General Plan Policy Document (Adopted 7-11 ... - City of Wheatland

CHAPTER 2TRANSPORTATION AND CIRCULATIONA city is both defined and constrained by the network of highways, roads, and railroads that move itsresidents and goods through and in and out of the city. While Wheatland is not a large city, mobilitythrough the city is hindered by congestion on SR 65 and the Union Pacific railroad tracks. TheGeneral Plan provides for the development of new roads, overpasses, and the widening andimprovement of existing roadways to serve new development. It also promotes alternative forms oftransportation to reduce air pollution, reduce the need for costly roadway improvements, andfacilitate the travel of those who cannot or do not wish to use automobiles for all their trips.This chapter addresses various transportation issues, including automobile travel and parking,transit, non-motorized transportation (e.g., bicycle and pedestrian travel), and freight movement(truck and rail). It is divided into two major sections. The first, Circulation Diagram and Standards,describes the Circulation Diagram and the roadway classification system and standards. The secondsection includes the goals, policies, and implementation programs related to the various forms oftransportation.SECTION ICIRCULATIONDIAGRAM ANDSTANDARDSWheatland’s planned roadway network is designed to meet year2025 development levels based on the land uses shown on the LandUse Diagram. The General Plan seeks to maintain satisfactory trafficconditions while accommodating future growth. The City’s mostimportant policy tool for upgrading and maintaining its roadways toprovide for effective and efficient traffic movement is the CirculationDiagram and its associated standards.CIRCULATION DIAGRAMThe Circulation Diagram (Figure 4) depicts the proposed circulationsystem to support development under the Land Use Diagram. Thiscirculation system is represented on the diagram as a set of roadwayclassifications that have been developed to guide Wheatland’s longrangeplanning and programming. Roadways are systematicallyclassified based on the linkages they provide and their function, bothof which reflect their importance to the land use pattern, traveler,and general welfare.New major roadways required to serve new development include aneastern bypass to SR 65 and an arterial ring-road that will encompassthe existing city limits. This new roadway would include gradeseparated crossings of SR 65 in the absence of relocating SR 65 andthe railroad tracks. New collector streets will link the northernportion of the ring-road to the southern portion, and also will linkthe ring-road with the Downtown. In addition, several collectorWheatland General Plan Policy Document, Part II 2-1July 11, 2006