Look at this map from West Bloomfield on the right.

The neighborhood streets are not in a traditional American grid pattern. Instead they are a maze of disconnected cul-de-sacs and roads to nowhere.

This design is embraced by communities where people drive everywhere and rarely walk or bike.

This design forces cyclists as well as motor vehicles to use the more busy arterials (such as Orchard Lake Road in this West Bloomfield example.) That often means less welcoming roads for many cyclists and plenty of traffic congestion.

Some cities (Charlotte, N.C., Portland, Ore., and Austin, Texas) and even states like Virginia are pulling the plug on cul-de-sacs.

According to the Washington Post:

The state has decided that all new subdivisions must have through streets linking them with neighboring subdivisions, schools and shopping areas. State officials say the new regulations will improve safety and accessibility and save money: No more single entrances and exits onto clogged secondary roads. Quicker responses by emergency vehicles. Lower road maintenance costs for governments.

But aren’t cul-de-sacs safer? Not really, according to William Lucy, co-author of the book Tomorrow’s Cities, Tomorrow’s Suburbs. Cul-de-sac communities have some of the highest rates of traffic accidents involving young children.

And these street patterns certainly aren’t safer for cyclists.

That’s one major reason why cycling in older cities like Detroit or Berkley is much more bike-friendly and convenient than places like West Bloomfield.

[There is additional cul-de-sac coverage at National Public Radio.]

Tags: cul-de-sac, street grid, West Bloomfield

This entry was posted on Friday, April 3rd, 2009 at 11:13 pm and is filed under On-road bicycling, Planning. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.