It’s August, and that means that Members of Congress are on recess and going home to their districts. Members will use the recess to spend time learning more about their constituents’ concerns and priorities. This provides a perfect opportunity to express the need for a federal complete streets policy and ask them to co-sponsor the Complete Streets Act of 2009 (S 587/HR 1443)!
Representatives are already on recess, while Senators will follow on August 9, and both houses will be adjourned until September 12.
You can take advantage of your Member of Congress being back in the district to set up a meeting with them, take them on a tour of a local complete street project, or go to a town hall meeting and ask what they are doing to make your community safer for everyone using the road. We have all the tools you need on our federal resources page, including tips for scheduling a meeting, talking points, and information about legislation that will lead to complete streets.
Several National Complete Streets Coalition partners also have great resources for meeting with your Member of Congress or taking them on a project tour:
We are here to help! Contact Eryn Rosenblum if you have any questions or need help setting up a meeting or event. Make sure your Member of Congress returns to Washington as a champion for complete streets!
Kurt Vaumer, a bridge inspector with the City of Columbus, rides along side Jodi Dzuranin, from Consider Biking, as the two make their way across the new Main Street Bridge on July 30, 2010. (Photo: Ed Matthews, Columbus Dispatch)
Complete Streets means more than single, unconnected streets. It means creating connected networks of roadways that balance the needs of all travelers, regardless of age, ability, or how they choose to travel. It means safely connecting jobs to homes, and parks to schools, aunts and uncles to nieces and nephews, and giving folks options in how they get around, no matter their destination.
And in communities with natural barriers like rivers and lakes, building “complete” bridges is necessary to allow those kinds of connections. A commuter may have great bicycling routes on either side of the bridge, but without safe, easy accommodations across, she’s not getting to work by bike.
The opportunities to make these connections are rare. Bridge projects are expensive and time-intensive to build, and they last a generation. Anticipating the needs of all users in each bridge project now assures years of walking and bicycling across, providing new opportunities for commuting as well as recreation.
Communities across North America have realized the benefits of complete bridges. In Columbus, Ohio, the new Main Street Bridge meets the needs of all users and features an 18-foot wide path for pedestrians and cyclists on the north side of the bridge and a five-foot sidewalk on the south side. Mayor Michael B. Coleman added that the bridge will be “a catalyst for residential and economic development” (pdf) on both sides of the bridge. Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jolene M. Molitoris added that the project “will serve as a magnet for new jobs and economic growth in one of [the] state’s vital urban centers.”
The new bridge in Columbus will soon complement the many successes already apparent in a number of other communities. A shared-use path on Portland, Oregon’s Hawthorne Bridge carries over 7,000 bicyclists every day, accounting for 20% of daily traffic across the bridge. A similar facility on the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge, connecting Charleston and Mount Pleasant in South Carolina, has helped two-thirds of its users be more physically active. And the transformation of an auto-only lane into a bike-only lane on Burrard Bridge in Vancouver, British Columbia has resulted in an additional 200,000 bike trips, with little effect on motorized traffic — negating the need for a $30 million retrofit to better accommodate the demand.
However, years of building bridges solely for motorized traffic still results in the construction of many incomplete bridges. In 2007, a 17-year-old was killed while biking across the only bridge over the Fox River near Cary, Illinois. His parents filed a successful wrongful-death lawsuit, forcing the Illinois Department of Transportation to invest $882,000 retrofitting the bridge with a side path for bicyclists and pedestrians. This was much more than it would have cost to include non-motorized user facilities in the bridge’s initial design.
Though advocates in Cleveland, Ohio have a strong case for including bicycle and pedestrians in the proposed Inner Belt Bridge plans, the Ohio Department of Transportation still views multi-modal accommodations as an obstacle to current plans, rather than an opportunity.
As more towns, regions, and states adopt Complete Streets policies, the less residents will need to press for accommodations of all users on every bridge project. Successful integration of the Complete Streets approach will change the question from “how will added users further complicate traditional bridge design?” to “how can we best balance everyone’s needs to create opportunities and choices in transportation?”
Today’s post comes from Carolyn Szczepanski of the Alliance for Biking and Walking, an organization on our Steering Committee.
In 1996, two dozen bicycle and pedestrian advocacy leaders from across the nation met at the Thunderhead Ranch in Wyoming to share their experiences and strategize ways to build a powerful national movement.
It didn’t fit the standard mold. Inspired and empowered by their collective experiences as on-the-ground advocates, the founding group envisioned a new kind of organization — not one that lobbied Congress for federal funds or fought for bike lanes in specific communities, but one that existed solely to serve and strengthen grassroots leaders.
In its first year, the Alliance had just 12 member organizations, but the idea took off fast. By training, assisting, and funding grassroots advocates, the Alliance supported new organizations and spurred the growth of established groups. In little more than a decade, our ranks have swelled to more than 160 local, state, and provincial advocacy organizations across North America.
Now, nearly fifteen years since that gathering in Wyoming, bicycle and pedestrian advocacy is no longer a fringe issue advanced by a handful of activists scattered across the country. We’ve matured into a professional, engaged movement that speaks with authority and stretches from coast to coast.
Like the Alliance, the concept of Complete Streets was born and raised by grassroots leaders.
A decade ago, local advocates pressed their government officials and city planners for “routine accommodation” of cyclists and pedestrians. While it sounded somewhat clumsy, routine accommodation was a transformative idea. It represented a holistic approach, ensuring all transportation projects were built or redesigned with facilities for users of all ages and abilities. But the term was uninspiring to decision makers. Worse, it was stale jargon to community members. To make meaningful progress, everyone knew we needed a vibrant phrase that captured the spirit of our vision. Positive and pro-active, “complete streets” became the new rallying cry — and caught fire fast.
The Alliance is a proud partner of the National Complete Streets Coalition because we share a common vision — streets that invite active transportation because they are safe, accessible and enjoyable for bicyclists and pedestrians. We rely on the Coalition to highlight best practices, centralize key resources, and lead the charge for complete streets at a federal level. We work closely with the Coalition, because we recognize Complete Streets campaigns are one of the most powerful tools for grassroots advocates to transform their communities and build their organization’s capacity.
A young advocate. Photo: Brent Buice
It may not be a silver bullet, but, simply put, a well-written and enforced Complete Streets policy makes the advocate’s job easier. Instead of fighting for accommodation on each and every road construction or redesign, grassroots leaders have an avenue to shape the vision for their community and partner with their transportation officials to make it a reality.
Complete streets help grassroots advocates build partnerships, too. Health care professionals and environmental activists recognize the role of incomplete streets in fueling climate change and feeding an epidemic of obesity. Groups that advocate for students, seniors, and those with disabilities understand that complete streets liberate and empower citizens of all ages and abilities.
So it’s no surprise that complete streets is often the hottest topic at the Alliance’s Winning Campaigns Trainings. Participants are eager to use the three-day workshop to jumpstart a complete streets campaign in their community. They’re fired up to make their streets safer, rally more members, and build new relationships. And, thanks to the National Complete Streets Coalition, they know they’re part of an exciting, growing movement that spans the globe.
A crossing island in Ypsilanti, MI. Photo: Dan Burden, pedbikeimages.org
In the last month, the National Complete Streets Coalition celebrated policy success in Michigan and Louisiana.
On July 28, the Michigan Senate unanimously approved Complete Streets legislation, which was signed into law by Governor Jennifer Granholm four days later. Under this new law, Public Act 135, the Michigan Department of Transportation is required to develop and adopt a Complete Streets policy as defined by the law within two years. Development of policies for use by municipalities and counties is also required. Importantly, the law establishes a Complete Streets Advisory Council, with representatives from many stakeholder groups, to educate, oversee, and report on implementation of policies in the DOT and across the state.
“Transportation planning is crucial to revitalizing our downtowns and creating the atmosphere to attract businesses, create jobs and keep our young people here in Michigan,” said Representative Jon Switalski, the bill’s sponsor. “This ‘Complete Streets’ legislation reflects the bipartisan effort it takes to build a brighter future for Michigan.”
A companion bill was also signed into law, which will encourage a multi-modal focus in local master plans. The Michigan Complete Streets Coalition worked overtime in the last few months to educate legislators and stakeholders across the state about the bills.
And, in mid-July, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development adopted a Complete Streets policy (.pdf). The new policy aims to “create a comprehensive, integrated, connected transportation network for Louisiana that balances access, mobility, health and safety needs of motorists, transit users, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities, which includes users of wheelchairs and mobility aides.” All projects using state or federal funding will be subject to the policy, with five defined exceptions.
Last year, a legislation-created Complete Streets Work Group, with members from Louisiana AARP, the American Planning Association, the American Society of Landscape Architects, and others, crafted this policy for the DOTD’s consideration. Its adoption is yet another great success for advocates, who also successfully lobbied amendments to state statutes to make streets safer for bicyclists in the last month.
To date, 14 states have passed Complete Streets legislation and a total of 23 have some form of policy, be it departmental policies, resolutions, design guidance, or legislation. Check out all the state policies on our handy chart (.pdf) and the 150+ policies adopted in communities across the country on our interactive atlas.
This is an exciting time for the Complete Streets movement. With tremendous momentum in towns, regions, and states across the country - not to mention incredible opportunities on the federal level - the National Complete Streets Coalition is looking ahead with a three-year push to make Complete Streets a reality nationwide.
To assure lasting change, our next steps are to pass a federal Complete Streets law, ensure successful implementation of state and local policies, provide more technical assistance and resources, and continue to raise the public profile of Complete Streets. Our 2010 Progress Report (.pdf) details these steps.
Our ambitions will be powered by committed, motivated staff, starting with the two new openings we’re looking to fill below.
Strategic Partnership Manager
The National Complete Streets Coalition seeks an experienced candidate to manage our relationships with Coalition partners, advance our federal policy goals, and oversee our new project to help measure the effectiveness of Complete Streets policy implementation. This is a full-time job opportunity features a great deal of responsibility and direct collaboration with a diverse national organizations.
Our ideal candidate will be a self-motivated, detail-oriented person with strong organizational and people skills. Hill or federal advocacy experience is highly desired and will make up about one-quarter of this position’s workload. A demonstrated ability to create and manage coalitions and/or coalition projects is required. The Strategic Partnership Manager will work in Washington, DC under the supervision of the Executive Director. Click here for more details.
Federal Policy Fellow
The National Complete Streets Coalition seeks a motivated Federal Policy Fellow to help advance our federal policy efforts by moving coalition members and partners to action and coordinating the federal policy efforts of the Complete Streets network. This is a tremendous opportunity for a candidate with initiative to take on significant responsibility while learning about transportation reform issues and working directly with a variety of well-known leaders and organizations in the field.
Candidates should be self-motivated, detail-oriented, and have exemplary research and writing skills. Experience with the Microsoft Office suite of programs is required, and experience in Salesforce and Knowlegis is a plus. The Federal Policy Fellow will work in the Washington, DC office of Smart Growth America, the Coalition’s host organization. This is a full-time, six-month fellowship. Click here for more details.
Minneapolis skyline with "complete" bridge over the Mississippi River. Photo: Andrew Ciscel
I’m just back from my first visit to Minnesota since the passage of their landmark Complete Streets law in mid-May. It was gratifying to learn that both the advocacy community and the state Department of Transportation have set a brisk pace on the road to implementation.
The Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition held a celebration after the bill became law, but once the cake was consumed, coalition members set aside their forks for a two-hour meeting on what to do next. Two products are already out: a Complete Streets toolkit for local advocates and another toolkit for local elected officials and city staff. The toolkits provide important information about the state law, and encourage local governments to adopt their own, complementary policies.
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) issued its implementation plan even before the bill became law. Last week, everyone came together for the first external advisory group meeting. The group is mandated by law and includes representatives from the state department of public health, several members of the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition, and representatives of cities that have been leading the way with local policies. Most members agree that MnDOT is starting off with a systematic approach that should result in real change.
Some of those cities have valuable experience to share. Fit City Duluth helped get a policy passed in March to “…increase the usability of all streets for all appropriate modes of travel, for citizens of all income levels, all ages and all abilities in Duluth.” This is one of the few policies nationwide that is explicit in including the needs of low-income citizens, inspired in part by the participation of the Local Initiative Support Corporation (LISC), a National Complete Streets Coalition partner. Fit City Duluth is now working to inject energy into the city’s implementation plans.
Meanwhile, in Rochester, city planner Mitzi Baker reports she is beginning to see the fruits of the state’s first local Complete Streets policy. The city has worked to change its processes and plans and standards. Mitzi has been pleasantly surprised to come across installations of bike lanes and intersection improvements for pedestrians that she didn’t have to watch over – the improvements are beginning to happen as a matter of course.
And we can expect to see much more out of Minnesota.
Randy Neufeld and I were there to present at the State Health Improvement Program conference (SHIP), a state-level program similar to the federal Communities Putting Prevention to Work program. More than 400 people, mostly public health professionals, gathered from across the state to learn more about how to make the healthy choice the default choice when it comes to eating, physical activity, and stopping tobacco use. Many communities are working for policies to make complete streets the default in transportation project planning and construction.
As we learned during our Best Practices research, policies work best when they exist across multiple governmental levels. We are excited to see that start happening in Minnesota.
By planning, designing, and constructing Complete Streets, communities of all sizes - whether rural hamlets, small towns, or booming metropolises - are able to provide the quality access to jobs, health care, shops, and schools their residents deserve, while also achieving greater economic, environmental, and public health benefits.
Yet, I often hear the misconception that Complete Streets are only for urban areas and the people who live there. This assumption leaves out the nearly 49 million Americans who live outside metropolitan areas - 60% of whom live near small towns of populations under 50,000.
These more rural towns and counties have unique challenges and opportunities. They tend to have higher concentrations of older adults and low-income citizens who risk isolation from community and the economy if their mobility is limited to automobiles alone. Like all communities, they must wrestle with growth demand and the potential for increased traffic and congestion. Implementing a Complete Streets policy is therefore key in maintaining their more rural character and heritage, while also enhancing economic competitiveness and providing more transportation and recreation options to residents.
Applied to the community’s context and needs, Complete Streets will look different in rural communities than they do in more urban counterparts. On roads surrounded by agriculture, the street may be “complete” by simply providing wide shoulders to allow safe bicycling and walking and providing connections to regional trail and public transportation networks. Low-speed roads with on-street parking, well-marked crossings, and sidewalks with accessible curb cuts lining one side of the street may best meet the needs of a residential street while balancing the needs of all potential users.
Complete Streets are important in helping town centers and Main Streets thrive, too, by improving street connectivity and allowing everyone, whether on foot, bike, or public transportation, to reach community focal points. Here, the streetscape may be enhanced with additional plantings, historical streetlights, bicycling lanes, and wider sidewalks. This can help facilitate reinvestment and economic development.
Small towns and rural communities recognize these benefits. One of the best Complete Streets policies in the country comes from Decatur, Georgia, a city of about 18,000 outside Atlanta. In just last month, the towns of Sedro-Woolley, Washington, Festus, Missouri, and Golden, Colorado - all with populations under 20,000 - adopted Complete Streets policies.
Most counties, whether in a metropolitan area or not, will have a combination of urban and rural areas. Ulster County, in the far reaches of the New York City metropolitan area, is home to a large state forest preserve as well as communities of varying sizes, like Kingston (pop. 23,000) and Woodstock (pop. 6,200). Its 2009 resolution will create Complete Streets in each of these different contexts.
Of course, it’s also beneficial for counties and small towns to adopt Complete Streets policies to ensure a “complete” network of accessible streets for everyone. Roads are built and maintained by state, county, and local agencies, and private developers often build new roads. Each agency must provide their own piece of the puzzle so that one town’s sidewalk doesn’t end abruptly because someone else didn’t build their piece.
Many smaller communities do not control their Main Streets - the state Department of Transportation does - making policies at the state level even more important. Yesterday’s passage of a Complete Streets law in the Michigan legislature, for example, will mean that the over 2.5 million rural Michiganders will begin to see more transportation options.
Opportunities for safe walking and biking and to take public transportation between town centers reinforce strong, livable rural towns and counties. Keep an eye on our website in the coming months as we continue this conversation.
In another one of Blueprint America’s excellent pieces, correspondent John Larson takes a look at Buford Highway in suburban Atlanta, Georgia where pedestrians risk their lives just to cross the street.
“Sometimes I am scared, but I have to do [it],” says resident Nimia Larcia, who daily crosses Buford on her way to work.
That Buford, one of Georgia’s most dangerous roads, was built without considering the needs of anyone outside a private automobile is typical. “Buford Highway is just a poster child for this issue. There are tons of roadways out there just like this,” reports Michael Orta, of the Atlanta-area non-profit PEDS.
Bus stops along Buford are often poles in the dirt, inches from the roadway. At one stop, folks wait up the hill on some rocks - there is no other place for them to sit. Because there are no sidewalks, people have trampled trails in the dirt and dust. In some places, crosswalks are a mile apart.
Despite the fact that every trip on public transportation will require crossing the street at least once, these bus stops are so far from safe, marked crossings that people must play Frogger, trying finding gaps in 7 lanes of speeding traffic. One in four accidents on Buford are a result of simply trying to get to and from the bus stops.
Like many of America’s streets, especially those in more suburban communities, Buford was designed only for cars. But as our suburbs become home to more and more low-income families and individuals who can’t afford cars, those streets become lethal to people simply walking in their communities. And, as America ages, millions of older adults living in auto-centric communities may be left with few safe mobility options and at risk of isolation.
Though the Georgia Department of Transportation acknowledges Buford as hazardous to pedestrians and has plans to make it better, Larson reports “there are no overnight fixes for pedestrians.”
That is why it is so important for every transportation project, from the very start, to consider the needs of all users - people of all ages and abilities on foot, on bike, in public transportation, and in cars. That is why we need Complete Streets policies.
A lively conversation is underway on how transportation policy affects low income and minority children – and what can be done about it. A coalition of “unusual suspects” met in Washington DC, convened by Coalition partners PolicyLink and Transportation for America, along with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Center to Prevent Childhood Obesity and the Convergence Project.
As speaker after speaker noted the growing prevalence of overweight and obesity among children, especially children of color, and the lack of opportunities for physical activity and healthy eating, Angela Glover-Blackwell of PolicyLink noted, “I worry that we will address this problem in ways that will make us feel good, but will continue to leave people behind.”
The Complete Streets movement has a role to play in ensuring no one is left behind. We work for policies that make sure that transportation planners take into account the needs of everyone using the road – and that includes low income and minority children. But how can we create a sharper focus on these needs?
A discussion at the forum focused in on Complete Streets role in addressing safety concerns – find it at 1 hour, 7 minutes into the video stream.
For these children, the most fundamental need Complete Streets can address is safety. As pointed out in an excellent new report from Coalition Steering Committee member the Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTS NP), children from low-income households have a higher risk of being injured or killed as pedestrians. Their neighborhoods may have suffered from a lack of attention to the pedestrian environment – and a study by a Harvard researcher found that lower-income counties were less likely to use federal transportation dollars on bicycle and pedestrian projects. Complete Streets policies can ensure that transportation planners pay attention to these needs, even in neighborhoods that don’t have the clout to seek special funding for special projects.
When equity advocates talk about safety, they are just as often talking about safety from violence. A new report by the Prevention Institute finds that the threat of violence causes people to be less physically active and leaves them reluctant to walk in their own neighborhoods. One study cited by SRTS NP found that 19% of children fear being attacked on the way to or from school. How can Complete Streets help address this broad social problem? Most obviously, communities implementing Complete Streets policies can involve law enforcement in transportation planning – for example, police may be able to help identify streets that need more lighting.
But the more profound effect of Complete Streets may be in creating a street environment that says to children: “you belong here.” As discussed in the Prevention Institute report, the neglect of public environments conveys the message that no one really cares – and this is certainly the message conveyed to a child (and their parents) by a busy street without sidewalks or crosswalks. As residents avoid such uninviting public spaces, gang members or criminals may take over.
Angela Glover-Blackwell speaks at "Keeping Kids Moving." Photo: Transportation for America
A Complete Streets policy can help a community end the neglect and prioritize the needs of children for a safe travel environment. As the physical environment becomes safer and more inviting, more children and adults will be out walking and bicycling, reclaiming community space. Research shows that safety in numbers applies both to crime and to traffic crashes. A great example of this approach is in Chicago, where the city’s Complete Streets policy is explicit about providing for the most vulnerable citizens, and where the Active Transportation Alliance runs a “Better Blocks” program aimed at working with communities to improve the street environment.
As Glover-Blackwell noted at the forum, installing curb ramps for Americans with disabilities didn’t just help them – it helped everyone with a rolling suitcase or stroller. Solving the problem with a focus on the most vulnerable is a sure way to avoid leaving anyone behind.
You can also join the conversation – the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is inviting suggestions to help them flesh out their six policy recommendations for reversing the childhood obesity epidemic. They’ve created an online forum that will be open over the next two weeks. Be sure to visit the fourth policy priority, “Increase physical activity by improving the built environment in communities.”
Last week, Secretary LaHood announced the recipients of over $290 million in new public transportation funding.
While much attention was lavished on the new streetcars going to Charlotte, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Dallas, and Fort Worth, many of the winning projects will take a comprehensive approach that will center on modifying the street to make travel more convenient for transit vehicles — and for people walking, biking, and waiting for the bus or streetcar.
For example, Charlotte’s new streetcar will be run a street recently reconstructed to better provide for all users.
Several cities are pursing Bus Rapid Transit projects, employing distinct bus lanes and priority signals that will allow quicker, more predictable travel and reduced wait time for passengers.
Often, these efforts are coupled with new shelters and waiting areas for customers and streetscaping to improve the pedestrian environment. In at least one project, in Chicago, bicycle lanes will also be added.
New York City received funding to construct a dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) facility and pedestrian plaza along 34th Street. Photo: NYC DOT
A host of other projects will improve bicycle and pedestrian access to transit and along the roadways, including:
In Broward County, Florida, buses along Broward Boulevard will have priority at traffic signals; upgraded shelters with real-time information on arriving buses will greet passengers; and bicyclists and pedestrians traveling along the boulevard will have better accommodations.
Kansas City, Missouri will upgrade bus stops with new shelters and benches, add sidewalk between the stops, and install ADA-accessible ramps at intersections.
Stamford, Connecticut’s new Urban Transitway will provide a direct connection to the Stamford Transportation Center and feature dedicated bus lanes, carpool lanes, and bicycle lanes and sidewalks.
People in Canton, Ohio, will get upgraded bus shelters with benches and sidewalk improvements, and a bicycle-pedestrian path will be extended to provide more non-motorized access to the regional transportation system.
“This investment by the Obama Administration in our nation’s communities will create jobs, boost economic development and recovery, and further reduce our dependence on oil,” Secretary LaHood said. “Our goals are to provide cleaner, safer, and more efficient ways to get around.”
Like the TIGER program, there was overwhelming demand from across the country: 346 applications totaling over $3 billion in funding requests were received.
Communities are clamoring to provide more transportation options and a better quality of life to their residents through complete streets, whether it be from new bus and streetcar routes or simply building more accessible transit shelters.
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Today’s post comes from Carolyn Szczepanski of the Alliance for Biking and Walking, an organization on our Steering Committee.
This is an exciting time for the Complete Streets movement. With tremendous momentum in towns, regions, and states across the country - not to mention incredible opportunities on the federal level - the National Complete Streets Coalition is looking ahead with a three-year push to make Complete Streets a reality nationwide.
By planning, designing, and constructing Complete Streets, communities of all sizes - whether rural hamlets, small towns, or booming metropolises - are able to provide the quality access to jobs, health care, shops, and schools their residents deserve, while also achieving greater economic, environmental, and public health benefits.
Most counties, whether in a metropolitan area or not, will have a combination of urban and rural areas. Ulster County, in the far reaches of the New York City metropolitan area, is home to a large state forest preserve as well as communities of varying sizes, like Kingston (pop. 23,000) and Woodstock (pop. 6,200). Its 2009 resolution will create Complete Streets in each of these different contexts.
