Complete Streets: The Road to Safer, Healthier, Livable ......Americans want complete streets From Active Transportation for America: the case for Increased federal investment in bicycling

Complete Streets: The

Road to Safer, Healthier,

Livable Communities

Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District

Local Government Commission

WALKSacramento

California Department of Transportation

Sacramento Area Council of Governments

Complete Streets: What are

they and why should we care

Paul Zykofsky, AICP, Assoc. AIA


Complete Streets conference

Sacramento, CA

July 10, 2009


! Nonprofit membership organization based inSacramento, CA of local government officials –elected and staff

! Founded in 1979 to work on solar energy

! During 1980s expanded to work onenvironmental issues: pollution prevention,waste management, hazardous waste

! 1991: Started working on land use issues

The AhwahneePrinciples, 1991

! Revitalize existing parts ofour communities through infilldevelopment

! Plan complete and integratedcommunities with mix of uses! Within walking distance of one

another

! Within walking distance oftransit stops

! With a diversity of housing types

! With a center focus

On your marks, get set, go…

U.S. Population Growth andTransportation – 1970-2000

38%

142%

Population Growth Vehicle Miles Traveled

California Population Growth andTransportation – 1970-2000

70%

162%

Population Growth Vehicle Miles Traveled

Urban Population

UrbanizedLand

(millions)

(square miles)

100 200 300 400

15,000 30,000 45,000 60,000

Urban Population

UrbanizedLand

100 200 300 400

15,000 30,000 45,000 60,000

70

13,000

150

60,000

1950

1990

Source: National Geographic

Graphic courtesy Design Community & Environment

U.S. Population Growth, 1950-1990

! Land has been urbanized 2! times faster than theincrease in urban population

(millions)

(square miles)

Atlanta Journal-Constitution, March 10, 2006

Projected Population Growth Rates inthe U.S. (2000-2030)

0% 30% 60% 90% 120%

Illinois

U.S. as a whole

California

Washington

Georgia

North Carolina

Idaho

Utah

Texas

Florida

Arizona

Nevada

Source: U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Census Bureau

23

What is a Complete Street?

A Complete Street is safe, comfortable and convenient fortravel via automobile, foot, bicycle, and transit

24

We know how to build correctly forall users

25

Yet many roads are built like this

Recently completed IL 64 expansion with destinations on bothsides of the road. Can you spot the pedestrian?

26

What is a Complete Streets policy?

A complete streets policyensures that the entireright of way is planned,designed and operatedto provide safe accessfor all users.

What is a Complete Streets policy?

A complete streets policyensures that the entireright of way is planned,designed and operatedto provide safe accessfor all users.

Complete streets policies provide for:! Pedestrians! Bicyclists! Transit! Motorists! Travelers of all

ages andabilities

US Access Board

Why have a complete streets policy?

!! To To changechange

practicepractice,,integrating theintegrating the

needs of allneeds of all

road usersroad users

into into everydayeveryday

transportationtransportation

planningplanning

practicespractices


! To graduallycreate a completenetwork of roadsthat serve allusers

32


! To shifttransportationinvestmentsso they createbetter streetsnow

33


! To savemoney:In the longrun, retrofitprojectsalwayscost morethangetting itright thefirst time

Who wants Complete Streets?

! What percentage of theU.S. population doesn’tdrive?

! About one-third:

! 21% of Americans over 65

! Children under 16

! Low income Americanscan’t afford to drive

! Transit is growing fasterthan population or driving

Americans want complete streets

From Active Transportation for America: the case for Increased federal investment in bicycling and walking. RTC 2008.

National transportation poll commissioned by Transportation for America, fielded by Harris Interactive from December 1–19, 2007.

35

Roads 37%

Public Transportation 41%

Bike/walk 27%

Roads 79%

Public Transportation 20%

Bike/walk 1%

New National Poll

! 47% of older Americans say it is unsafe to

cross a major street near their home

! 54% of older Americans living in

inhospitable neighborhoods say they’d walk

and ride more often if things improved

! 56% express strong support for adoption of

complete streets policies

Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America,AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI), 2009

Benefits: Older Americans

! 21% of Americansover 65 do not drive

! More than 50% of non-drivers stay at homeon a given daybecause they lacktransportation options

Benefits: Health

!! Americans moveAmericans move……without movingwithout moving

!! 60% of adults are at60% of adults are atrisk for diseasesrisk for diseasesassociated withassociated withinactivity:inactivity:

!! ObesityObesity

!! DiabetesDiabetes

!! High blood pressureHigh blood pressure

!! Other chronicOther chronicdiseasesdiseases

Benefits: Physical activity

!! Residents are more likely to walkResidents are more likely to walkin a neighborhood with sidewalksin a neighborhood with sidewalks

!! Cities with more bike lanes haveCities with more bike lanes havehigher levels of bicyclinghigher levels of bicycling

!! 1/3 of regular transit users meet1/3 of regular transit users meetminimum daily physical activityminimum daily physical activityrequirement during theirrequirement during theircommutecommute

40

Benefits: Safety

! Sidewalks reducepedestrian crashrisk by 88%

41

Benefits: Safety

! Intersectionsdesigned forpedestrians canreduce pedestrianrisk by 28%

42

Benefits: People with disabilities

! Improved mobility fordisabled people andreduced need forexpensiveparatransit service

Benefits: Better use of transit funds

A year of paratransitservice for a dailycommuter:$38,500

Making a transit stopaccessible:$7,000-$58,000

Source: Maryland Transit Administration

Benefits: The environment

! Feweremissions

! Less noisepollution

! Less wear andtear on ourroads

! Less need towiden roads

Benefits: Reduced traffic

! Trips in metroareas:

! 50% — less thanthree miles

! 28% — less thanone mile:

! 65% of tripsunder one mileare now taken byautomobile

46

Benefits: Economic activity

! Well designedmulti-modalstreets increasehome values andhelp revitalizecommercial areas

Benefits: Your wallet

! Transportation is the2nd largest expensefor most Americanhouseholds, andcosts are rising

47

! Complete streets letpeople leave theircars at home

Complete Streets policies changeintersection design

Complete Streets policies changeintersection design

Complete Streets policies changebicycling

Complete Streets policies changebicycling

Complete Streets policies change transit

Complete Streets policies change transit

Complete Streets policies changeaccessibility

Complete Streets policies changeaccessibility

Complete Streets policies and trails

!! Streets provide accessStreets provide accessto trailsto trails

!! Complete streets andComplete streets andtrails can form atrails can form acomprehensive non-comprehensive non-motorized networkmotorized network

!! Complete Streets takeComplete Streets takepressure offpressure offovercrowded trailsovercrowded trails

Complete Streets is NOT:

! A design prescription

! A mandate for immediate retrofit

! A silver bullet; other initiatives must beaddressed:

! Land use

! Environmental concerns

! VMT reduction

(but complete streets will help!)

What does a complete street look like?

There is no magic formulaThere is no magic formula

The many types of Complete Streets

Safe Routes to SchoolSafe Routes to School

60


Shoulder bikeways on rural roadsShoulder bikeways on rural roads


Busy multi-modal thoroughfaresBusy multi-modal thoroughfares


Transit routesTransit routes


Suburban thoroughfaresSuburban thoroughfares


Residential skinny streetsResidential skinny streets


Low traffic streetsLow traffic streets


Historic Main StreetHistoric Main Street

What do the design guides tells us?

The AASHTO “Green Book” states:

“Sidewalks are integral parts of city streets”

Not added to streets Not added to streets —— part of the streetpart of the street

AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsGreen Book: A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets

What do the design guides tells us?

The AASHTO “Green Book” states:

“Shoulders are desirable on <…> urban arterials”

Bicycle Lanes: shoulders reserved for bicycle use

AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation OfficialsGreen Book: A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets

What’s the difference with ContextSensitive Solutions?Bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users are

more than “context”

Illustration: AARP

70

Complete Streets

! Are sensitive to the community

! Serve adjacent land uses

! Serve all who potentially will use the street

Complete Streets Resources

! Fact Sheets

! Monthly policy news

! Policy examples

! New Complete StreetsImplementationWorkshops

! Coming: Best PracticesManual

! Join the Coalition!

www.completestreets.org

Complete Streets Coalition Workshops

! Three types of Interactivesessions:

! Introduction to CompleteStreets

! Policy Development

! Policy Implementation

! Led by two leading policyand engineering experts Administered by Assoc. of Pedestrian &

Pedestrian Professionals

For more information:

www.completestreets.org

Illustration: AARP Bulletin

Documents

Complete Streets: The Road to Safer, Healthier, Livable ......Americans want complete streets From Active Transportation for America: the case for Increased federal investment in bicycling