Ordinances may be used to address various aspects of access management, such as permitting or prohibiting access; location, spacing, and design of access connections; spacing of median openings, signalized intersections and interchanges; and the access permitting process. Zoning ordinances can address lot dimensions and coverage, landscaping, parking, site circulation, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, development density and allowable use of the land.

“Corridor Overlay Districts” are sometimes used to establish access requirements for a specific roadway corridor. Village Plan Alternatives allowing for higher density development can be combined with access management ordinances to create a safe, livable and walkable community. While some communities have regulations that help to specifically control access to important arterial or collector corridors, many more have adopted general regulations that apply to all developments that assist in controlling and managing access to the transportation network.

Control of Access Points

> Town of Litchfield – The northern commercial zone requires 500 feet of frontage on Route 3A and limits the number of access points in the district to one per 500 feet. If an access is constructed to town standards or access is taken from an existing town road, then the frontage requirement is reduced to 150 feet.

> Town of Hudson – The driveway regulations permit only one driveway per parcel. Town of Amherst The commercial zones allow no more than one access to any lot wherever desirable for traffic safety and they allow for combining access points where two or more lots are being developed.

Spacing of Access Points

> Town of Brookline – The driveway regulations require that any driveway be separated a minimum of 50 feet from another driveway.

> Town of Bedford – The zoning ordinances require a minimum separation of 120 feet between curb cuts.

> Town of Mont Vernon – The zoning ordinance requires 500 feet of frontage on Route 13 and permits one access road per 1,000 feet.

Width of Access Points

> Town of Amherst – The subdivision regulations limit the maximum width of any driveway to 20 feet for each lane, or 40 feet for a two way driveway.

> Town of Hudson – The driveway regulations limit the maximum driveway width to 50 feet with provisions for flaring the entrance to accommodate the turning radius of vehicles expected to use the site.

Shared Access Points

> Town of Brookline – The zoning ordinance permits common driveways service a maximum of four lots.

> Town of Hollis – The zoning ordinances permit common driveways serving no more than two adjacent lots.

> Town of Wilton – The commercial and industrial zoning districts along Route 101 require the design and construction of streets or side roads to permit travel between adjacent lots without accessing Route 101.

> Town of Amherst – The zoning ordinance has explicit provisions to limit points of access to commercial and office zones and encourages combining access points where two or more lots are being developed. In addition, direct access to 101A in the industrial zone is not allowed unless other access is unavailable.

> Town of Brookline – The site plan regulations provide for shared parking and for minimum and maximum parking provision requirements.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Access

> Town of Litchfield – The road design standards require developments along Albuquerque Avenue to construct an eight-foot pedestrian/ bicycle path.

> City of Nashua – The subdivision regulations require the construction of five-foot wide sidewalks in residential, commercial and industrial developments.

> Town of Merrimack – The subdivision regulations require sidewalks be constructed along all existing or proposed collector or arterial streets or streets constructed as part of a subdivision.

Frontage and Backage Roads

> City of Nashua – The subdivision regulations require the construction of a “parallel” road to provide access to land adjacent to a limited-access highway, railroad right-of-way or an open watercourse. The parallel road must be at a sufficient distance that the land between the two roads can be used for another use in conformance with the zoning ordinance.

> Town of Litchfield – The zoning ordinance encourages the use of an “internal” road to provide access to land along Route 3A by reducing the frontage requirement from 500 feet along 3A to 150 feet.

Source: Innovative Land Use Planning Techniques: A Handbook for Sustainable Development