Report examines the role of the comprehensive plan in developing an access management program and also regulatory techniques that support access management principles. Appendix includes a sample cross access agreement from the city of Orlando, Florida.

Handout of presentation slides.

This synthesis will be of interest to state and local transportation agency personnel responsible for access management, as well as to traffic and highway design engineers, land use planners, zoning administrators, environmental specialists, and policymakers or legislators. It describes the various methods for improving traffic operations by managing the location, design, and operation of driveways, median openings, and street connections from business and residential land uses in urban areas. This report of the Transportation Research Board discusses state and local regulatory practice and policy related to subdivision regulations, lot split requirements, development review, access requirements, zoning, and other administrative and legal considerations. The specific regulatory techniques cited by local governments that are used to support access management are identified and discussed, including setback requirements, driveway spacing and operating characteristics, and land use techniques such as minimizing commercial strip development and promoting mixed-use zoning. The increasingly important role of comprehensive planning and intergovernmental cooperation in access management are highlighted. The role of remedial measures, including special exceptions and waivers, is discussed.

The Supreme Court decision that property owners may be entitled to compensation for government regulations that deprive them of reasonable use of their property has thrown the land-use field into a state of turmoil. Will municipal land-use ordinances be found excessive? What regulations can be considered a reasonable exercise of police power for public health, safety, and welfare? Will municipalities be liable for compensation to property owners if development is restricted? How can municipalities and developers plan in the wake of this decision?Ordinance provisions cover components of subdivision regulation: general provisions, definitions, administration, procedure, design and improvements, off-tract improvements, and documents to be submitted. The Subdivision and Site Plan Handbook provides a narrative on the background, rationale, and intent of each requirement accompanying the model ordinance; gives an overview of the history of subdivision regulation in the United States; traces the evolution of land-use regulation through various stages; and presents the legal context for present-day regulation.The book has been designed for use by government administrators, developers, planners, attorneys, and others interested in land-use regulation. The model ordinance represents the most current thinking about land use and site control and responds to questions raised by the Supreme Court decision. David Listokin and Carole Walker's analyses are flexible, efficient, responsive to local conditions, and balance regulatory costs and benefits. This is a definitive and invaluable resource!

Originally published: New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Center for Urban Policy Research, c1989. With new introd.