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Town of Normal, Illinois. Committed to Service Excellence.

CHAPTER 5 - Design and Construction Standards for Sidewalks and Pedestrian Ways and Trails

5.01 Introduction
5.02 Design Standards
5.03 Right-of-way Dedication
5.04 Schedule of Installation
5.05 Specifications and Special Provisions
5.06 Standard Details

5.01 INTRODUCTION

Sidewalks shall be installed in all subdivisions regardless of size, unless a waiver is granted from the Town Council at the time of submission of a preliminary plan. Sidewalks and pedestrian ways and trails shall be designed and constructed in accordance with the requirements set forth in this chapter.

Trails shall be installed in subdivisions in locations and alignments according to the Town’s Comprehensive Plan and may be installed in additional locations that compliment the trail system.

5.02 DESIGN STANDARDS

Subdivisions shall be designed so that sidewalks or pedestrian ways are provided in such locations and in such a manner as to do and accomplish the following:

  1. Sidewalks and pedestrian ways shall be not less than four (4) feet (1.3m) in width; except adjacent to arterial and collector streets, where sidewalks shall not be less than (5) feet (1.5 m) in width; and except in the B-2, Central Business District, where sidewalks shall not be less than six (6) feet (1.8m) in width.
     
  2. In all zoning districts, sidewalks shall be located within dedicated street right-of-way and shall be roughly parallel to the street or roadway. Sidewalks shall be located on both sides of all public streets.
     
  3. Where the street design and parallel sidewalk arrangement does not provide reasonably direct pedestrian access to and from school sites, park sites, neighborhood commercial centers and other pedestrian traffic generators, pedestrian ways shall be provided in dedicated right-of-way so as to permit reasonably direct pedestrian access to and from such sites.
     
  4. All sidewalks shall conform to all current Americans With Disabilities Act standards.
     
  5. Trails shall be designed in accordance with current American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials (AASHTO) standards. Trail pavement widths shall be 10-12 feet (3m or 3.6m).
     
  6. Transverse slope on sidewalks, pedestrian ways and trails should not be less than 2% nor greater than 4%.

5.03 RIGHT-OF-WAY DEDICATION

All sidewalks shall be installed in dedicated public right-of-way or public easements. Such dedication or easement shall extend not less than one foot (0.30m) on each side of the sidewalk or pedestrian way surface. The back of the sidewalk shall be located six (6) inches (150mm) off of the right-of-way line unless otherwise directed by the engineer.

All trails shall be installed in dedicated public right-of-way a minimum of 25 feet (7.5m) in width.

5.04 SCHEDULE OF INSTALLATION

The schedule for installation of walks shall be set forth at the time of final platting. The Town Engineer shall approve this schedule. The schedule shall be such that sidewalks are installed adjacent to individual lots before occupancy is granted for the structure on said lot and all sidewalk is installed within five (5) years of the date or recorded final plat or the time 90% of the lots in the subdivision have been granted occupancy.

5.05 SPECIFICATIONS & SPECIAL PROVISIONS

All sidewalks and trails shall use materials and be installed in a manner meeting or exceeding the requirements, standards and specifications contained in the most recent edition of the Standard Specifications for Road and Bridge Construction, Illinois Department of Transportation and all Special Provisions contained herein.

  1. Special Provisions
     
    1. Sidewalk Thickness--All sidewalks shall be a minimum six (6) inches (100mm) in areas zoned commercial, business or manufacturing.
       
    2. Transverse Expansion Joints: Asphaltic transverse expansion joints, ½ inch (13mm) thick, shall be placed in the sidewalk at intervals not to exceed 100 feet (30m). No additional compensation will be allowed for wire mesh and expansion joints.
       
    3. PCC Sidewalk Special: Where existing ground surface adjacent to back of sidewalk is six (6) inches (0.3m) or more above the elevation of the walk, PCC Sidewalk Special shall be constructed in accordance with Standard Detail 5.06 A.
       
    4. Wheelchair Ramps: Wheelchair ramps shall be constructed in accordance with the Standard Specifications for Road & Bridge Construction.
       
    5. Trail Pavement Thickness: All trail pavement shall be a minimum two (2) inches (150mm) of bituminous asphalt surface course on six (6) inches (150mm) aggregate base course. Where appropriate and approved by the Director of Parks and Recreation, a six (6) inch (150mm) thick PC concrete pavement may be installed. When PC concrete pavement is used, all contraction joints shall be sawed in accordance with detail.

5.06 STANDARD DETAILS
 

Standard Drawing Title
 

A

PC Concrete Sidewalk Special

This page last modified 05/05/08.