Floyd County Thoroughfare Plan - Floyd County Indiana - State of ...

Floyd County, IndianaFloyd County Thoroughfare PlanSection 3–Alternatives Development• Luther Road–The functional classification of East and West Luther Road should bechanged from local road to major collector. The functional classification of North LutherRoad should be changed from local road to minor collector.• Lawrence-Banet Road–The functional classification of Lawrence-Banet Road should bechanged from local road to minor collector.• Corydon Pike–The functional classification of Corydon Pike should be changed from localroad to minor collector.B. Corridor ImprovementsProjected future traffic volumes from KIPDA forecasts for the Floyd County area indicate thatexpansion of the current roadway network is likely to be needed. The expansion of the roadwaynetwork will consist of the addition of lanes on the major commuter routes, widening the existinglanes or shoulders, and reducing the total number of access points. The construction of newconnections between existing roadways could also be beneficial by providing commuters withmore route options. Traditional capacity expansion, like the addition of travel lanes, could restrictpedestrian and bicycle mobility. Major arterial roadways, if not designed properly, can act asbarriers to these modes of travel. These impacts to alternative modes must always be weighedagainst the benefits of increased motor vehicle capacity. Reducing access points to the arterialscould restrict the mobility of motor vehicles in the roadway network because of the reducedconnectivity. If the major commuter routes are not expanded to accommodate the additional trafficforecasted, motorists will seek new routes around the congested roadways, where they exist.Motorists will also likely change their departure times, commuting earlier in the morning or later atnight. Motorists may also decide to change their modes of travel. These changes include the useof car or van pools, increased transit ridership, if it is available, and increases in bicycling andwalking.C. Intersection ExpansionIntersection expansion will also be required to accommodate the projected future traffic volumes inFloyd County. At unsignalized intersections, the capacity expansion could include the installationof signals or the addition of turn bays or through lanes. The physical expansion of a signalizedintersection will involve the addition of turn bays or through lanes. Capacity can also be increasedthrough retiming the signals, changing the phasing of the signal, or coordination of two or moresignals. In some instances intersection capacity can be expanded by eliminating movements. Thiscan be done only if an alternate route is easily available to the vehicles wishing to make themovement that has been eliminated. Traffic signal capacity expansion nearly always improvesmotor vehicle operations at the cost of making pedestrian and bicycle travel less comfortable andless safe. Care should be taken to design the intersections to accommodate nonvehicular modesof travel.Prepared by Strand Associates, Inc. ® 3-3KRH:pll\S:\@SIECO\001--050\046\008\Wrd\Thoroughfare Plan\Draft 07-19-07\S3-Alternatives Development 07-19-07.doc\072007