Collector Roadway Functional Classification

[gibfrog]

I m having a problem with a local Florida city regarding a roadway functional classification. This roadway meets the functionasl classification of a collector roadway per the following documents -

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/fcsec2_1.htm

http://www.dot.state.fl.us/planning/statistics/pdfs/fchandbook.pdf

However, the Director of Planning and the City Engineer of Un-named City, Florida ruled that the roadway is a local road. It is a matter of potential impact fee credits and politics.

The roadway is a collector roadway for three main reasons -

1) It connects between two arterial roadways and enables through traffic from one arterial to the other.

2) Each of its three segments (it is a 3/4 loop around an arterial-arterial intersection) provides the only access to either a medium hospital with 200,000 sqft of detached associated medical offices or 1000 appartments or 350,000 sqft of retail or equivilent.

3) It is designed as a divided two lane roadway with left turn bays at the median openings and the ability to expand to a 4 lane divided roadway with left run bays when warrented.

My 1st question is how may I convince the City Engineer and City Manager that they are technically incorrect (but politically correct).

Second - are there any accepted numerical functional guidelines, such as maximum 2000 vehicle trips per day for a local roadway. I could derive such numbers from the previous mentioned documents, but I prefer an independant, preferably state or federal, determination.

Thank you,

Clifford H Laubstein
FL PE 58662

 

[teeman]

Isn't it the responsibility of the area Metropolitan Planning Organization to determine functional classification? Updates to classification networks may occur only a couple times a decade, but should be immune to local interference.

 

[ACtrafficengr]

If your project is outside of MPO boundaries, check to see if you have a Regional Planning Council. They perform a similar function in many rural/small urban areas.

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