Partial Street Closure

This partial street closure restricts many turns for motorists while still allowing full movement for bicycles and pedestrians.

A partial street closure uses a semi-diverter to physically close or block one direction of motor vehicle travel into or out of an intersection; it could also involve blocking one direction of a two-way street. Partial street closures at the entrance to a neighborhood or area should consider the traffic flow pattern of the surrounding streets as well. The design of this measure should allow for easy access by bicyclists and all pedestrians.

A partial closure provides better emergency access than a full closure. Since this design also allows motorists to easily violate the prohibitions, police enforcement may be required. If the partial closure only eliminates an entrance to a street, a turnaround is not needed; closing an exit will generally require a turnaround.

Purpose

  • Prevent turns from an arterial street onto a residential street
  • Reduce cut-through traffic
  • Restrict access to a street without creating one-way streets

Considerations

  • Do not adversely affect access by service vehicles.
  • Analyze whether less restrictive measures would work.
  • Analyze whether other local streets will be adversely affected and/or access into or out of the neighborhood would not be adequate.
  • Partial street closures will create out-of-the-way travel for residents and put additional traffic on other streets.
  • Consider impact on school bus routes, emergency access, and trash pickup.
  • This treatment will not solve speeding issues; speeds may increase on the new one-way street.

Estimated cost

A well-designed, landscaped partial street closure at an intersection typically costs approximately $10,000 to $100,000. It can be installed for less if there are no major drainage issues and landscaping is minimal.