2. As the County continues to update its corridor plan, a more detailed thoroughfare plan is suggested that identifies desirable cross section designs, based on functional categories and modal priority, and access classifications for each key corridor in South County (see also 4 and 5 below). 3. Incorporate network spacing guidelines into the corridor plan. The sparsity of the arterial and collector network in South County is a concern in light of the extensive development already planned and approved in the area. One-half mile spacings of 4- lane continuous streets result ensure that residents can access a collector or arterial within ¼ mile. This spacing helps reduce congestion by distributing trips across the network and supports walking, cycling and transit use. The resulting 160-acre cells can be developed with a variety of internal roadway circulation patterns. Although a perfect grid is not feasible, due to waterways and other barriers, flexible application of network spacing guidelines forms an essential foundation for an effective thoroughfare plan. 4. Currently, the County relies on staff interpretations of roadway type and access classification based on general descriptions in code. Access management standards should be assigned to roadway segments for clarity in application and administration. This may be accomplished through a planning process (that identifies the access classification by milepost based on existing and planned roadway function), or based on posted speeds. 5. Update the County access classifications to better reflect the type and function of county arterials and collectors based on an overall thoroughfare plan. The current classifications are reactive to existing subdivision and land use conditions, rather than the long term planned function of the roadway. A model approach that builds on recent updates to access classes in the City of Orlando that are also being considered by FDOT includes the following provisions (Williams and Barber, 2017): The following access categories have been assigned to major roadways as shown in Table 4, based upon the primary role of the roadway in the overall thoroughfare system and the nature of the land use context: Category A: These are highly access-controlled roadways that function as principal arterials and have the greatest continuity in the thoroughfare system. Direct access to abutting land is controlled to preserve safe and efficient through traffic movement. Posted speeds are typically 45 mph or greater. They shall include existing or planned restrictive medians, but some sections may have alternating painted left-turn lanes or be undivided. This Access Category provides the greatest separation between connections and traffic signals. It applies to controlled access SIS roadways, and designated arterials in rural, less developed or suburban areas (e.g., FDOT context classification C1, C2, C3R, C3C). The street network along these roadways shall be planned to support access to development and signal locations will be carefully managed to maintain efficient traffic progression. Category B: These roadways support mobility within and across urban areas and typically have somewhat less continuity and/or operate at lower speeds than Access Category A roadways. They should include existing or planned restrictive medians, but
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