FINAL Document 1/23/2013 - Hardee County

24. US 17 Corridor Study. The County should identify and develop corridor planning studies within selected areas
(i.e., US 17) to assess and provide recommendations on land use, transportation including pedestrian linkages,
redevelopment and economic development opportunities, gateways/visual and aesthetics components (community
character). Additional items and analysis should be further identified prior to the initiation of these plans.
Corridor Plans typically identify strategies and enhancements that identify the link between transportation and land
use, increase the quality of life, incorporate the preference and requirements of the people using the roadway
corridors, create safe and attractive streets, reduce the negative effects of motor vehicles on the environment, and
reinforce the historical, agricultural, and natural setting.
The process of preparing a corridor study or management plan is an integral part of a community’s land use and
transportation development pattern. There is a basic process of developing a plan that is typically identified and agreed
upon as part of the initial community review process. The study can be led by the community (i.e., Hardee County), the
Florida Department of Transportation, or other similar group or combination of groups. Early in the process it is ideal
to establish a broad set of goals and objectives that will serve as the guiding point for the corridor study, providing
guidance in determining what data to collect and the framework for its analysis. For this reason, goals and objectives
must be developed prior to the collection of any data. Some goals and objectives may be stated tentatively and revised as
analysis is undertaken. A statement of goals and list of objectives are typically developed that they can be measured, and
the measures for each objective must be identified.
3. Identify existing land use features, land use and development controls, future land use, other, similar studies,
environmental features, opportunities/constraints, supporting transportation network, community assets and
facilities, transportation impacts (existing and future) based on trip generation, trip/traffic modes.
4. Develop choices and general suggestions for implementation; be flexible on early concepts.
Budget: Depending on the requested scope components and the length of the corridor, a baseline corridor study can
range between $25,000 to $50,000; additional study items and/or parameters can range up.
Case Studies:
Route 50 Corridor Coalition (Virginia)
Paris Pike (Kentucky)
US 521/SC 9 Corridor Study (South Carolina)
Nashville Northeast Corridor Mobility Study (Tennessee)
Once goals and objectives are defined, maps of the study area provide a foundation for future activities. Each goal may
require technical analysis. However, the corridor study area should include the communities within, and immediately
surrounding, the corridor's core impacts. In addition, analysis should recognize that existing and/or future projects
within the corridor may have other outcomes to communities beyond the initial scope of the study. As a result, the
study area may change as more information is collected and alternative strategies are developed or recommended.
The boundaries of a study are often delineated by physical barriers, land-use patterns, municipal or service provision
areas of responsibility, demographic characteristics, and community perceptions. The elements that make up the
corridor and subsequent study area can include almost anything that can be seen from, or impacted by the roadway and
the surrounding corridor. Boundaries of the plan can be determined by mapping the corridor's "viewshed" - the surface
area that can be seen from a specific viewpoint along the road. This is an important component because it involves early
identification of important corridor features, and provides an appraisal of the visual impact that development may have
on roadway area views.
Important elements to consider when developing a corridor master plan:
1. Know the Corridor; collect and review available data.
2. Understand the local and regional context of the corridor.
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