Virginia says goodbye to cul-de-sacs

June 27, 2009 by Jeanne Bonner
Filed under: SMART GROWTH 

Photo credit: /\/\ichael Patric|{ via Flickr

Photo credit: /\/\ichael Patric|{ via Flickr

Maybe you guys already saw the news but I only found out this week when Andrés Duany visited Atlanta: Virginia will no longer maintain cul-de-sacs.

In an effort to reduce traffic and improve connectivity, Virginia earlier this year said it would only maintain “new subdivision streets that meet its connectivity, road and sidewalk requirements,” according to a story in the Washington Post.

The story continues, “That’s a big stick, because unlike in Maryland and most other states, the Transportation Department maintains and plows almost all of Virginia’s roads, including streets with as few as three homes.”

New urbanists such as Duany, who was quoted in the WaPo article, say cul-de-sacs increase traffic on so-called “collector” roads because there’s no other exit for people who live in such developments. No backroads. Duany mentioned the law during a workshop Thursday sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Virginia says homes arranged around cul-de-sacs are de facto private developments that the state should not have to maintain.

Oh we are living in interesting times!

Bookmark and Share

Related posts:

  1. Smart Growth guru returns to Atlanta [caption id="attachment_966" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Credit: Dean Terry via Flickr"][/caption] Andrés...
  2. Duany: Time to get things right Atlanta I attended a two-hour workshop this morning that featured noted...
  3. Cityscape: Ponce [caption id="attachment_1159" align="alignleft" width="375" caption="Ponce, near Freedom Parkway"][/caption] One simple...
  4. Construction starts on green building in SE Atlanta [caption id="attachment_938" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Work in progress at 880 Glenwood...
  5. Details on Duany’s visit Wednesday I have the details of Andres Duany’s return visit to...

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

Tags: , , , ,

Comments

2 Comments on Virginia says goodbye to cul-de-sacs

  1. Rick on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 3:44 pm

    2. This is great! I wish they would eliminate them in the Atlanta area. Fly into Hartsfiled and witness the mess thats been made including the many incomplete developments due to lack of financing after they’ve mowed down acres of our beautiful tree canopy.
    I like to call Atlanta “The City in the Forest.”
    People don’t seem to get…. without Atlanta’s magnificent trees, the city is just a wasteland. Cul de sac development contributes to this awful environmental degradation.

  2. Jeanne Bonner on Mon, 29th Jun 2009 4:04 pm

    3. Thanks for your comment, Rick.

    I love it that you mention The City in the Forest. I’ve been thinking about that a lot lately as I tool around the city.

    I know safety is a real concern for some folks who choose to live on a cul-de-sac. But I love living in a neighborhood that’s laid out on a grid. It’s easy to understand, and it’s easy to get from A to B.

    Thanks again!

Tell me what you're thinking...
and oh, if you want a pic to show with your comment, go get a gravatar!