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BAC reviews draft Master Transportation Plan maps, presses staff for clearer treatment commitments
Summary
Committee members reviewed staff analysis of the draft Master Transportation Plan’s priority network maps and asked for clearer links between road classifications and the concrete design treatments that will follow, noting that mapping alone does not guarantee low‑stress bikeways at intersections.
Staff and committee members reviewed analysis of the draft Master Transportation Plan at the April 6 meeting, with a focus on the bicycle and micromobility priority network and proposed roadway classifications.
Mike Hannah summarized staff findings that the draft priority network, if taken as low‑stress routes, would lie within a quarter mile of 99.8% of Arlington households and within an eighth of a mile of 95.9% — figures staff presented to show broad coverage. Several members cautioned that the analysis assumes priority‑network segments are in fact low‑stress and observed that intersections and curb uses are often the real barriers to safe biking.
Staff also proposed a new roadway classification system (limited access, principal/minor arterial, major/minor collector and local streets) intended to inform curb‑use hierarchies and street typologies. Committee members pressed staff to tie classifications to specific design treatments and to be explicit about tradeoffs (for example, whether a local street classification implies measures to discourage commuter cut‑through traffic). "If the board is going to approve this and stick their necks out and approve it, they need to know if there are parts in here which may be somewhat unpopular but may be the right thing to do," one member said.
Members asked staff for more detail on proposed street typologies, curb‑lane hierarchies and how policies would translate into pavement and curb design. Staff said draft typologies and curblane hierarchies are expected in mid‑April and that a full draft plan is targeted for mid‑summer.
Next steps: staff will share slide decks and maps with the committee ahead of the next meeting (April 27) and the BAC will provide targeted feedback on the proposed routes and typologies prior to the public roll‑out.
