Corridor Plan

A corridor plan is a document that studies a linear development, natural or man-made, and the adjacent area bounding this feature. A corridor plan is used to develop an integrated vision that coordinates multiple planning disciplines such as transportation, environmental, and/or land use.

The corridor plan is a type of a “specific issue” plan because it is predominately used to assess transportation and land use planning issues. The timeline of completion of this type of plan varies depending on the length of the corridor and the level of development that have already occurred along the corridor. This process could take 9 to 24 months.

When is a corridor plan appropriate?

Examples when this type of plan is useful are:

• Along major arterial streets
• When studying access management
• When studying riverine, riparian, and wildlife habitat areas
• Along abandoned railroad corridors for rails-to-trails applications

Purpose or reasons to use a corridor plan are to:

1. Provide guidance on matters of land use, development and site layout to possible area residents or investors.
2. Provide implementation recommendations for coordination of development with adequate public facility’s goals.
3. Provide information regarding the area’s needs, priorities, and proposed projects.
4. Determine if development proposals and land use changes are in accordance with the community’s long term vision.
5. Provide a shared vision for area’s residents/owners and local government entities.
6. Provide a framework to guide an area’s development efforts and track development trends and progress.

Typical Process

The typical process of a corridor plan and the plan its self could include any of the following:

• Identify the study area boundary
• Identify key stakeholders
• Public meetings
• Inventory survey and data analysis
• Goals, visions, policies, and objectives
• Plan drafts
• Adoption process
• Maps of existing and proposed