Last Round for Cul-de-Sacs?
Have cul-de-sacs hit a dead end? People who live in these polyp-shaped, elegantly named "courts" love them for their quiet and neighborly charm, and developers like the way they maximize space for building. But town planners are increasingly trying to discourage cul-de-sacs, since the extra houses make more cars dependent on fewer through streets. Ninety percent of Oregon cities have outlawed them, according to this story from the McClatchy News Service, and Minnesota officials are also moving against them. Other northern states are expected to follow, and for good reason: one of the biggest headaches of cul-de-sacs is where to plow the snow in winter.
posted by burb at 8:53 PM
2 Comments:
i dont know if the cul de sac is necessarily worse than any other type of roadway for a dwelling.
as far a safety claims, if they are legitimate claims at all, i expect the chances of a car plowing through your yard are slightly less on a cul de sac than on a street proper. but if you are at work all day anyway it likely doesnt offer much else.
if you are a pedestrian, well..there isnt much a cul de sac offers...no stores, parks, etc. you have to foot it down a street unless a path is available on the cul de sac.
if a cul de sac backs up to a heavily treed area it offers cover for theives. COPS shows always showed cops running through woods.
if a cul de sac backs up to a road with traffic as some do(a fenced back yard) it doesnt offer much noise reduction.
so unless maybe you have a little child and play in the yard thats about the only advantage i can see. a trip to get pampers or the park still requires an exit on to a street.
in trying to count the number of houses on some grid patterns and culdesac neighborhoods i havent seen where it offers a great deal more dwellings per acre. but my couinting may be off.
which is why i dont understand bans on cul de sacs if they are actually taking place.
35°50'37.91"N 78°37'2.47"W
the above coordinates show a culdesac where my dad lived. he mostly blind and cant drive and woudl walk to a grocery store. cutting through a neighbors yard and empty lot was about .3 mile. but the govt built somie buildings and made him have to walk .75 miles down a street to get groceries.
but that doenst seem like a reason to ban them.
one of the biggest headaches of cul-de-sacs is where to plow the snow in winter.
i lived on a private cul de sac for a while it was plowed and teh snow seemed to get with with the other piles.
the cul de sacs dont have a lot of traffic in them anyway.
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