---
title: "Curb"
url: "https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/curb/"
id: "ELM-CRB-01"
description: "The raised edge separating the roadway from the sidewalk or shoulder, marking the physical boundary between space allocated to vehicles and space allocated to pedestrians or the roadway edge condition."
updated: "2026-09-26"
---

# Curb

`ELM-CRB-01`

Recommended Element

Curb

The raised edge separating the roadway from the sidewalk or shoulder, marking the physical boundary between space allocated to vehicles and space allocated to pedestrians or the roadway edge condition.

## Related Media

The items below come from outside the Commonway System, external videos, podcasts, and articles related to this page's topic, not part of the guidebook itself.

Aligned

### [Dutch-style intersection design: bike-friendly](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCzi1Q4xCTA)

BicycleDutch

Shows the protected-intersection design vocabulary, continuous cycle tracks, corner refuge islands, separated signal phasing, that underpins CS's Protected Intersection pattern and the Corridor retrofit paths built around it.

## Why this pattern exists

The curb is the single most foundational physical element separating modes on a street; its height, material, and continuity determine drainage behavior, accessibility, and how legible the vehicle/pedestrian boundary reads to everyone using the street. Nearly every other Element pattern in this family (extensions, ramps, cuts) is a modification or interruption of this base condition, so it needs its own definition first.[1]

## Key considerations

-   Height should be sufficient to discourage casual vehicle encroachment onto the sidewalk while not creating a tripping hazard where pedestrians cross it
-   Material and profile should be durable against snowplow damage in climates where that applies
-   Continuity matters: an interrupted or inconsistent curb line undermines drainage design and the clarity of the mode boundary

## Related patterns

[Curb Extension](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/curb-extension.md) (ELM-CBE-02), [Curb Ramp](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/curb-ramp.md) (ELM-CRP-03), [Curb Cut/Driveway Apron](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/curb-cut-driveway-apron.md) (ELM-CCA-04) (all modifications of this base element); [Crosswalk](https://commonwaysystem.org/patterns/elements/crosswalk.md) (ELM-CRW-08) (a common interruption point)

## References

1.  Precedent-based [Federal Highway Administration, _Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access_, Chapter 4, Section 4.4.11 ("Roadway Design"). Curb height and material guidance by roadway functional class (Table 4-1).](https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/publications/sidewalks/chap4b.cfm)