Mobility Toolkit

The Mobility Toolkit is a comprehensive list of best practice roadway treatments that address a variety of transportation challenges. The toolkit is categorized into bicycle, walkability, traffic calming, and traffic control treatments. However, many of these treatments benefit a variety of road users. Please note that some of these treatments - like continental crosswalks - are used throughout Long Beach, while others - such as raised crosswalks - have not yet been implemented, but may be considered in the future.

Walkability Treatments

• Bioswales

  

  Bioswales are sloped landscape areas designed to slow, capture, and filter stormwater runoff, and ultimately recharge groundwater resources. They are typically sized to treat what is known as the “first flush,” the initial amount of precipitation that is often the most polluted water produced by a storm event. Bioswales are often located within curb extension treatments.

• Curb Extensions/Bump-Outs

  

  Curb extensions are typically installed at crosswalks. These sidewalk extensions visually and physically narrow the roadway, shortening crossings distances and improving safety while increasing space available for street furniture, amenities, and landscaping.

• Leading Pedestrian Interval

  

  A Leading Pedestrian Interval (LPI) provides those walking with a head start (typically 3-7 seconds) when crossing. LPIs increase pedestrian visibility in intersections and reinforce their place in the roadway before turning vehicles.

• Pedestrian Countdown Signals

  

  Countdown signals let those using the crosswalk know how many seconds remain before the light changes, allowing users to judge if there is enough time to safely reach the opposite curb before entering an intersection. It is illegal for pedestrians to enter the roadway when a solid hand (“Don’t Walk”) signal appears.

• Pedestrian Refuge Islands

  

  A pedestrian refuge or safety island reduces a pedestrian’s exposure time in an intersection. These islands are typically applied at loca¬tions where traffic speeds and volumes make crossing prohibitive, or where three or more lanes of traffic make pedestrians feel exposed or unsafe in the intersection.

• Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons

  

  Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs) are user-activated flashing lights mounted to warning signs at unsignalized intersections or mid-block crosswalks to supplement crossings signs. They can be activated by a push button or through a pedestrian detection system.

• Scramble Crosswalks

  

  Scramble crosswalks are a type of traffic signal phasing that temporarily stops all vehicular traffic and allows pedestrians to cross an intersection in every direction at one time, including diagonally, while all vehicles have a red light. In turn, pedestrians must wait when the hand is solid and motorists can proceed or turn when the signal is green.

• Pedestrian-Activated Traffic Signal

  

  Pedestrian-activated traffic signals are flashing amber lights mounted to the mast arm of a signal pole at intersections or mid-block crossings. These highly-visible signals are typically activated by a push button to ensure motorists yield to pedestrians and bicyclists crossing the intersection.

Bicycle Treatments

• Bicycle Boulevards

  

  Bicycle boulevards are primarily low-volume, low-speed neighborhood streets that are designed to give bicycle and pedestrian travel priority through use of signage, pavement markings, traffic calming measures, and intersection treatments. Bicycle boulevards allow through movements by bicyclists while discouraging similar through-trips by non-local motorists. Bicycle boulevards are most appropriate for streets with low speed limits of 25mph or less.

• Bicycle Paths and Trails

  

  Bike paths and trails, sometimes called shared-use paths, typically provide a two-way, off-street bicycle facility that may also be used by pedestrians and those using other human-powered mobility such as scooters and skateboards. If heavy use by pedestrians is expected, separated space for those on bikes may be preferred, using lane markings, signage, and/or physical barriers.

• Bike Boxes

  

  A bike box is a designated area located at a signalized intersection in the top of a traffic lane that provides bicyclists with a safe and visible space to get in front of queuing traffic during the red signal phase. They increase the visibility of bicyclists, reduce signal delay for bicyclists, and can even benefit pedestrians by reducing vehicle encroachment into crosswalks. Bike boxes are useful at conflict zones such as: vehicle right or left turn locations, signalized intersections with high bicycle volumes, and signalized intersections with high vehicle volumes.

• Bike Lanes

  

  Bicycle lanes designate an exclusive space for bicyclists through striping, signage, and pavement markings. Bike lanes are located adjacent to vehicle travel lanes and follow the same direction as vehicle traffic. Bicycle lanes are best applied on streets with moderate traffic volumes and speeds. Bike lanes facilitate predictable behavior movements between bicyclists and motorists.

• Bike Rests

  

  A bike rest provides a hand rail and foot rest for bicyclists waiting at an intersection. The rest helps to position bicyclists at the signal for greater visibility and lets riders wait without needing to dismount for comfort and quicker acceleration. Bike rests are typically installed on a concrete island or curb along a bike lane or protected bike lane where there is no conflict with right turning motorists.

• Bus Islands

  

  Bus Islands are dedicated waiting and boarding areas for bus passengers that are separated from the sidewalk by a protected bike lane. This treatment eliminates conflicts between buses and bikes at bus stops. Bus Islands also streamline bus service and improve accessibility by enabling a bus to stop in a vehicle through lane.

• Protected Bike Lanes

  

  Protected bike lanes, sometimes called separated bikeways, are physically separated from vehicle travel lanes, parking lanes, and sidewalks. Separation is provided through physical barriers between the bike lane and the vehicle travel lane using raised curbs, bollards, vehicle parking, or planter strips. Separated bikeways can be one-way or two-way facilities. Two-way protected bike lanes allow bicycle movement in both directions on one side of the road. Both one-way and two-way protected bike lanes are appropriate along streets with anticipated high-bicyclist volumes or high-vehicle traffic volumes and speeds.

• Protected Intersection

  

  A protected intersection is a method to accommodate a separated bikeway at intersections and includes the following features: corner refuge islands, marked bicycle crossings parallel to pedestrian crosswalks, two-stage left turns for bicyclists, and free right turns for bicyclists. Protected intersections also enhance pedestrian safety by reducing the roadway crossing distance and reducing speeds of right turning vehicles.

Traffic Calming

• Mini Traffic Circles

  

  Mini Traffic Circles, sometimes called neighborhood traffic circles, are circular traffic calming devices that are smaller in scale than roundabouts. Mini traffic circles are used to slow down vehicular traffic at unsignalized intersections and are designed for vehicle speeds of no more than 10 to 15 MPH. Like roundabouts, mini traffic circles typically feature a circular island often with landscaping in the center of an intersection. Unlike roundabouts, mini traffic circles often incorporate stop controls, rather than yield controls, for entering traffic. Landscaping, including bushes and trees, helps to focus road users’ attention on traffic approaching from the left.

• Raised Intersections

  

  Raised intersections elevate the grade of the roadway to the same height as the sidewalk. This creates a design treatment similar to a speed hump and slows vehicles down as they cross through an intersection. Raised intersections reinforce slow speed limits and encourage vehicles to yield to pedestrians at crosswalks.

• Speed Cushions

  

  Speed cushions are either speed humps or speed tables that include wheel cutouts to allow large vehicles to pass unaffected, while reducing vehicular speeds. They can be offset to allow unimpeded passage by emergency vehicles and are typically used on key emergency response routes. Speed cushions extend across one direction of travel with a longitudinal gap to allow wide-wheeled vehicles to avoid going over the hump.

• Vehicle Diverters

  

  A vehicle diverter is an island that prevents certain through and/or turning movements. Diverters are often used to provide protection between those walking and biking; diverters can also discourage cut-through vehicular traffic through neighborhoods.

Traffic Control

• Diverging Diamond Interchanges

  

  Diverging Diamond Interchanges (DDI) are an alternative to the conventional diamond interchange or other alternative interchange forms. The primary difference between a DDI and a conventional diamond interchange is the design of directional crossovers on either side of the interchange. This eliminates the need for left-turning vehicles to cross paths with approaching through vehicles. By shifting cross street traffic to the left side of the street between the signalized crossover intersections, vehicles on the crossroad making a left turn on to or off of ramps do not conflict with vehicles approaching from other directions. This treatment is not recommended for interchanges where bicyclists and pedestrians need to travel.

• Roundabouts

  

  Roundabouts are a traffic control device, like a traffic signal, designed to move traffic through an intersection. Roundabouts are designed for travel speeds less than 30 mph, feature yield controls for all entering traffic, and include raised medians to channelize approaching vehicles. Because users entering the intersection do not need to stop, but rather yield, this intersection treatment can improve traffic flow.