88-410: An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane , path , or passageway, often reserved for pedestrians , which usually runs between, behind, or within buildings in the older parts of towns and cities. It is also a rear access or service road ( back lane ), or a path, walk, or avenue (French allée ) in a park or garden. A covered alley or passageway, often with shops, may be called an arcade . The origin of
176-631: A median . Some roads and bridges that carry very low volumes of traffic are less than 4.6 metres (15 ft) wide, and are only a single lane wide. Vehicles travelling in opposite directions must slow or stop to pass each other. In rural areas, these are often called country lanes . In urban areas, alleys are often only one lane wide. Urban and suburban one lane roads are often designated for one-way traffic . For much of human history, roads did not need lane markings because most people walked or rode horses at relatively slow speeds. However, when automobiles, trucks, and buses came into widespread use during
264-587: A right of way or ancient footpath . Similar paths also exist in some older North American towns and cities. In some older urban development in North America lanes at the rear of houses, to allow for deliveries and garbage collection, are called alleys. Alleys and ginnels were also the product of the 1875 Public Health Act in the United Kingdom , where usually alleys run along the back of streets of terraced houses , with ginnels connecting them to
352-502: A 12 ft (3.7 m) standard lane width, while narrower lanes are used on lower classification roads. In Europe, laws and road widths vary by country; the minimum widths of lanes are generally between 2.5 to 3.25 m (8.2 to 10.7 ft). The federal Bundesstraße interurban network in Germany defines a minimum of 3.5 m (140 in) for each lane for the smallest two lane roads, with an additional 0.25 m (9.8 in) on
440-468: A covered shopping arcade more than 200 m (660 ft) in length. His idea, conceived in 1836, was finally authorised in February 1845. The partnership Société des Galeries Saint-Hubert , in which the banker Jean-André Demot took an interest, was established by the summer of that year, but nine years were required to disentangle all the property rights, assembled by rights of eminent domain, during
528-473: A group of houses connected by the lane. Shinjuku Golden Gai ( 新宿ゴールデン街 ) is a small area of Shinjuku , Tokyo , Japan , famous both as an area of architectural interest and for its nightlife. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area. Its architectural importance
616-409: A higher-speed road in order to provide safe and frequent access to local homes and businesses. In some areas, the lane adjacent to the curb is reserved for non-moving vehicles. A reversible lane ( contraflow lane ) is a lane where the direction of traffic can be changed to match the peak flow. They are usually used where there are periods of high traffic, especially rush hour where the traffic
704-505: A hutong, and then joining one hutong to another. The word hutong is also used to refer to such neighbourhoods. During China's dynastic period , emperors planned the city of Beijing and arranged the residential areas according to the social classes of the Zhou dynasty (1027–256 BC). The term "hutong" appeared first during the Yuan dynasty , and is a term of Mongolian origin meaning "town". At
792-540: A narrow winding lane which can be called an alley by virtue of its narrowness, and because through-access requires the use of passages and courts between Little Britain, and Long Lane and Aldersgate Street. In an old neighbourhood of the City of London , Exchange Alley or Change Alley is a narrow alleyway connecting shops and coffeehouses . It served as a convenient shortcut from the Royal Exchange on Cornhill to
880-453: A passage, court, place, lane, and less commonly path, arcade , walk, steps , yard, terrace, and close. While both a court and close are usually defined as blind alleys, or cul-de-sacs , several in London are throughways, for example Cavendish Court, a narrow passage leading from Houndsditch into Devonshire Square, and Angel Court, which links King Street and Pall Mall . Bartholomew Close is
968-560: A process that caused one property owner to die of a stroke, and a barber , it was said, to slit his throat as the adjacent house came down. Construction started on 6 May 1846, lasting for thirteen months, and the 213-metre-long (699 ft) passage was inaugurated on 20 June 1847 by King Leopold I and his two sons. In 1845, the Société named the three sections of the new passage the Galerie du Roi / Koningsgalerij ("King's Gallery"),
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#17327731255551056-612: A second or third lower width lane in the same direction for cars 1.75 m (69 in) – those that have been built exclude trucks from these narrower lanes; however lower width lanes are not a recommended design principle for new roads, as it could be dangerous if traffic becomes heavier in future. In the United States, the Interstate Highway standards for the Interstate Highway System use
1144-402: A small bar at street level and either another bar or a tiny flat upstairs, reached by a steep set of stairs. None of the bars are very large; some are so small that they can only fit five or so customers at one time. The buildings are generally ramshackle, and the alleys are dimly lit, giving the area a very scruffy and run-down appearance. However, Golden Gai is not a cheap place to drink, and
1232-460: A smaller side gallery (the Galerie des Princes / Prinsengalerij , meaning "Princes' Gallery"). The main sections (King's and Queen's Gallery) are separated by a peristyle at the point where the Rue des Bouchers / Beenhouwersstraat crosses the gallery complex. At this point, there is a discontinuity in the straight perspective of the galleries. This "bend" was introduced purposefully in order to make
1320-413: A steep grade without slowing other traffic. They are typically used by large trucks or semi-trailer trucks , which go uphill more slowly than they travel on level ground. They are often used on major routes such as motorways and interstate highways . Some high-volume limited-access highways use a local–express lane system. This physically separates express lanes for long-distance travel (closer to
1408-587: A time. It is the narrowest alley in London and runs for 200 yards (180 m), connecting St Martin's Lane with Bedfordbury in Covent Garden. Close by is another very narrow passage, Lazenby Court, which runs from Rose Street to Floral Street down the side of the Lamb and Flag pub; in order to pass people must turn slightly sideways. The Lamb & Flag in Rose Street has a reputation as the oldest pub in
1496-443: Is vicolo . Venice is largely a traffic free city and there is, in addition to the canals, a maze of around 3000 lanes and alleys called calli (which means narrow). Smaller ones are callètte or callesèlle , while larger ones are calli large . Their width varies from just over 50 centimetres (19.7 in) to 5–6 metres (196.9–236.2 in). The narrowest is Calletta Varisco, which just 53 centimetres (20.9 in); Calle Stretta
1584-454: Is 65 centimetres (25.6 in) wide and Calle Ca' Zusto 68 centimetres (26.8 in). The main ones are also called salizada and wider calli , where trade proliferates, are called riga , while blind calli , used only by residents to reach their homes, are ramo . Cities such as Amsterdam and Groningen have numerous gangen or stegen . They often run between the major streets, roughly parallel to each other but not at right angles to
1672-467: Is a lane on a multi-lane highway or motorway closest to the median of the road (the central reservation ) used for passing vehicles in other lanes. (North American usage also calls the higher-speed lane nearest the median the "inside lane" but in the United Kingdom this is the "outside lane".) Countries with right-hand traffic put the passing lane on the left; those with left-hand traffic put
1760-653: Is a popular music festival that began in 2004 in Melbourne's laneways. The lanes and arcades of Perth , Western Australia are together becoming culturally significant to the city. In 2007 modification to Liquor Licensing Regulations in Western Australia opened up the opportunities for small bars. This was followed in August 2008 by the City of Perth formally adopting a laneways enhancement strategy, "Forgotten Spaces – Revitalising Perth's Laneways". In Belgium
1848-487: Is a spacious pedestrian street with Victorian shop-frontages that links Charing Cross Road with St Martin's Lane , and it is sometimes used as a location by film companies. One of the older thoroughfares in Covent Garden , Cecil Court dates back to the end of the 17th century. A tradesman's route at its inception, it later acquired the nickname Flicker Alley because of the concentration of early film companies in
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#17327731255551936-502: Is also maximal at a width of 3.0 to 3.1 metres (9.8 to 10.2 ft), both for motor traffic and for bicycles. Pedestrian volume declines as lanes widen, and intersections with narrower lanes provide the highest capacity for bicycles. As lane width decreases, traffic speed diminishes. Narrow lanes cost less to build and maintain. They lessen the time needed to walk across, and reduce stormwater runoff . Pedestrian volume declines as lanes widen, and intersections with narrower lanes provide
2024-635: Is curved. In fact, most wynds are straight. In many places wynds link streets at different heights and thus are mostly thought of as being ways up or down hills. Lane In road transport , a lane is part of a roadway that is designated to be used by a single line of vehicles to control and guide drivers and reduce traffic conflicts. Most public roads ( highways ) have at least two lanes, one for traffic in each direction, separated by lane markings . On multilane roadways and busier two-lane roads, lanes are designated with road surface markings . Major highways often have two multi-lane roadways separated by
2112-534: Is home to many lanes and arcades. These laneways date mostly from the Victorian era , and are a popular cultural attraction for their cafes, bars and street art. The city's oldest laneways are a result of Melbourne's original urban plan, the 1837 Hoddle Grid , and were designed as access routes to service properties fronting the CBD's major thoroughfares. St Jerome's Laneway Festival , often referred to simply as Laneway,
2200-510: Is in danger. Hẻm/Ngõ alleyways are a Vietnamese vernacular urban planning typology, common in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi . Sydney features a series of laneways in its central business district that have been used to provide off-street vehicular access to city buildings and alternative pedestrian routes through city blocks , in addition to featuring street art , cafes, restaurants, bars and retail outlets. The Rocks has
2288-526: Is nevertheless famous for its medieval history. The Lintgasse was first mentioned in the 12th century as in Lintgazzin , which may be derived from basketmakers who wove fish baskets out of Linden tree barks. These craftsmen were called Lindslizer , meaning Linden splitter . During the Middle Ages , the area was also known as platēa subri or platēa suberis , meaning street of Quercus suber ,
2376-458: Is not the case in many European countries. Lane markings are mostly lines painted on the road by a road marking machine , which can adjust the marking widths according to the lane type. Traffic reports in California often refer to accidents being "in the number X lane." The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) assigns the numbers from left to right. The far left passing lane
2464-518: Is often left untranslated in Chinese addresses, but may also be translated as "lane", and "tang" is a parlor or hallway. It is sometimes called lilong (里弄); the latter name incorporates the -li suffix often used in the name of residential developments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As with the term hutong, the Shanghai longdang can either refers to the lanes that the houses face onto, or
2552-461: Is only 40 centimeters (16 inches) wide. The Shanghai longtang is loosely equivalent to the hutong of Beijing . A longtang (弄堂 lòngtáng , Shanghainese : longdang ) is a laneway in Shanghai and, by extension, a community centred on a laneway or several interconnected laneways. On its own long (traditional Chinese 衖 or 弄, simplified Chinese 弄) is a Chinese term for "alley" or "lane", which
2640-401: Is predominantly in one direction, and on roads that may be geographically constrained, such as over bridges. One or more lanes are removed from the opposing flow and added to the peak flow – this technique is known as tidal flow. Dedicated lanes are traffic lanes set aside for particular types of vehicles: Some jurisdictions generally prohibit trucks from faster lanes on motorways, or from
2728-426: Is that it provides a view into the relatively recent past of Tokyo, when large parts of the city resembled present-day Golden Gai, particularly in terms of the extremely narrow lanes and the tiny two-storey buildings. Nowadays, most of the surrounding area has been redeveloped. Typically, the buildings are just a few feet wide and are built so close to the ones next door that they nearly touch. Most are two-storey, having
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2816-415: Is the generic Scots term for alleyways, although they may be individually named closes, entries, courts and wynds. Originally, a close was private property, hence gated and closed to the public. A wynd is typically a narrow lane between houses, an open throughway, usually wide enough for a horse and cart. The word derives from Old Norse venda , implying a turning off a main street, without implying that it
2904-484: Is the number 1 lane. The number of the slow lane (closest to freeway onramps/offramps) depends on the total number of lanes, and could be anywhere from 2 to 8. However in the UK, "lane 1" is the "slow lane" (left-hand lane). Lane capacity varies widely due to conditions such as neighboring lanes, lane width, elements next to the road, number of driveways, presence of parking, speed limits, number of heavy vehicles and so on –
2992-584: The Galerie de la Reine / Koninginnegalerij ("Queen's Gallery") and the Galerie des Princes / Prinsengalerij ("Princes' Gallery"). The ensemble, called the Passage Saint-Hubert ("Saint-Hubert Passage") has borne its present name since 1965. Under its motto Omnibus omnia ("Everything for everybody"), displayed in the fronton of its palace-like façade, the Saint-Hubert Galleries were an immediate success and became
3080-848: The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan and the Passage in Saint Petersburg . Like them, they have twin regular façades with distant origins in Vasari 's long narrow street-like courtyard of the Uffizi in Florence , with glazed arched shopfronts separated by pilasters and two upper floors, all in an Italianate Cinquecento style, under an arched glass-paned roof with a delicate cast-iron framework. The complex
3168-588: The King's Gallery (French: Galerie du Roi ; Dutch: Koningsgalerij ), the Queen's Gallery (French: Galerie de la Reine ; Dutch: Koninginnegalerij ) and the Princes' Gallery (French: Galerie des Princes ; Dutch: Prinsengalerij ). The galleries were designed and built by the architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar between 1846 and 1847, and precede other famous 19th-century European shopping arcades, such as
3256-545: The Rue de la Cigogne/Ooievaarstraat . The old town of Lübeck has over 100 Gänge , particularly leading off the streets Engelswisch, Engelsgrube and Glockengießerstraße, as well as around the cathedral. Some are very low as well as narrow, and others open into more spacious courtyards ( Höfe ). Spreuerhofstraße is the world's narrowest street , found in the city of Reutlingen , Baden-Württemberg , Germany . It ranges from 31 centimetres (12.2 in) at its narrowest to 50 centimetres (19.7 in) at its widest. The lane
3344-451: The fast lane , and the lane closest to the shoulder the slow lane . Some jurisdictions, particularly on limited-access roads, ban passing-lane driving while not overtaking another vehicle; others merely require slower cars to yield to quicker traffic by shifting to slower lanes, or have no limitations. A climbing lane , crawler lane (UK ), or truck lane , is an additional roadway lane that allows heavy or underpowered vehicles to ascend
3432-700: The traboules of Lyon , or when they are a pedestrian passage through railway embankments in Britain. The latter follow the line of rights-of way that existed before the railway was built. The Burlington Arcade (1819) was one of London's earliest covered shopping arcades. It was the successful prototype for larger glazed shopping arcades, beginning with the Saint-Hubert Gallery (1847) in Brussels and The Passage (1848) in St Petersburg ,
3520-568: The Court. The first film-related company arrived in Cecil Court in 1897, a year after the first demonstration of moving pictures in the United Kingdom and a decade before London's first purpose-built cinema opened its doors. Since the 1930s it has been known as the new Booksellers' Row as it is home to nearly twenty antiquarian and second-hand independent bookshops . It was the temporary home of an eight-year-old Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart while he
3608-706: The King's Gallery, the Royal Theatre of the Galleries , was designed by Cluysenaar and opened 7 June 1847. It became one of three royal theatres of Brussels, alongside the Royal Theatre of La Monnaie and the Royal Park Theatre , playing operetta and revues. Its interior was rebuilt in 1950–51 by the architect Paul Bonduelle [ fr ] . Another theatre, the Théâtre du Vaudeville, located in
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3696-594: The Latin trans ambulare , meaning "to cross", and the first of them were possibly built as early as the 4th century. As the Roman Empire disintegrated, the residents of early Lyon— Lugdunum , the capital of Roman Gaul —were forced to move from the Fourvière hill to the banks of the river Saône when their aqueducts began to fail. The traboules grew up alongside their new homes, linking the streets that run parallel to
3784-524: The Post Office on Lombard Street and remains as one of a number of alleys linking the two streets. The coffeehouses of Exchange Alley, especially Jonathan's and Garraway's, became an early venue for the lively trading of shares and commodities . These activities were the progenitor of the modern London Stock Exchange . Lombard Street and Change Alley had been the open-air meeting place of London's mercantile community before Thomas Gresham founded
3872-653: The Royal Exchange in 1565. In 1698, John Castaing began publishing the prices of stocks and commodities in Jonathan's Coffeehouse, providing the first evidence of systematic exchange of securities in London. Change Alley was the site of some noteworthy events in England's financial history, including the South Sea Bubble from 1711 to 1720 and the panic of 1745. In 1761 a club of 150 brokers and jobbers
3960-565: The alley is a mere 90 cm (35 inches) wide, making it the narrowest street in Stockholm. The alley is named after the merchant and burgher Mårten Trotzig (1559–1617), who, born in Wittenberg , emigrated to Stockholm in 1581, and bought properties in the alley in 1597 and 1599, also opening a shop there. According to sources from the late 16th century, he was dealing in first iron and later copper, by 1595 had sworn his burgher oath, and
4048-437: The allowable width of road vehicles to a current maximum of 2.55 m (100.4 in) for most trucks, and 2.6 m (102.4 in) for refrigerator trucks. These widths do not include side mirrors, but only the vehicle body. The minimum extra space had been 0.20 m (7.9 in) and it is currently assumed to be at least 0.25 m (9.8 in) on each side. The international standard allows roads with less traffic to add
4136-399: The area, though records are not clear. The first mention of a pub on the site is 1772. The Lazenby Court was the scene of an attack on the famous poet and playwright John Dryden in 1679 by thugs hired by John Wilmot, 2nd Earl of Rochester , with whom he had a long-standing conflict. In the same neighbourhood Cecil Court has an entirely different character than the two previous alleys, and
4224-688: The assumed maximum vehicle width, with an additional space to allow for lateral motion of the vehicle. In the United States , the maximum truck width had been 8 ft (2.4 m) in the Code of Federal Regulations of 1956, which exactly matched then standard shipping container width. The maximum truck width was increased in 1976 to 102 in (2.59 m) to harmonize with the slightly larger metric 2.6 m (102.4 in) world standard width. The same applies to standards in Europe, which increased
4312-560: The centerline for highways in 1911. Hence, then chairman of the Road Commission, Edward N. Hines , is widely credited as the inventor of lane markings. The introduction of lane markings as a common standard is connected to June McCarroll , a physician in Indio , California. She began experimenting with painting lines on roads in 1917 after being run off a highway by a truck driver. After years of lobbying by McCarroll and her allies,
4400-518: The clientele that it attracts is generally well off. Golden Gai is well known yokocho and meeting place for musicians, artists, directors, writers, academics and actors, including many celebrities. Many of the bars only welcome regular customers, who initially should be introduced by an existing patron, although many others welcome non-regulars, some even making efforts to attract overseas tourists by displaying signs and price lists in English. Golden Gai
4488-820: The cork oak tree. Lintgasse 8 to 14 used to be homes of medieval knights as still can be seen by signs like Zum Huynen , Zum Ritter or Zum Gir . During the 19th-century the Lintgasse was called Stink-Linkgaß , a because of its poor air quality. The traboules of Lyon are passageways that cut through a house or, in some cases, a whole city block, linking one street with another. They are distinct from most other alleys in that they are mainly enclosed within buildings and may include staircases. While they are found in other French cities including Villefranche-sur-Saône , Mâcon , Chambéry , Saint-Étienne , Louhans , Chalon sur Saône and Vienne (Isère) , Lyon has many more; in all there are about 500. The word traboule comes from
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#17327731255554576-531: The cultural heritage category. Nowadays, the King's Gallery is home to the Museum of Letters and Manuscripts, which honours the greatest men and women of art, history, music, the humanities and science. The Royal Galleries consist of two major sections, each more than 100 metres (330 feet) in length (respectively called the Galerie du Roi / Koningsgalerij , meaning "King's Gallery", and the Galerie de la Reine / Koninginnegalerij , meaning "Queen's Gallery"), and
4664-418: The equivalent term is gang (Dutch) or impasse (French). Brussels had over 100 gangen/impasses , built to provide pedestrian access to cheap housing in the middle of blocks of buildings, and often containing a communal water tap. Several lead off Rue Haute/Hoogstraat. Since 1858, many have been demolished as part of slum clearance programmes, but about 70 still exist. Some have been gentrified, for example
4752-578: The express lanes in an express-local system. Some lanes have restrictions based on vehicle weight , for example to prevent overloading certain parts of a bridge . A small number of jurisdictions have truck-only lanes, intended to increase reliability of freight deliveries. Different lanes can also have different height restrictions, depending on the shape of overpasses. The widths of vehicle lanes typically vary from 2.7 to 4.6 m (9 to 15 ft). Lane widths are commonly narrower on low volume roads and wider on higher volume roads. The lane width depends on
4840-546: The favourite meeting and strolling place for Brussels' residents and tourists. Brilliantly lit, they offered the luxury of outdoor cafés in Brussels' inclement climate, in an ambiance of luxury retailers that brought to the city the true feel of a European capital. In the premises of La Chronique daily newspaper, on 1 March 1896, the first public showing of moving pictures took place of the cinematographers Lumière , fresh from their initial triumph in Paris . A theatre inside
4928-578: The first of Europe's grand arcades, to the Galleria Umberto I (1891) in Naples, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan (1867), and the Block Arcade, Melbourne , Australia (1893). Alleyways are an understudied urban form historically shared by most Asian cities. They provide a setting for much everyday urban life and place-based identity, the examination of which can shed new light on
5016-567: The first two decades of the 20th century, head-on collisions became more common. The history of lane markings is connected to early mass automobile construction in Detroit. In 1906, the first Road Commission of Wayne County, Michigan was formed in an effort to make roads safer. (Henry Ford served on the board in the first year.) In 1909, the commission ordered the construction of the first concrete road (Woodard Avenue in Detroit), and conceived
5104-620: The former premises of the Casino des Galeries Saint-Hubert inside the Queen's Gallery, was inaugurated in 1884. Still inside the Queen's Gallery, a cinema, the Cinéma des Galeries, was built in 1939 by Bonduelle. The Royal Galleries were designated a historic monument on 19 November 1986. In 2008, they were submitted for World Heritage inscription and are included in UNESCO 's "Tentative List" in
5192-463: The highest capacity for bicycles. Painted lane markings, which designate a single line of vehicles for movement within traffic, vary widely from country to country. In the United States , Canada , Mexico , Honduras , Puerto Rico , Virgin Islands and Norway , yellow lines separate traffic going in opposite directions and white separates lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction; but that
5280-400: The median) from local lanes which have access to more frequent exits and entrances. Express lanes may have their own shoulders for safety, and sometimes dedicated entrance and exit ramps. (The term "express lane" is also used for HOV and toll lanes, which may or may not be physically separated.) A frontage road is a similar arrangement, were one or more lanes are physically separated from
5368-533: The most prominent and historical laneways in Sydney, which date to the 19th century. Forgotten Songs is a popular attraction situated in Angel Place. Chinatown features a number of lanes and alleyways. In suburban Sydney, several alleyways or laneways exist between residential lots that provide pedestrians a shortcut passage to nearby facilities on adjacent roads. The Melbourne central business district in
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#17327731255555456-471: The old hutongs of Beijing disappeared, replaced by wide boulevards and high rises. Many residents left the lanes where their families lived for generations for apartment buildings with modern amenities. In Xicheng District , for example, nearly 200 hutongs out of the 820 it held in 1949 have disappeared. However, many of Beijing's ancient hutongs still stand, and a number of them have been designated protected areas. Many hutongs, some several hundred years old, in
5544-754: The outer sides and shoulders being at least 1.5 m (59 in) on each side. A modern Autobahn divided highway with two lanes per direction has lanes 3.75 m (12.3 ft) wide with an additional clearance of 0.50 m (20 in) on each side; with three lanes per direction this becomes 3.75 m (12.3 ft) for the rightmost lane and 3.5 m (11 ft) for the other lanes. Urban access roads and roads in low-density areas may have lanes as narrow as 2.50 m (8.2 ft) in width per lane, occasionally with shoulders roughly 1 m (39 in) wide. Depending on speed, road curvature and vehicle properties, heavy goods vehicle (HGV) combinations are prone to "high speed outside offtracking". This means that
5632-400: The passing lane on the right. Motorways typically have passing lanes along their entire length, but other roads might only have passing lanes for certain segments, depending on design specifications typically related to available space, funding, and traffic levels. A 2+1 road alternates the passing lane between directions every few kilometers/miles. The passing lane is commonly referred to as
5720-425: The range can be as low as 1000 passenger cars / hour to as high as 4800 passenger cars / hour but mostly falls between 1500 and 2400 passenger cars / hour. Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries ( French : Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert ; Dutch : Koninklijke Sint-Hubertusgalerijen ) is an ensemble of three glazed shopping arcades in central Brussels , Belgium. It consists of
5808-680: The rearmost axle of the trailer does not follow the lateral path of the truck tractor unit, but may travel significantly—up to 1–3 meters (3–10 ft)—away from the curve center. Hence, narrow lanes on sharp curves have to be designed slightly wider than on straight roads. This effect is much greater on slippery snow-covered roads than on bare asphalt or cement concrete, calling for even larger lane widening. In urban settings both narrow (less than 2.8 m (9.2 ft)) and wide (over 3.1~3.2 m (10.2-10.5 ft)) lanes increase crash risks. Wider lanes (over 3.3~3.4m (10.8-11.2 ft)) are associated with 33% higher impact speeds, as well as higher crash rates. Carrying capacity
5896-509: The river Saône and going down to the river itself. For centuries they were used by people to fetch water from the river and then by craftsmen and traders to transport their goods. By the 18th century they were invaluable to what had become the city's defining industry, textiles, especially silk. Nowadays, traboules are tourist attractions, and many are free and open to the public. Most traboules are on private property, serving as entrances to local apartments. The common Italian word for an alley
5984-572: The same species or cultivar , so as to give uniform appearance along the full length of the avenue. The French term allée is used for avenues planted in parks and landscape gardens, as well as boulevards such as the Grand Allée in Quebec City , Canada, and Karl-Marx-Allee in Berlin . In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or
6072-731: The simplest kind are no more than alleys to which a glass roof was added later. Early examples of a shopping arcades include: Palais Royal in Paris (opened in 1784); Passage de Feydeau in Paris (opened in 1791). Most arcades differ from alleys in that they are architectural structures built with a commercial purpose and are a form of shopping mall . All the same alleys have for long been associated with various types of businesses, especially pubs and coffee houses . Bazaars and Souqs are an early form of arcade found in Asia and North Africa. Some alleys are roofed because they are within buildings, such as
6160-637: The state of California officially adopted a policy of painting lines on its highways in November 1924. A portion of Interstate 10 near Indio has been named the Dr. June McCarroll Memorial Freeway in her honor. The first lane markings in Europe were painted at an accident hotspot in the small town of Sutton Coldfield near Birmingham , England, in 1921. The success of this experiment made its way to other hotspots and led to standardization of white paint lane markings throughout Great Britain. The first use in Germany
6248-761: The street every fifth house. Alleys may be paved, or unpaved, and a blind alley is a cul-de-sac . Modern urban developments may also provide a service road to allow for waste collection, or rear access for fire engines and parking . Because of geography, steps ( stairs ) are the predominant form of alley in hilly cities and towns. This includes Quebec City in Canada and in the United States Pittsburgh (see Steps of Pittsburgh ), Cincinnati (see Steps of Cincinnati ), Minneapolis , Seattle , and San Francisco as well as Hong Kong , Genoa and Rome . Arcades are another kind of covered passageway and
6336-840: The streets, following the old field boundaries and ditches. Gränd is Swedish for an alley and there are numerous gränder , or alleys in Gamla stan , The Old Town, of Stockholm , Sweden . The town dates back to the 13th century, with medieval alleyways, cobbled streets, and historic buildings. North German architecture has had a strong influence in the Old Town's buildings. Some of Stockholm's alleys are very narrow pedestrian footpaths , while others are very narrow, cobbled streets, or lanes open to slow moving traffic. Mårten Trotzigs gränd ("Alley of Mårten Trotzig") runs from Västerlånggatan and Järntorget up to Prästgatan and Tyska Stallplan , and part of it consists of 36 steps. At its narrowest
6424-572: The traditional idea of a global city and contributes to a renewed conception of metropolization as a highly localized process. Hutongs ( simplified Chinese : 胡同 ; traditional Chinese : 衚衕 ; pinyin : hútòng ; Wade–Giles : hu-t'ung ) are a type of narrow streets or alleys, commonly associated with northern Chinese cities, most prominently Beijing . In Beijing, hutongs are alleys formed by lines of siheyuan , traditional courtyard residences. Many neighbourhoods were formed by joining one siheyuan to another to form
6512-510: The turn of the 20th century, the Qing court was disintegrating as China's dynastic era came to an end. The traditional arrangement of hutongs was also affected. Many new hutongs, built haphazardly and with no apparent plan, began to appear on the outskirts of the old city, while the old ones lost their former neat appearance. Following the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, many of
6600-546: The vicinity of the Bell Tower and Drum Tower and Shichahai Lake are preserved amongst recreated contemporary two- and three-storey versions. Hutongs represent an important cultural element of the city of Beijing and the hutongs are residential neighborhoods which still form the heart of Old Beijing. While most Beijing hutongs are straight, Jiudaowan (九道弯, literally "Nine Turns") Hutong turns nineteen times. At its narrowest section, Qianshi Hutong near Qianmen (Front Gate)
6688-478: The west. This site is served by Brussels-Central railway station . The Royal Saint-Hubert Galleries were designed by the young architect Jean-Pierre Cluysenaar , who determined to sweep away a warren of ill-lit alleyways between the Rue du Marché aux Herbes / Grasmarkt and the Rue Montagne aux Herbes Potagères / Warmoesberg and replace a sordid space where the bourgeoisie scarcely ventured into with
6776-404: The word alley is late Middle English , from Old French : alee "walking or passage", from aller "to go", from Latin : ambulare "to walk". The word alley is used in two main ways: In landscaping , an allée or avenue is traditionally a straight route with a line of trees or large shrubs running along each side. In most cases, the trees planted in an avenue will be all of
6864-420: The world and became standard for most roads. Originally, lines were drawn manually with ordinary paint which faded quickly. After World War II, the first machines for line markings were invented. Plastic strips became standard in the 1950s. This gradually led to the placement of plastic lane markings on all major roads. A passing lane (North American English), overtaking lane (English outside North America)
6952-538: Was built in 1727 during the reconstruction efforts after the area was completely destroyed in the massive citywide fire of 1726 and is officially listed in the Land-Registry Office as City Street Number 77. Lintgasse is an alley ( German : Gasse ) in the Old town of Cologne , Germany between the two squares of Alter Markt and Fischmarkt . It is a pedestrian zone and though only some 130 metres long,
7040-521: Was built, as an alley, along the backs of houses on Upper Street, then Islington High Street, in 1767. In Scotland and Northern Ireland the Scots terms close , wynd , pend and vennel are general in most towns and cities. The term close has an unvoiced "s" as in sad . The Scottish author Ian Rankin 's novel Fleshmarket Close was retitled Fleshmarket Alley for the American market. Close
7128-414: Was designated a historic monument in 1986. The galleries are located in the block between the Rue du Marché aux Herbes / Grasmarkt and the Rue de la Montagne / Bergstraat to the south and east, the Rue d'Arenberg / Arenbergstraat and the Rue de l'Ecuyer / Schildknaapsstraat to the north, and the Rue des Dominicains / Predikherenstraat and the Rue des Bouchers / Beenhouwersstraat to
7216-585: Was formed to trade stocks. The club built its own building in nearby Sweeting's Alley in 1773, dubbed the "New Jonathan's", later renamed the Stock Exchange . West of the City there are a number of alleys just north of Trafalgar Square , including Brydges Place which is situated right next to the Coliseum Theatre and just 15 inches wide at its narrowest point, only one person can walk down it at
7304-503: Was in Berlin in 1925, where white paint marked both lanes and road edges. When the standard for the new autobahn network was conceived in the 1930s, it mandated the usage of black paint for the center line for each carriageway. Black is more visible on the bright surface of concrete. By 1939, lane markings had become so popular that they were officially standardized throughout the United States. The concept of lane markings spread throughout
7392-457: Was known for prostitution before 1958, when prostitution became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of the bars can trace their origins back to the 1960s. Apart from drinking alleys (drinking yokocho), shotengai and yokocho shotengais, there are the ordinary alleyways, the rojis which seem exist in all parts of the Japanese urban landscape. The roji which
7480-437: Was later to become one of the richest merchants in Stockholm. Possibly referred to as Trångsund ("Narrow strait") before Mårten Trotzig gave his name to the alley, it is mentioned in 1544 as Tronge trappe grenden ("Narrow Alley Stairs"). In 1608 it is referred to Trappegrenden ("The Stairs Alley"), but a map dated 1733 calls it Trotz gränd . Closed off in the mid 19th century, not to be reopened until 1945, its present name
7568-729: Was officially sanctioned by the city in 1949. The " List of streets and squares in Gamla stan " provides links to many pages that describe other alleys in the oldest part of Stockholm; e.g. Kolmätargränd (Coal Meter's Alley); Skeppar Karls Gränd (Skipper Karl's Alley); Skeppar Olofs Gränd (Skipper Olof's Alley); and Helga Lekamens Gränd (Alley of the Holy Body). London has numerous historical alleys, especially, but not exclusively, in its centre; this includes The City , Covent Garden , Holborn , Clerkenwell , Westminster and Bloomsbury amongst others. An alley in London can also be called
7656-439: Was once part of people's personal spatial sphere and everyday life has been transformed by diverse and competing interests. Marginalised through the emergence of new forms of housing and public spaces, re-appropriated by different fields, and re-invented by the contemporary urban design discourse, the social meaning attached to the roji is being re-interpreted by individuals, subcultures and new social movements. Thus, their existence
7744-559: Was touring Europe in 1764. For almost four months the Mozart family lodged with barber John Couzin. According to some modern authorities, Mozart composed his first symphony while a resident of Cecil Court. North of the centre of London, Camden Passage is a pedestrian passage off Upper Street in the London Borough of Islington , famous because of its many antiques shops, and an antique market on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings. It
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