Typical Boise streets have sidewalks on both sides. At Lakewood Meadows, the city permitted elimination of sidewalks on one side of the subdivision’s streets and around T — turnarounds. One higher-order collector street was required to have sidewalks on both sides, but a sidewalk on one side only was allowed for a high-volume arterial street. Walkways were provided in common areas and between T — turnarounds.
The builder estimated that 2,696 additional linear feet of sidewalk would have been required to comply with existing Boise standards. Construction costs were decreased by $8,088, a per-unit reduction of $216.
Existing Lincoln standards call for 4- foot wide sidewalks on both sides of all residential streets. At Parkside Village, the city permitted Empire Homes to install З-foot wide sidewalks on one side of the street only. Cost savings were $4,289, or $191 per unit.
County standards call for sidewalks on both sides of residential streets. At the Hermitage Hill affordable housing project, this requirement was waived altogether, and no sidewalks were installed. Savings were $40,348, or $558 for each of the 73 units.
Rex Rogers, in Harvard Yard, used an 8-foot concrete swale on one side of the street and graded the street so stormwater was channeled to that side. The swale is only slightly angled and doubles as a sidewalk.
Other demonstration sites which eliminated sidewalks altogether or used them on only one side, contrary to normal local practice, include:
Charlotte, North Carolina; Phoenix, Arizona; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Santa Fe, New Mexico; Lacey, Washington; and White Marsh, Maryland.
Pedestrian pathways or meandering walkway systems are used in Phoenix, Arizona and Portland, Oregon.
