§ 3.11. Transportation Policies and Recommendations

Policies and recommendations build on goals and objectives by providing more focused responses to the issues that the city is concerned about. Policies and recommendations become the tools that the city can use to aid in making land use decisions.

Policies identify the way in which activities are conducted in order to fulfill the goals and objectives. Policies that direct action using the words "will" or "shall" are advised to be mandatory and regulatory aspects of the implementation of the comprehensive plan. In contrast, those policies that direct action using the word "should" are advisory and intended to serve as a guide.

Policies

1. Development proposals shall address the impacts to transportation systems including:

• Traffic flow

• Road conditions and maintenance

• Emergency vehicle access

• Safe ingress and egress

2. The existing road network and other public facilities/services shall be utilized to accommodate new development to the maximum extent possible.

3. Promote the transportation needs of the physically challenged.

4. Actively pursue all available funding, especially federal and state sources, for needed transportation facilities. Funding for multimodal facilities should be emphasized.

5. The city and county shall cooperatively prepare a transportation system plan for the area designating corridors for major facilities (arterials, collectors, transit corridors, etc.).

6. Dead-end roads and cul-de-sacs shall be avoided to the extent practicable.

7. Developers shall be required to bear an equitable share of the costs for improvements and extensions to the transportation network.

8. Area development plans shall be required as part of the submittal of any residential development plans (i.e. subdivisions). This will allow the city to assess the future connection and traffic flow impacts on surrounding properties.

9. Street design standards (intersection design, signal phasing, and roadway width) shall give priority to and enhance the safety of pedestrians, cyclists and horse drawn buggies and minimize conflict with motorists. Priority for installation or construction should be given to those routes that are used by school children, senior citizens, physically challenged persons and/or commuters.

10. Any transportation related issues that involve the use of horses or horse drawn vehicles on city roadways shall be thoroughly discussed with the applicable party prior to any policy or ordinance development.

11. The PASER (Pavement Surface Evaluation and Rating) system for road maintenance and project budgeting shall be the primary tool used to forecast local road improvement projects.

12. Connect trails and pedestrian systems to neighboring communities whenever feasible.

13. Transportation related issues which have effects on neighboring jurisdictions shall be jointly discussed and evaluated with that community and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation if necessary.

14. Whenever feasible, promote the separation of truck and through-traffic from local traffic and reroute truck traffic around the city as much as possible.

15. Utilize the Clark County Amish and Mennonite Transportation Report, June 2003 to guide future transportation policies, programs, and recommendations.

Recommendations

Recommendations are specific actions or projects that the city should be prepared to complete. The completion of these actions and projects is consistent with the city's policies, and therefore will help the city fulfill the comprehensive plan goals and objectives.

1. Implement the planned transportation improvements identified in Section 3.7 and Map 4-2.

2. Continue to utilize the city's official mapping authority to reserve possible locations for future roads as needed.

4. Utilities and Community Facilities

Addressing community service needs is becoming even more challenging for local governments. In this age of budget deficits and shrinking revenues, municipal governments are constantly looking for ways to provide needed and expected services with fewer resources. In order to facilitate wise decisions and policies, it is valuable to estimate the future utility and community facility needs.

People engage in their community services and facilities everyday: any time a child is taken to school, a dish is washed, or a bag of trash is put out for collection. All communities address these needs, however there are a variety of venues that can be used. In some communities a public water system is provided while other communities' residents utilize private wells and some communities use a combination of both. Not only is there variety in the methods used to meet different community needs, not all facilities exist within all jurisdictions. For example, a hospital may exist within the city limits, but will be used by residents of nearby towns and villages.

This element includes an inventory of existing facilities and services and provides insight into their condition and level of service. It is important to note that information regarding utilities, facilities, and services identified within this element may not be all-inclusive.