Borough of Buena, NJ Article XII Street, Easement and Construction Standards; Traffic Assessments

§ 150-95 Purpose.

The purpose of this article is to classify streets based on their function, to provide standards of design and construction, to provide regulations which protect the integrity of the circulation plan and thereby to increase public safety.

§ 150-96 General provisions.

A. The movement of people and vehicles is an important element of the development review. The circulation plan is based on a logical process. For example: in driving to work, one usually proceeds from a minor or local street to a collector which leads to an arterial roadway. Most drivers are willing to use roundabout routes to avoid heavy traffic. The development plan for circulation should provide for obvious preferences.

B. Separate pedestrian and bicycle path systems are encouraged to ensure safe segregation from vehicular traffic.

C. The utilization of culs-de-sac and loop streets is encouraged where appropriate. Such streets offer maximum privacy and safety and do not permit shortcuts by through traffic.

D. The internal system should be determined by the demands of the site, the traffic needs of the area and the volume to be generated by the development. One system may be incorporated within another. For example: a loop within a grid system which functions to separate slow and fast traffic.

E. Intersections should be as close as possible to right angles.

§ 150-97 Classification of specific streets.

The following streets shall be classified as listed:

A. Minor arterial:

(1) United States (U.S.) Route 40 (Harding Highway).

(2) Wheat Road.

(3) Central Avenue.

(4) Brewster Road.

(5) Weymouth Road.

B. Major collector:

(1) Forest Grove Road.

(2) Summer Road.

(3) Railroad Boulevard.

(4) Lincoln Avenue.

C. Minor collector:

(1) West Avenue.

(2) Franklin Street.

(3) Plymouth Street.

§ 150-98 Building line modification for minor arterials.

The building line setback along minor arterials shall be a minimum of 100 feet from the center line of the street.

§ 150-99 Street width and length standards.

A. The following shall be standard:

Street Classification	Right-of-Way Width (feet)	Cartway Width (feet)	Maximum Length (feet)	Maximum Number of Dwellings
Cul-de-sac, permanent only	40 (R=50)	24	750	25
Loop	40	24	2,600	50
Minor or local	50	30	--	--
Minor collector	60 to 70	40	--	--
Major collector	66 to 100	40 to 60	--	--
Minor arterial	66 to 100	40 to 60	--	--

B. All new streets, public or private, shall conform to the construction standards as approved and amended. See § 150-101 of this article.

C. Circulation plans and intersections shall be compatible with the county road system and the surrounding communities' systems.

D. The location of new streets shall conform to the Master Plan of Street Extensions as duly adopted and revised by the Planning Board.

E. All street intersections shall be at right angles as nearly as possible, but in no case less than 60°.

F. Intersecting street lines shall connect with a curve having a minimum radius of 20 feet.

G. If a proposed street cannot be aligned with a street existing on the opposite side of the road, the center line of the proposed street shall be placed at least 150 feet away from the center line of the existing street.

H. At least two means of ingress and egress shall be provided for residential developments which comprise more than 50 dwelling units. While the primary purpose of an interconnected system is to safely and efficiently distribute traffic throughout the site and to the adjacent streets, an important secondary purpose is to ensure access by emergency vehicles.

I. The radius of the curbs on an access road shall be at least 35 feet when connecting to arterials or collector streets.

J. Dead-end streets which are to be extended at some future time shall provide a turnaround radius of 50 feet, measured from the center line of the right-of-way, and shall dedicate the full width of the street along the property line beyond which the street will extend. The building line along the lots fronting on the cul-de-sac shall conform as nearly as possible to the required setback, but in no case shall be closer than 15 feet to the property line of the temporary cul-de-sac.

K. Stub-end streets required to be dedicated to protect the integrity of the Master Plan of Street Extensions need not provide a turnaround if they are less than 150 feet long.

L. A tangent of not less than 100 feet shall connect reverse curves on local or minor streets. A tangent of not less than 300 feet shall apply to all other streets.

M. When connecting street lines deflect from each other by more than 10° (but by less than 45°) they shall be joined by a curve having a radius of not less than 400 feet for minor or local streets. For all other streets, the connecting curve shall have a radius of at least 750 feet.

N. Grades on minor or local streets shall not exceed 10%. No street shall be graded at less than 1/2 of 1%. Within 50 feet of an intersection with an arterial or collector, the maximum grade shall be 2%.

O. All changes in grade shall be connected by vertical curves of sufficient length to provide smooth transition and proper sight distance.

P. No street shall duplicate the name or so nearly duplicate it as to be confused with an existing street name. Street names proposed by the developer shall be designated on the initial submission and shall be subject to approval of the Planning Board. If names are not designated, the Planning Board shall name the streets.

Q. Driveways on all lots, except within residential zones, shall be designed to provide on-site turning space to avoid the necessity of motor vehicles backing into the street.

R. The proposed street plan shall be designed to minimize the necessity for driveway openings on existing arterial or collector streets. New residential development which abuts such streets shall provide reverse frontage access from a minor street for the proposed housing.

S. The recommended minimum distances between center lines of arterial and collector streets is 1,000 feet; between arterials (or collectors) and minor streets is 600 feet; and between minor streets is 200 feet.

§ 150-100 Easement standards.

As a rule, utility distribution lines, such as water mains, sewer lines, drainage facilities and electric, gas and telephone service lines are located within public rights-of-way. Sometimes, however, other locations become necessary and easements must be considered.

A. Location. Easements shall be located in accordance with the approval of the appropriate authority and the Planning Board and shall not be placed in any buffer which is required to be planted in order to provide or preserve the required screening.

B. Width. Easements shall be at least 20 feet wide.

C. Width along watercourses. Easements measuring 25 feet in width on each side of watercourses, streams or channels shall be required.

D. Natural features shall be disturbed as little as possible within easement areas.

E. Legal descriptions setting off the areas of the easement by metes and bounds shall be submitted prior to final approval of a development or any phase of a development.

F. Compliance with the construction standards shall be required for site improvements. See § 150-101 below.

§ 150-101 Construction standards. [1]

All required improvements shall comply with the construction standards herein provided pertaining to:

A. Drainage (inlets).

B. Drainage (manholes).

C. Street improvements.

D. Street construction.

E. Water, sewer and driveways.

F. Soil erosion and sediment controls.

G. Tree planting and soil erosion regarding stream channels.

[1] Editor's Note: See the various details and illustrations included at the end of this chapter.

§ 150-102 Traffic assessments.

A. The following written assessment shall be submitted with applications for preliminary approval of major subdivision plats and all site plans except minor site plans:

(1) A description of the traffic expected to be generated by the proposed development.

(2) A description of the current traffic loads on the surrounding streets.

(3) The probable impact of the development on capacities and service levels.

(4) The improvements required to ease congestion and maintain capacity and service.

B. When reviewing the assessment of traffic, the Board shall consider the following:

(1) The recommendations of the Police Department.

(2) The recommendations of the Planning Board Engineer.

(3) The existing and projected capacity of streets and intersections at the level of Service "C."

(4) The number and location of driveways and intersections.

(5) Existing and proposed traffic signals, pedestrian crossings and channelization.

(6) The following guidelines for traffic volumes on residential streets, which volume is generally less than its physical or optimum capacity:

Type of Street	Average Daily Traffic	Type of Residential Use
Minor or local	0 to 2,000	Single-family detached
Collector	2,000 to 5,000	Single and multi-units on limited or reversed frontage lots
Arterial	5,000 and over	Multi-unit developments with limited access

C. In assessing traffic volumes generated by different uses, consideration shall be given to the following:

Type of Use	1-Way Vehicular Trips Per Day
Single-family detached unit	Between 10 and 15
Multifamily units	Between 4 and 8
Senior citizen housing	Fewer than 4

NOTE: All figures include delivery and service vehicles. The higher figures apply to high-income, low-density areas where two to three cars per unit are common. The number designated for multifamily units generally depends on the size of the unit and the proximity to public transportation.

§ 150-103 Traffic impact statements (TIS) and environmental impact statements (EIS).

A. After the assessment of existing and potential traffic cited under § 150-102, the Board may require a traffic impact statement.

(1) The contents of a TIS shall pertain to the particular site under study and shall:

(a) Provide findings which represent the prevailing traffic conditions and roadway capacities by the use of studies which reveal the annual average traffic counts, the peak hour counts, the turning movements and the directional flow of traffic at intersections, the traffic accident records and the classification counts of vehicles segregated by type, size and weight.

(b) Provide a description of the proposed development and the surrounding land uses.

(c) Provide an assessment of the probable impact the completed development will have upon prevailing traffic conditions and anticipated future conditions.

(d) Provide an analysis of the probable impact on traffic flows which may occur during the construction period.

(e) Describe steps proposed by the developer to minimize any adverse impacts during construction and after completion of the project.

(f) Provide any other data which may be needed to evaluate the effect the development will have on existing traffic conditions.

(2) The Planning Board shall emphasize safety features under consideration.

B. The Board may require an environmental impact statement.

(1) The contents of an EIS shall pertain to the particular site under study and shall:

(a) Provide an inventory of the existing environmental conditions at the site and the surrounding areas, which include air and water quality, water supply, hydrology, geology, soil, topography, vegetation, wildlife, aquatic organisms, pollution sources, ecology, demography, land uses, aesthetics, history and archaeology.

(b) Provide an assessment of the probable impact of the proposed development upon all inventory items.

(c) Provide a list of all the adverse environmental impacts which cannot be avoided.

(d) Describe the steps proposed by the developer to minimize the adverse impacts during and after construction.

(e) Describe what alternatives exist to the proposed development.

(f) Provide such other information necessary to evaluate the impact of the development upon the environment.

(2) The environmental resource inventory prepared by the Environmental Commission, if any, and/or the Pinelands Area natural resource inventory shall serve as a critical area evaluation and shall aid the Planning Board in establishing the suitability of the specific areas for specific uses. The protection of shade trees shall be given particular attention.