Article 33. Standards for Streets, Off-Street Public Paths, & Cross-Access

33.1 TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Construction and technical details for streets, including in-street drainage and water and sewer utilities, off-street public paths, and cross-access are available in one or more of the following:

A. Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM)

B. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services Design Manual

C. Charlotte Water, Water and Sewer Design and Construction Standards

D. CATS Bus Stops – Special Details

E. Other city code, state, or federal regulations

33.2 CHARLOTTE STREETS MAP

The Charlotte Streets Map (Streets Map) shows the location of existing and planned future arterial and collector streets, and any shared-use paths located along local streets. Collector streets not indicated on the Streets Map shall be located per the standards of Section 32.5.E.

33.3 STREET DESIGN

A. Table 33-1: Street Design provides a reference for the required location, dimensions, and standards for each street classification.

Table 33-1: Street Design
	Street Classification
	Limited Access	Arterials			Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
	Limited Access	Parkway	Avenue/Blvd	Main Street	Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
New Street – Location and Classification	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map or Sec. 32.5.D	Streets Map or Sec. 32.5.E	If not shown on Streets Map as Limited Access, Arterial, or Collector, or if not established as new Main Street or Collector, then classified as Local; Table 33-2 determines the required local street type	Streets Map
Existing Street – Classification	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map		Streets Map
Future Back of Curb Location	N/A	N/A	Streets Map	Streets Map	CLDSM	CLDSM	Streets Map
Curb and Gutter	N/A	N/A	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM; In the N1-A, N1-B, or N1-C Zoning Districts, may be standard or valley gutter	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM; In the Neighborhood 1 Zoning Districts, may be standard or valley gutter	See Table 33-6
Right-of-Way Width Measurement	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map¹	Streets Map¹	CLDSM¹	CLDSM^1,2	Measured to the setback location per Streets Map classification and Table 33-6

¹The minimum right-of-way is measured to the back of the required sidewalk/shared-use path. If building is two feet or more behind the required shared-use path, the right-of-way shall be increased by two feet or shall be put in a sidewalk utility easement (SUE).

² Or as reflected on a recorded public access easement for private local streets.

B. Table 33-2: Local Street Matrix describes the type of local street required within each Place Type.

Table 33-2: Local Street Matrix
Local Street Types	Place Type
Local Street Types	Neighborhood 1	Neighborhood 2	Neighborhood Center	Community Activity Center	Regional Activity Center	Commercial	Campus	Innovation Mixed-Use	Manufacturing and Logistics	Parks and Preserves
Residential Medium	Allowed for N1-A, N1-B, N1-C, and N1-D Zoning Districts	Allowed for Condition 1
Residential Wide	Required unless zoned N1-A, N1-B, N1-C, or N1-D Zoning District	Required unless Condition 1	Allowed for Condition 3	Allowed for Condition 3	Allowed for Condition 3			Allowed for Condition 3
Office/ Commercial Narrow						Allowed for Condition 2	Allowed for Condition 2 for OFC or OG Zoning District			Allowed for Condition 2
Office/ Commercial Wide			Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 2	Required unless Condition 2 and zoned OFC or OG Zoning District	Required unless Condition 3		Required unless Condition 2
Industrial									Required
CONDITIONS Condition 1 – The developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), that alternative provisions can be made to ensure adequate on-site parking. Condition 2 – The developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, that the anticipated long-term development will not create parking demand on the street. Condition 3 – Allowed for a residential development that abuts N1 or N2 zoning districts along an existing local street, if the developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, that the change will not affect the function of the street or the adjacent street network for parking, loading, maneuvering, and/or access. NOTE: While a common design for parking and streetscape on both sides of a local street is preferred, there may be instances where opposite sides of a local street contain different Place Types. In such instances, the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, may approve the design of each side of the local street separately regarding the parking and streetscape so long as the resulting corridor operates in a functional and cohesive manner. New partial streets shall be constructed to the standards of the required local street cross-section per this table, not including streetscape on the incomplete portion of the partial street.

C. Table 33-3: Streetscape Reference provides a reference for the required sidewalk/shared-use path and amenity zone or planting strip for each street classification.

Table 33-3: Streetscape Reference
	Street Classification
	Limited Access	Arterials			Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
	Limited Access	Parkway	Avenue/Blvd	Main Street	Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
Sidewalk/ Shared-Use Path Dimension	N/A; Unless indicated on Streets Map¹	Streets Map¹	Streets Map	Streets Map	See Table 33-4, unless a Shared-Use Path shown on Streets Map	See Table 33-4, unless a Shared-Use Path shown on Streets Map	See Table 33-6
Required Amenity Zone or Required Planting Strip²	Planting Strip³	Planting Strip³	Streets Map⁴	Streets Map	See Table 33-5	See Table 33-5	Amenity Zone
Required Amenity Zone or Required Planting Strip Dimension	8 feet⁵						See Table 33-6⁵

¹Any pedestrian facilities on Limited Access roads and Parkways will be in the form of a shared-use path located either in a sidewalk utility easement outside the right-of-way or, with NCDOT approval, at the back of the right-of-way.

²Where the area between the sidewalk and the back of curb is three feet or more than the required minimum width of an amenity zone, grass or groundcover is permitted in the area that exceeds the required minimum width. If the area between the sidewalk and the back of curb is three feet or less than the required minimum width of an amenity zone, the amenity zone shall extend to the back of curb.

³Locationof trees may be required to be outside the clear zone for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) facilities.

⁴If the Charlotte Streets Map requires an amenity zone, a planting strip is permitted instead of an amenity zone for the TOD-TR Zoning District.

⁵If the Chief Urban Forester determines that planting trees in the required planting strip or amenity zone is not feasible due to shallow depth of existing underground utilities, the required trees may be relocated behind the sidewalk. In that case, a minimum four foot planting strip, planted with grass or groundcover, shall be retained for collector and local streets. A minimum eight foot planting strip planted with grass or groundcover shall be retained for arterials.

D. Table 33-4: Sidewalk Dimensions – Collector and Local Streets contains the required dimensions for sidewalks on collector and local streets based on Place Type. For collector and local streets, a shared-use path shall be required instead of a sidewalk when shown on the Charlotte Streets Map.

Table 33-4: Sidewalk Dimensions – Collector and Local Streets
Place Type	Sidewalk - 6 feet	Sidewalk - 8 feet
Neighborhood 1	Collector & Local
Neighborhood 2		Collector & Local
Neighborhood Center		Collector & Local
Community Activity Center		Collector & Local
Regional Activity Center		Collector & Local
Commercial	Collector & Local
Campus	Collector & Local, if zoned the OFC, OG, or IC-1 Zoning Districts	Collector & Local for all other zoning districts
Innovation Mixed-Use		Collector & Local
Manufacturing and Logistics	Collector & Local
Parks and Preserves	Collector & Local, for all zoning districts not listed to the right	Collector & Local, if zoned a Neighborhood Center Zoning District, Community Activity Center Zoning District, Regional Activity Center Zoning District, Innovation Mixed-Use Zoning District, or IC-2 or RC Zoning Districts

E. Table 33-5: Amenity Zone or Planting Strip – Collector and Local Streets indicates when amenity zones or planting strips are required and allowed based on Place Type.

Table 33-5: Amenity Zone or Planting Strip – Collector and Local Streets
Place Type	Amenity Zone	Planting Strip³
Neighborhood 1	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Neighborhood 2 if zoned N2-A, N2-B¹ Zoning Districts	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Neighborhood 2 if zoned N2-C Zoning District	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Neighborhood Center	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Community Activity Center²	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Regional Activity Center²	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Commercial	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Campus if zoned IC-1, OFC, OG¹ZoningDistricts	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Campus if zoned IC-2 or RC Zoning District	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Innovation Mixed-Use	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Manufacturing and Logistics¹	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Parks and preserves¹	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required

¹Planting strips are the standard requirement for these Place Types. Amenity zones may be allowed if the Chief Urban Forester, in consultation with the CDOT Director and Planning Director, determines installation of an amenity zone supports the listed urban forest characteristics for the corresponding Place Type while also supporting other key interests (transportation, sidewalks, etc.)

²Planting strips are permitted instead of an amenity zone in the TOD-TR Zoning District.

³ Planting strips are permitted for any zoning district located within the Water Supply Watershed Protection Areas per Article 23.

33.4 UPTOWN STREETSCAPE DESIGN

Table 33-6: Uptown Streetscape Design Elements contains the required dimensions for sidewalks and amenity zones and indicates streetscape requirements for amenity zone elements, pavers, lighting, and curb design for Uptown Streets.

Table 33-6: Uptown Streetscape Design Elements
	Uptown Street Classifications
	Uptown Signature Street	Linear Park	Uptown Primary	Uptown Secondary	Tryon Street¹
Sidewalk/ Shared-Use Path Dimension	12’	12’	10’	8’	12’
Required Amenity Zone Dimension	9.5’	9.5’	8’	8’	9.5’
Amenity Zone Elements	Tree Grates²	Planter no more than 16’ in width	Tree Grates²	Tree Grates	Tree Grates²
Pavers	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	Tryon Street Mall Streetscape Guidelines
Pedestrian Lighting⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required to match existing
Curb and Gutter	Granite Curb	Granite Curb	Standard per CLDSM	Standard per CLDSM	Required to match existing

¹Tryon Street (within Uptown) shall follow existing Tryon Street Mall Streetscape Guidelines for amenity zone elements, pavers, lighting, and curb design but shall otherwise be classified as an Uptown Signature Street.

²Utilities are required in Tree Grates.

³Concrete paver blocks in herringbone are permitted under encroachment agreement from applicable agency.

⁴ Pedestrian lighting spacing is based on proximity to trees and street lighting, as determined by CDOT. Typically, where trees are spaced 40’ apart, provide lighting at 80’ spacing, alternating between pedestrian lighting and street lighting. Where trees are spaced 30’ apart, provide lighting at 60’ spacing with one street light for every two pedestrian lights.

33.5 OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS

A. Transit Trail

1. The minimum width of a transit trail, and any required planting strip or other elements, are based on the applicable Council-adopted transit trail plan.

2. No tree planting associated with the construction of a transit trail is required unless indicated by a Council-adopted transit trail plan.

B. Connections to Off-Street Public Paths or Parks
The minimum width of a connection to an off-street public path or park is twelve feet. If combined with other required access such as fire, loading, or service access, then the connection shall meet the greater of the required dimensions. The developer shall consult with the staff of the entity having jurisdiction over the facility being connected to in order to determine if any design and/or width modifications are necessary to ensure that any intended purposes can be provided adequately and safely.

C. Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection

1. For parcels located in the Neighborhood 2 Place Type, Neighborhood Center Place Type, Community Activity Center Place Type, Regional Activity Center Place Type, or Innovation Mixed-Use Place Type, or zoned the IC-2 or RC Zoning District, the minimum width of a pedestrian and bicycle connection shall be twelve feet, with five feet abutting each side of the path.

a. No buildings or structures shall be in the five foot area abutting each side of the path.

b. No fixed obstacles to pedestrian or bicycle traffic shall be within two feet of the path’s edge.

2. For parcels located in the Neighborhood 1 Place Type, Commercial Place Type, or Manufacturing and Logistics Place Type, or zoned the IC-1, OFC, or OG Zoning District, the minimum width of a pedestrian and bicycle connection shall be eight feet, with four feet abutting each side of the path.

a. No buildings or structures shall be in the four foot area abutting each side of the path.

b. No fixed obstacles to pedestrian or bicycle traffic shall be within two feet of the path’s edge.

CONNECTIONS TO OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS OR PARKS

PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTION

33.6 CROSS-ACCESS

A cross-access connection shall have a minimum 20 foot wide two-way paved connection.

33.1 TECHNICAL STANDARDS

Construction and technical details for streets, including in-street drainage and water and sewer utilities, off-street public paths, and cross-access are available in one or more of the following:

A. Charlotte Land Development Standards Manual (CLDSM)

B. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services Design Manual

C. Charlotte Water, Water and Sewer Design and Construction Standards

D. CATS Bus Stops – Special Details

E. Other city code, state, or federal regulations

33.2 CHARLOTTE STREETS MAP

33.3 STREET DESIGN

A. Table 33-1: Street Design provides a reference for the required location, dimensions, and standards for each street classification.

Table 33-1: Street Design
	Street Classification
	Limited Access	Arterials			Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
	Limited Access	Parkway	Avenue/Blvd	Main Street	Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
New Street – Location and Classification	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map or Sec. 32.5.D	Streets Map or Sec. 32.5.E	If not shown on Streets Map as Limited Access, Arterial, or Collector, or if not established as new Main Street or Collector, then classified as Local; Table 33-2 determines the required local street type	Streets Map
Existing Street – Classification	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map		Streets Map
Future Back of Curb Location	N/A	N/A	Streets Map	Streets Map	CLDSM	CLDSM	Streets Map
Curb and Gutter	N/A	N/A	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM; In the N1-A, N1-B, or N1-C Zoning Districts, may be standard or valley gutter	Standard curb and gutter per CLDSM; In the Neighborhood 1 Zoning Districts, may be standard or valley gutter	See Table 33-6
Right-of-Way Width Measurement	Streets Map	Streets Map	Streets Map¹	Streets Map¹	CLDSM¹	CLDSM^1,2	Measured to the setback location per Streets Map classification and Table 33-6

² Or as reflected on a recorded public access easement for private local streets.

B. Table 33-2: Local Street Matrix describes the type of local street required within each Place Type.

Table 33-2: Local Street Matrix
Local Street Types	Place Type
Local Street Types	Neighborhood 1	Neighborhood 2	Neighborhood Center	Community Activity Center	Regional Activity Center	Commercial	Campus	Innovation Mixed-Use	Manufacturing and Logistics	Parks and Preserves
Residential Medium	Allowed for N1-A, N1-B, N1-C, and N1-D Zoning Districts	Allowed for Condition 1
Residential Wide	Required unless zoned N1-A, N1-B, N1-C, or N1-D Zoning District	Required unless Condition 1	Allowed for Condition 3	Allowed for Condition 3	Allowed for Condition 3			Allowed for Condition 3
Office/ Commercial Narrow						Allowed for Condition 2	Allowed for Condition 2 for OFC or OG Zoning District			Allowed for Condition 2
Office/ Commercial Wide			Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 3	Required unless Condition 2	Required unless Condition 2 and zoned OFC or OG Zoning District	Required unless Condition 3		Required unless Condition 2
Industrial									Required
CONDITIONS Condition 1 – The developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with the Charlotte Department of Transportation (CDOT), that alternative provisions can be made to ensure adequate on-site parking. Condition 2 – The developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, that the anticipated long-term development will not create parking demand on the street. Condition 3 – Allowed for a residential development that abuts N1 or N2 zoning districts along an existing local street, if the developer can reasonably demonstrate to the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, that the change will not affect the function of the street or the adjacent street network for parking, loading, maneuvering, and/or access. NOTE: While a common design for parking and streetscape on both sides of a local street is preferred, there may be instances where opposite sides of a local street contain different Place Types. In such instances, the Planning Department, in consultation with CDOT, may approve the design of each side of the local street separately regarding the parking and streetscape so long as the resulting corridor operates in a functional and cohesive manner. New partial streets shall be constructed to the standards of the required local street cross-section per this table, not including streetscape on the incomplete portion of the partial street.

C. Table 33-3: Streetscape Reference provides a reference for the required sidewalk/shared-use path and amenity zone or planting strip for each street classification.

Table 33-3: Streetscape Reference
	Street Classification
	Limited Access	Arterials			Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
	Limited Access	Parkway	Avenue/Blvd	Main Street	Collector	Local	Uptown Streets
Sidewalk/ Shared-Use Path Dimension	N/A; Unless indicated on Streets Map¹	Streets Map¹	Streets Map	Streets Map	See Table 33-4, unless a Shared-Use Path shown on Streets Map	See Table 33-4, unless a Shared-Use Path shown on Streets Map	See Table 33-6
Required Amenity Zone or Required Planting Strip²	Planting Strip³	Planting Strip³	Streets Map⁴	Streets Map	See Table 33-5	See Table 33-5	Amenity Zone
Required Amenity Zone or Required Planting Strip Dimension	8 feet⁵						See Table 33-6⁵

³Locationof trees may be required to be outside the clear zone for North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) facilities.

⁴If the Charlotte Streets Map requires an amenity zone, a planting strip is permitted instead of an amenity zone for the TOD-TR Zoning District.

Table 33-4: Sidewalk Dimensions – Collector and Local Streets
Place Type	Sidewalk - 6 feet	Sidewalk - 8 feet
Neighborhood 1	Collector & Local
Neighborhood 2		Collector & Local
Neighborhood Center		Collector & Local
Community Activity Center		Collector & Local
Regional Activity Center		Collector & Local
Commercial	Collector & Local
Campus	Collector & Local, if zoned the OFC, OG, or IC-1 Zoning Districts	Collector & Local for all other zoning districts
Innovation Mixed-Use		Collector & Local
Manufacturing and Logistics	Collector & Local
Parks and Preserves	Collector & Local, for all zoning districts not listed to the right	Collector & Local, if zoned a Neighborhood Center Zoning District, Community Activity Center Zoning District, Regional Activity Center Zoning District, Innovation Mixed-Use Zoning District, or IC-2 or RC Zoning Districts

E. Table 33-5: Amenity Zone or Planting Strip – Collector and Local Streets indicates when amenity zones or planting strips are required and allowed based on Place Type.

Table 33-5: Amenity Zone or Planting Strip – Collector and Local Streets
Place Type	Amenity Zone	Planting Strip³
Neighborhood 1	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Neighborhood 2 if zoned N2-A, N2-B¹ Zoning Districts	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Neighborhood 2 if zoned N2-C Zoning District	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Neighborhood Center	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Community Activity Center²	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Regional Activity Center²	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Commercial	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Campus if zoned IC-1, OFC, OG¹ZoningDistricts	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Campus if zoned IC-2 or RC Zoning District	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Innovation Mixed-Use	Required when abutting on-street parking	Allowed when not abutting on-street parking
Manufacturing and Logistics¹	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required
Parks and preserves¹	Allowed instead of a planting strip	Required

²Planting strips are permitted instead of an amenity zone in the TOD-TR Zoning District.

³ Planting strips are permitted for any zoning district located within the Water Supply Watershed Protection Areas per Article 23.

33.4 UPTOWN STREETSCAPE DESIGN

Table 33-6: Uptown Streetscape Design Elements
	Uptown Street Classifications
	Uptown Signature Street	Linear Park	Uptown Primary	Uptown Secondary	Tryon Street¹
Sidewalk/ Shared-Use Path Dimension	12’	12’	10’	8’	12’
Required Amenity Zone Dimension	9.5’	9.5’	8’	8’	9.5’
Amenity Zone Elements	Tree Grates²	Planter no more than 16’ in width	Tree Grates²	Tree Grates	Tree Grates²
Pavers	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	CLDSM³	Tryon Street Mall Streetscape Guidelines
Pedestrian Lighting⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required-Open Deluxe Acorn with 60’-80’ spacing⁴	Required to match existing
Curb and Gutter	Granite Curb	Granite Curb	Standard per CLDSM	Standard per CLDSM	Required to match existing

²Utilities are required in Tree Grates.

³Concrete paver blocks in herringbone are permitted under encroachment agreement from applicable agency.

33.5 OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS

A. Transit Trail

1. The minimum width of a transit trail, and any required planting strip or other elements, are based on the applicable Council-adopted transit trail plan.

2. No tree planting associated with the construction of a transit trail is required unless indicated by a Council-adopted transit trail plan.

C. Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection

a. No buildings or structures shall be in the five foot area abutting each side of the path.

b. No fixed obstacles to pedestrian or bicycle traffic shall be within two feet of the path’s edge.

a. No buildings or structures shall be in the four foot area abutting each side of the path.

b. No fixed obstacles to pedestrian or bicycle traffic shall be within two feet of the path’s edge.

CONNECTIONS TO OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS OR PARKS

PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CONNECTION

33.6 CROSS-ACCESS

A cross-access connection shall have a minimum 20 foot wide two-way paved connection.

Article 33. Standards for Streets, Off-Street Public Paths, & Cross-Access

33.1 TECHNICAL STANDARDS

33.2 CHARLOTTE STREETS MAP

33.3 STREET DESIGN

33.4 UPTOWN STREETSCAPE DESIGN

33.5 OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS

33.6 CROSS-ACCESS

On this page

33.1 TECHNICAL STANDARDS

33.2 CHARLOTTE STREETS MAP

33.3 STREET DESIGN

33.4 UPTOWN STREETSCAPE DESIGN

33.5 OFF-STREET PUBLIC PATHS

33.6 CROSS-ACCESS