Planning For The End Of The Cul-de-sac

"Cul-de-sacs have long been an iconic feature of suburban life. Heralded as the safest neighborhood street, culde-sacs are still a big selling point for many home buyers.

But in recent years, the popular fixture of subdivision development has gained criticism from urban planners and has even been banned in some cities.

Leif Olson, long range planner for the city of Fayetteville, said cities have been debating the value of such streets for the past 10 years.

"The unfortunate thing about culde-sac development is that it doesn't lend itself to connecting with anything else. Instead it's creating an isolated enclave of like uses, and it doesn't allow for traffic flow to penetrate through the neighborhood," Olson said."

"Olson said he doesn't know how the concept will go over in Fayetteville.

"I think you have people that either really don't like them or really do," he said. "From a planning perspective, it's about creating complete, compact and connected neighborhoods, which is a goal of 2025."

One of the main arguments for cul-de-sacs is that they reduce through-traffic in residential areas.

Alderman Bobby Ferrell said he already receives calls and e-mails from citizens concerned about traffic cutting through their neighborhoods. If the city establishes connectivity in its neighborhoods, he said, the next step is going to be the neighbors calling and asking for a speed barrier.

Some city planners argue however that cul-de-sacs cause increased traffic on the streets that aren't cul-de-sacs in the neighborhood. When there is one way in and one way out, Olson said, all of the traffic comes out on one street, creating a choke point."