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A. Purpose. The purpose of this section is to ensure safe, accessible, direct and convenient multi-modal circulation by developing an on-street and off-street system of access corridors and public sidewalks throughout the City.

B. On-Site Pedestrian Facilities. For all developments except single-unit detached, manufactured dwellings, accessory dwelling units, townhomes, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, and shared courts, pedestrian access and connectivity must meet the following standards:

1. Pedestrian ways must:

a. Connect all building entrances within the development to one another.

b. Connect all parking areas including accessible parking spaces, transit stops, existing or planned pedestrian facilities in the abutting rights-of-way, storage areas, recreational facilities, common areas (as applicable), and abutting development to the building’s entrances and exits.

c. Extend throughout the development site, and connect to all future phases of development, abutting trails, public parks and open space areas whenever possible as described in subsection (C) of this section, Off-Site Multi-Modal Facilities.

d. Connect or stub to abutting streets and private property, in intervals no greater than the block perimeter standards.

e. Provide pedestrian facilities within developments that are safe, accessible, reasonably direct and convenient connections between primary building entrances and all abutting streets, based on the following:

i. Convenient and Direct. A route that does not deviate unnecessarily from a straight line or a route that does not involve a significant amount of out-of-direction travel for users.

ii. Safe. Bicycling and pedestrian routes that are free from hazards and safely designed by ensuring no hidden corners, sight-obscuring fences, dense vegetation or other unsafe conditions.

iii. Accessible. All pedestrian access routes must comply with all applicable accessibility requirements.

iv. Primary Entrance Connection. A pedestrian access route must be constructed to connect the primary entrance of each building to the abutting streets. For commercial, industrial, mixed-use, public, and institutional building entrances, the primary entrance is the main public entrance to the building. In the case where no public entrance exists, connections must be provided to each employee entrance. For multi-unit dwellings, the primary entrance is the front door (i.e., oriented toward the street). For buildings in which each unit does not have its own exterior entrance, the primary entrance may be a lobby, courtyard or breezeway which serves as a common entrance for more than one dwelling and be accessible.

2. On-Site Pedestrian Facility Development Standards. On-site pedestrian facilities must meet the following standards:

a. On-site pedestrian walkways must have a minimum width of five feet.

b. Pedestrian walkways must be lighted in conformance with BDC 3.5.200, Outdoor Lighting Standards.

c. Switchback paths are required where necessary to meet the City’s adopted accessibility requirements and City of Bend Standards and Specifications. Accessible alternate routes such as ramps and/or lifts must be provided when required.

d. Vehicle/Walkway Separation. Where walkways are parallel and abut a driveway or street, they must be raised six inches and curbed, or separated from the driveway/street by a five-foot minimum landscaped strip. Special designs may be permitted if this five-foot separation cannot be achieved.

e. Housing/Walkway Separation. Pedestrian walkways must be separated a minimum of five feet from all residential living areas on the ground floor, except at building entrances. Separation is measured from the walkway edge to the closest dwelling unit. The separation area must be landscaped in conformance with the provisions of BDC Chapter 3.2, Landscaping, Street Trees, Fences and Walls. No walkway/building separation is required for commercial, industrial, public, or institutional uses.

i. Exemption to the housing/walkway separation standard: when the walkway abuts residential living areas with no windows.

f. Walkway Surface. Walkway surfaces must be concrete and conform to accessibility requirements. Asphalt, brick/masonry pavers, or other durable surface that makes a smooth surface texture, and conforms to accessibility requirements, may be allowed as determined by the City. Multi-use paths and trails (i.e., for bicycles and pedestrians) must be the same materials. (See also BDC 3.4.200, Transportation Improvement Standards.)

g. Additional standards for walkway design can be found in BDC Chapter 3.3, Vehicle Parking, Loading and Bicycle Parking.

3. Exception. The City may determine that a pedestrian facility is impractical due to:

a. Physical or topographic conditions (e.g., highways, railroads, extremely steep slopes, sensitive lands, and similar physical constraints);

b. Buildings or other existing development on adjacent properties that physically prevent a connection now or in the future, considering the potential for redevelopment; and

c. Sites where the provisions of recorded leases, easements, covenants, restrictions, or other agreements recorded as of the effective date of the ordinance codified in this code prohibit the connection.

C. Access Corridor Facilities.

1. Development, including those proposing new streets, must construct and extend access corridors to create continuous routes for pedestrians and bicyclists in compliance with the Transportation System Plan Figure 5-1, Bicycle Low Stress Network, and in conformance with City of Bend Standards and Specifications including the City’s Connector Routes and Crossings Map. The routes depicted in Figure 5-1 and in the City’s Connector Routes and Crossings Map should be considered general in nature. The actual location will be approved by the City through the development review process, and in consultation with the Bend Park and Recreation District where applicable, in order to accommodate site development, minimize grade, accommodate street crossings and other safety issues, and to fit the context of the natural terrain and topographic/geographic constraints.

2. Access corridors must be developed in conjunction with roadway construction or as part of land division. If no land division precedes or accompanies site development, construction of the access corridor must occur with site development.

3. Design Standards for Multi-Use Paths.

a. Multi-use paths must be developed and constructed with surfacing and width in compliance with the City of Bend Standards and Specifications.

i. Exception. When a multi-use path will be owned or maintained by the Bend Park and Recreation District, located outside of the right-of-way, and not provided in lieu of a sidewalk, then the applicant must construct the multi-use path pursuant to the District’s adopted standards unless otherwise agreed to by the District.

b. Multi-use paths developed outside of the right-of-way must be located in an easement and include a minimum of five feet of easement on each side of the path.

c. For Site Plan Review Applications, the easement must be granted to the appropriate agency prior to final occupancy. For Land Division Applications, the easement must be granted to the appropriate agency and shown on the final plat, prior to recording. The appropriate public agency is determined pursuant to the intergovernmental agreement between the Bend Park and Recreation District and the City.

d. Multi-use path easements may be used to meet the open space requirements for a master plan in compliance with BDC Chapter 4.5, Master Plans, or landscaping for a site plan review under BDC Chapter 4.2, Minimum Development Standards Review, Site Plan Review and Design Review.

e. If the applicant states in the written narrative they are electing to use a Type II discretionary track, then the applicant may request that the Review Authority make a determination that a multi-use path can be constructed in place of a required sidewalk. The multi-use path may meander in between intersections. It must be located between four feet and 50 feet from the back of the curb to the edge of the path, and may be located more than 50 feet for up to 50 percent of the length.

4. Connector Multi-Use Paths.

a. Connector multi-use paths are required for pedestrians and bicyclists at or near mid-block where the block length exceeds the maximum length as required by BDC 3.1.200, Lot, Parcel and Block Design.

b. Connector multi-use paths must be a minimum of six feet in width located in an easement with a minimum of two feet of easement on each side of the path.

c. Connector multi-use paths must be dedicated as set forth in subsection (C)(3)(c) of this section.

d. Connector multi-use paths may be required where cul-de-sacs are permitted. See BDC 3.4.200(O), Cul-de-Sacs.

5. In areas, including future urban growth boundary expansion areas, where the Transportation System Plan does not show a preferred bicycle low stress route and there are no routes within one-half mile serving north-south and east-west travel, the development must provide a facility continuing the bicycle low stress network. [Ord. NS-2488, 2023; Ord. NS-2463, 2023; Ord. NS-2423, 2021; Ord. NS-2353, 2019; Ord. NS-2177, 2012; Ord. NS-2016, 2006]