Multiple DOT divisions review project designs throughout the planning and design phases. They review designs not only to identify potential problems or conflicts of projects, but also to identify opportunities to advance the agency’s policy goals as enumerated in this Manual, DOT’s strategic plan, and in other DOT publications.
All projects should be considered in context of DOT’s Street Design Policy.
DOT prepares design documents and performs safety and operations analyses as required by federal, state, and local laws, rules, and regulations (including CEQR, SEQR, and NEPA procedures). DOT also conducts its analyses according to standard engineering practices and design guidelines (including those described in this Manual). The level of review varies by project.
To define context, establish project goals, and ensure that a street’s design appropriately considers a full range of relevant factors, DOT reviews projects with respect to key design considerations. While not exhaustive, the following considerations help guide project development and evaluation:
Use
Streets must accommodate many different users and serve a variety of functions.
- Buses and paratransit
- Cycling
- Emergency vehicles and access
- Flood protection/coastal surge barrier
- Goods delivery
- Motor vehicles
- Pedestrian mobility and access
- Programming and special events
- Public space opportunities
- Sanitation
- School buses
- Stormwater management practices
- Transit access and operations
- Trucks and goods movement
- Walking
Performance
The operational conditions of a street both respond to and inform street design.
- Accessibility that meets or exceeds PROWAG and ADA standards
- Access and circulation (e.g., one-way or two-way)
- Air quality
- Construction-phase impacts
- Crash history
- Curb cuts
- Curbside demand (e.g., parking, loading zones)
- Cyclist protection and network connectivity
- Exposure of road users to vehicular traffic
- Multimodal conflict points
- Network operations
- Pedestrian and vehicular level of service (LOS)
- Pedestrian, cyclist, and vehicular volumes
- Resiliency
- Roadway and sidewalk condition
- Role of a street in the transportation network
- Safety of all street users
- Traffic controls
Streetscape Elements
Furnishings on the sidewalk or in curbside lanes serve a variety of functions and enhance streetscape vibrancy.
- Aesthetic appeal
- Bike parking
- Color Surface Treatments
- Plantings and green infrastructure
- Public art
- Seating
- WalkNYC Wayfinding
Community Context
Each street is unique and should be planned and designed with an understanding of its role in both the local and larger planning contexts.
- Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) Priority Areas
- Commercial corridors
- Community Boards and elected representatives
- Community priorities
- Contamination and remediation
- DCP studies, anticipated density change
- FEMA Flood Zones and floodplains
- Historic districts and special zoning
- Historic resources and neighborhood character
- Land uses (e.g., commercial, industrial, residential)
- Maintenance partners and capacity
- Neighborhood character
- Parking utilization
- Proximity to transit
- School- or senior-safety zones
- Stormwater capture and/or filtration
- Trip generators (e.g., landmarks, institutions)
- Wetlands, coastlines, and conservation areas
Physical Constraints
Some physical elements and characteristics are costly, challenging, or impossible to change or relocate, creating constraints for the design process, while others are less costly and challenging.
- Building ingress/egress
- Column supports for elevated structures
- Comfort levels (e.g., wind, protection from sun)
- Daylighting and sightlines
- Grading and drainage
- Healthy trees
- Lights
- Poles
- Retaining walls
- Roadway width and variations in roadway width
- Sewer catch basins
- Soil structure and permeability
- Street grid
- Turning radii
- Utilities (e.g., underground gas, sewer, water)