green streets - a conceptual guide to effective green streets design solutions

8/9/2019 Green Streets - A Conceptual Guide to Effective Green Streets Design Solutions

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Green

reserve The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), Green Reserve o 2009, through the State Revolving Fund,

provides unding or a wide variety o qualiying projects in the categories o: green inrastructure , energy efciency,

water efciency, and other innovative projects. For more inormation on ARRA, to fnd out i your current or uture

planned project meets the necessary criteria, and how to apply, visit www.Recovery.gov.

Green Streets

Stts s a sgat tag

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ta ts. A G Stt ss a

ata ssts aah t stwat

w, wat qat, ba

hatg, ha sta sat,

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ss, ths bjtsa sa ths

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gtat b tss, swak ats,

asa as, gtat swas,

ab ag, a stt ts. Ths g

s a w t statgs that

a b tastat ghts--

wa at th a ghbh sa.

A Green Streetis a street that usesnatural processes

to managestormwater runo

at its source.

A concepTuAl Guide To

eecTive Green STreeTS

deSiGn SoluTionS

Residential Streets

Commercial Streets

Arterial Streets

Alleys

Green Street designs provide better environmental

perormance while creating attractive, saer environments.

Green Streets


2/7Green

reserve

Green Streets www.Recovery.gov

Residential Streets

Stormwater curb extenSionS

Conventional landscape

SidewalkStreet tree

Vegetatedcurb extension

Two-way car travel

20 minimumthrough zone

On-street parking

Optional: Existing curb and plantingstrip can be retained as is or

incorporated into curb extension

Conventional curb extensions(also known as curb bulb outs,chokers, or chicanes) havebeen used or decades to

enhance pedestrian saety andhelp in trac calming.

A stormwater curb extensionsimply incorporates a raingarden into which runo fows.

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implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

TypicAl STreeT

ResidentialStreets


Permeable Paving

vegetated SwaleS

rsta stts th gatst tta

bg G Stts w ghbhs

tttg stg stts bas th stts

a ta sw, ss tafk, a k t

aa ha s asa ts.

Ths as, t s a hs t haa gas at t th asag t

t a st stwat ts,

was, a ats. ra ga s th ga

t s t sb stwat statgs that

s ats a ss t t, absb, a sw

awat th asa sa.

Sa ts a gas a tak as s

wth th stt ght--wa tsth gs

th stt a b bt t aw stwat t w

t a asa aa, sa wth th a

aa th stt a b t t asa,

asg abt. Ata, ab

ag that s ab, a-bag, a bt wth

a g s a ta st wat

t tat.

i w stt stats, G Stts

a b sg t ha sgat s

wat. i tt stats, th a taha a th a sa sts, wh

ss wat ag sts a w t

stg st sw ssts.

Rain gardens are beautiullandscape eatures that

naturally lter runo andrequire less maintenance

than tur grass.


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Residential Streets

Permeable Paving

Conventionallandscape

Pervious pavers

Concrete band,flush with pavers

Sidewalk

On-street parking

Existing driveway

Travel lane allows onecar to pass while the cartraveling in the oppositedirection waits in theparking zone

Permeable paving (pavers,or porous asphalt andpervious concrete) in theparking lane convertsimpervious suraces to allow

stormwater to absorb into theground, which reduces theamount o runo without anyloss o parking on the street.

The aesthetics o permeablepaving can also give theillusion o a narrower streetand thereore help calm trac.

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

exiSTinG

vegetated SwaleS

On-street parking on oneside of the street only

Vegetated swale on oneside of the street

A mid-block pedestrianaccess point providesaccess to the sidewalkon the other side of thevegetated swale

Two-way car travel

Sidewalk

Street tree

Swales are long, shallowvegetated depressions, with

a slight longitudinal slope.As water ows through theswale, it is slowed by theinteraction with plants andsoil, allowing sedimentsand pollutants to settle out.Water soaks into the soil andis taken up by plants, andmay infltrate urther intothe ground i the soil is well-drained.

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

exiSTinG

Green

reserve


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Commercial Streets

CommercialStreets

Stormwater PlanterS


Permeable Paving

ca stts st ba aas t

aat a w ag ss a ss

g stas, s, bks, tast

s, -stt akg, t satg,

ghtg, ts, t. Bas a ths as,

g sa t t a aag stwat

a at st aa hagg. Th a,hw, sa sg ts that tws a

ts a s wh tgatg stwat

agt t th st at stts.

Th k s thkg at g sa

that a aat t ss

sa, sh as a stt t t sg t t

, th b tss (as kw as

sta bb ts) at th s sg

t g ssg stas stas

that a as ta a a ga. Ths sg

ts a as aat w

stts wh th at g

tts s s th stat. m

statg sg s ssa stts wth

stg tts. Th a- ths ts,

thgh, s a attat, wakab stt

that sab s t .

Stormwater PlanterS

Bicycle lane

Building frontage

Pedestrian egress zone

On-steet parkingConventional landscape

Reducedpedestrian

crossingdistance

Two-waycar travel

Sidewalk

Street tree

Stormwater planter

Stormwater entry/exitcurb cut

Planters are long, narrow land-scaped areas with vertical wallsand at bottoms, typically opento the underlying soil. Theyallow or more storage volume

than a swale in less space.

Water ows into the planter,absorbs into the plants andtopsoil, flls to a predeterminedlevel, and then, i necessary,overows into a storm sewersystem. I desired, planters canaccommodate street trees.

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-

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

TypicAl STreeT

Green

reserve

A communitys identity isoten most evident on its

commercial streets.Green Street techniques notonly achieve environmental

goals but can greatlyimprove the look and eel

o a community.


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implemenTATionopporTuniTyexiSTinG

Permeable Paving

Bicycle lane

Pervious paversOn-steet parking

Sidewalk

Street tree

Stormwater curb extension

Concrete band,flush with paving

Shortercrossingdistance forpedestrians

Two-waycar travel

Permeable paving oncommercial streets can be

incorporated into sidewalksand parking lanes.

Recent advances in permeablepaving technologies nowmake many appropriate orhigher speeds or where large,heavy vehicles are expectedto be parkedareas such asloading zones and bus stops.

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-

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

exiSTinG

Commercial Streets

Building frontage

Stormwater curb extensionPervious pavingAngled parking

Sidewalk

Street tree

Shortercrossing

distance forpedestrians

Two-waycar travel

Stormwater curb extensionson commercial streets aresimilar to those on residentialstreets. They are rain gardenstypically located near the

corners that can also providethe pedestrian with a morecomortable crossing.

Curb extensions can alsobe located mid-block byconverting one or moreparking spaces.

Green

reserve


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Arterial Streets

ArterialStreets

vegetated SwaleS

Ata stts tws a ts a

t haatz b w ass

at, tt g, a tt t ass

sta s. Sh a ata stt

aa ha asa aas ajat t

th awa wth gass as, th

tttg ths aas t aatawat w sgat

a h tt wat qat.

Wh ajat asa sa s t

st, a ss a tg a b

tak. Ths s tg jst

hw h a sa s ssa t

sa aag ta, a hw h a

b t t g sa. i at t

aagg , ths s as a tt

t tt th tat ata

stts, akg th t-a b

atg swaks, -stt bk as,

asa-saat bk gwas.

Aga, as wth sta a a stts,

thgh t s as t a a sg a ths

ss t a awa th bgg, st

atas st tts t atG Stt ats, a a b hgh sss.

Busy arterials neednot only be a conduitor trafc. They have

the potential to beattractive, green

boulevards that reduceruno and reinorce acommunitys identity.

vegetated SwaleS

Bike lane

Side swale

Street trees

Sidewalk

Like residential streets, arterialroadways are good streettypes or swales because theytypically have long, linearstretches o uninterrupted

space that can be usedto manage stormwater.

Some arterials may not havelandscape space in placebut do have travel lanes orpaved shoulders that can benarrowed to create space orswales.

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

TypicAl STreeT

Green

reserve


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Al leys

Alleys

Permeable Paving

vegetated SwaleS

i a tws a ts, as s a

sgat at s sa a

a sts t g bas th

a t t t t th sw sst.

G Stt thqs k gtat swas

a ab ag t a

tat , aat g, a a a sss tha stag ts t sws.

vegetated SwaleS

I the alley is crowned in sucha way that water ows to theside, then stormwater can beaccommodated by simplygreening edges o the alleywith swales and planters.

I necessary, water canow through pipes orcovered trenches to allowvehicle access to garagesand driveways.

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

TypicAl Alley

Alleys are the low-hangingruit o Green Street

designa good startingpoint or towns and cities

to begin incorporatingstormwater management.

Permeable Paving

Alleys are typically low-speedand low-tracked streets andthereore suitable locationsor using permeable paving.

The entire surace could bepermeable, or i heavier vehiclesare anticipated or loadingand unloading, or the alley isreversed crowned (slopingtoward the center line), thenonly the middle section needsto be permeable.

implemenTATion

opporTuniTy

TypicAl Alley

Greenreserve

Illustrations and photographs used in this brochure are rom the EPA publication

Stormwater Management HandbookImplementing Green Infrastructure in Northern Kentucky

Communities and were created by Nevue Ngan Associations o Portland, Oregon.

This handbook, as well as other valuable resources, are available at both

www.epa.gov/smartgrowth and www.epa.gov/greeninrastructure.

EPA-833-F-09-002 | August 2009 | www.epa.gov/greeninrastructure

green streets - a conceptual guide to effective green streets design solutions

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