Current Practices A thoroughfare plan is ultimately a right-of-way preservation document that allows the orderly development of a transportation network to support future growth. From a planning perspective, the review indicates that contemporary thoroughfare plans are increasingly context sensitive and emphasize a multimodal or complete streets philosophy. Several of the plans reviewed identify area types to guide the design of transportation corridors in relation to their planned land use context and modes. Rather than widely-spaced thoroughfares fed by disconnected local and collector roads, they promote a dense and connected network that supports multimodal activity. These and other integral strategies influence right-of-way needs and advance a more comprehensive vision of the design of the future transportation system. Contemporary thoroughfare plans serve as a preliminary tool for defining which multimodal design elements and users are prioritized for each roadway type and land use context. The desired thoroughfare network is mapped, including area and street types, with preliminary identification of modal elements. It is then used to define the corresponding right of way needs and cross section design concepts for purposes of corridor preservation and management. Some of the plans also provide a framework for more detailed assessment of cross section design and modal needs by segment, and guide decisions on building type and intensity to reinforce the planned modal elements. As regulatory documents, the plans also include procedures and explanations to guide amendments, exceptions and updates. An observation on Florida thoroughfare plans, as compared to the handful of plans reviewed nationally, is a less detailed emphasis on integrating area type or context, non-auto modes, and complete streets design concepts at the thoroughfare planning level. Nonetheless, steps are clearly being taken to address those issues and especially in the context of mobility planning practices. In the process, local governments in Florida are broadening their impact fees and mitigation methods to strengthen corridor management plans and practices from a multimodal perspective. Table 1 summarizes corridor management strategies applied in Florida thoroughfare plans. Table 2 summarizes context-sensitive features of selected thoroughfare plans reviewed for the study.
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