Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan - sacog

the ground temperatures in the summer. In addition to conserving resources and protecting
species, this principle improves overall quality of life by providing places for everyone to
enjoy the outdoors with family outings and by creating a sense of open space.
2.4 Desired Outcomes for Land Developments and Redevelopments
By linking land use and transportation planning, and bringing jobs, housing and retail closer
together, computer traffic modeling revealed that strategic transportation investments can
significantly improve our travel by increasing transit, walk and bike trips, shortening our remaining
car trips and reducing the time we spend in heavy traffic congestion. Drawing on community
interests and the SACOG Board’s support, the MTP2035 is the first to be significantly influenced by
Blueprint growth principles. The land use pattern that forms the foundation for the MTP2035 is
based on the policy directions cities and counties are pursuing with the land use patterns and the
estimated performance of the market. The market performance is influenced by state and federal
regulations as well as local policies and codes.
The MTP2035 includes a regional funding program, called Community Design, for smart growth
incentives in new developments and redevelopments in the region. Community Design is a
transportation-funding program providing a means to: encourage patterns of land development that
foster walking, biking and the use of public transit instead of driving; implement “Complete Streets”
design concepts and best practices to improve pedestrian and bicycles facilities and transit use in
existing communities where there is the potential for infill and redevelopment; improve a
community's sense of identity and place as well as its quality of life through integrated transportation
and land-use development or redevelopment projects. Offering transportation choices, and making
communities bicycle and pedestrian friendly are fundamental principles of smart growth.
Therefore the Community Design funding program has defined desired outcomes for new land
developments and redevelopments that incorporate smart growth principles, and are applicable to
the Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. These outcomes are summarized as follows:
For a central business district, urban activity center, commercial corridor or town/village activity
center:
• Maximum block size of 360 feet, or 1-1/2 acres
• Maximum parking (less preferred) is 1.25 spaces/residential unit, 3.5-spaces/1000 square
feet retail and office
• Pedestrian and transit connectivity standards, both internal and external to the project
In addition, an urban activity center or commercial corridor should offer a community shuttle transit
service, with transfers to regional service. Likewise a town/village activity center or commercial
corridor shall offer a transfer point for regional transit connections, or park-and-ride lots.
For neighborhood-scale development:
• Neighborhood-serving retail center with strong pedestrian and bicycle connections to the
development and adjacent neighborhoods
• 80% of residences are within 880 feet of a park, open space, or agricultural land
Regional Bicycle, Pedestrian, and Trails Master Plan—Amended June 2011 11