Within industrial areas, accommodate heightened truck access / loading needs.
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Optimize the use of parking space for tenant patrons, encouraging turnover at an interval that aligns with tenant needs. Long-term private vehicle storage should reside off-street
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Include treatments such as crosswalk bulbouts to enhance the safe movement of people.
Goal 4: Align the Use of the Curb with the Tenants’ Needs
Guidance: Balance countywide transportation safety, accessibility, and multimodal priorities with specific street block needs by listening to the curb space needs of resident property managers and business owners. Survey stakeholders to understand the competing demands for on-street block-level curb space, defined specifically by time-of-day / day of the week needs. Inventory the available off-street capacity for vehicle parking and commercial loading to make informed decisions.
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The stakeholder perspective represents important input to optimize capacity for the following uses:
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Ecommerce / shared mobility docking
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Commercial loading
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Resident and patron parking
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Public space and parklets
Goal 6: Promote Sustainable Activities and Uses
Guidance:
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Seek opportunities to use the CMP as an implementation tool for the Fairfax County Sustainability Initiatives Report (FY22).
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Encourage sustainable multimodal travel options such as the docking of non-single occupant auto travel modes.
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Integrate sustainable environmental infrastructure such as progressive stormwater management into the curb space realm.
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Minimize vehicle emissions during curb space docking.
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Encourage the use of street trees to enhance the streetscape, create shade, and provide a buffer between the curb space and sidewalk.
Goal 7: Manage Parking Demand in a Manner that Enhances Economic Development and Minimizes Traffic Congestion
Guidance:
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Balance on-street and off-street parking access to accommodate the competing demands within the curb space realm.
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Support local businesses with parking restrictions to optimize curb space use, encouraging parking on-street parking for patrons and ecommerce while discouraging vehicle storage.
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Progressively price on-street parking as a tool to achieve the goals and guidance listed above, while being sensitive to pricing out access to essential services for people from disadvantaged communities.
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Restrict parking on streets designated by VDOT as major arterials and function as regional traffic facilities, outside communities with active streetscapes and curbside use needs. The creation of County street types - designations combining street function and community context – will be the best tool to identify appropriate streets for full restriction of curb space use.
Goal 5: Allocate the Curb Space Realm Space in a Manner that Reflects the Greater Countywide Community Needs and County Priorities
Guidance: Ensure that curb space realm use decisions reflect community initiatives beyond the focus only on transportation safety, accessibility, and mobility.
Below is guidance reflecting countywide initiatives:
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Apply an equity lens when prioritizing curb space use to minimize barriers for disadvantaged community members, particularly for access to essential services.
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Price curb space to encourage economic development. Manage demand, enforce priority uses, and generate revenue to support the economic initiatives. Encourage short-term parking use for access to local businesses and essential services. Discourage long-term parking in activity centers near mobility hubs such as Metrorail stations. Align tactics with Goal 4 business owner and residential property manager survey findings.
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Seek opportunities to enhance the community by designating the curb space realm for purposes beyond transportation such as parklets for businesses and public space for the community.
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Balance the productivity of the curb space realm with environmentally friendly treatments such as landscaping and sustainable stormwater management. Leverage these treatments to create a safety buffers for pedestrians as well as improving the livability of the community. See Goals 6, below.