Florida DOT Adopts 'Context-Based' Street Design

The "right street in the right place" hasn't always been a concept that departments of transportation were ready to acknowledge, much less adopt. The Florida Department of Transportation, however, is working to take context into consideration.

October 4, 2017, 6am PDT | James Brasuell | @CasualBrasuell

Philip Lange

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The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently adopted eight classifications for "context-based street design."

"Under this new system, planners and engineers will consider existing and future characteristics such as land uses, building configuration, and street connectivity to ensure that roads are designed for the right vehicle speeds, road users, and trip types," according to an article by Chris McCahill and Rayla Bellis for the State Smart Transportation Initiative.

The new context-based designs, which acknowledge that often state-owned roads serve local needs, are a part of the FDOT's Complete Streets Implementation. According to FDOT’s State Complete Streets Program Manager Dewayne Carver, who is cited in the article, the Complete Streets Implementation needed a new approach to context.

Hat tip to Angie Schmitt for sharing the article, as well as providing expert analysis on the importance of FDOT's innovative new practice.

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Florida DOT hits milestone in context-based street design

Published on Monday, October 2, 2017 in State Smart Transportation Initiatives