NYSCHSA Summer 2012 Conference

Otesaga Hotel / Cooperstown, New York

August 27, 2012

EDWARD F. STACHURA

SR. PROJECT MANAGER

• Includes all transportation modes

• Safe, comfortable and convenient travel

• Applies to new construction and reconstruction

• Special and limited exceptions are allowed

• Use of Context Sensitive Design in conjunction with

Complete Streets …. sets a vision

• Use latest design standards with flexibility

• Performance standards

• Design prescription

• Mandate for immediate retrofit

• Silver bullet – other initiatives need to be

addressed such as land use, environmental

concerns, vehicle miles traveled (VMT)

reduction, potential for usage

• 55% of public would rather drive less, walk more • Nearly 1/3 of public don’t drive 21% are over 65 children under 16 many low income don’t have access to motor

vehicles • 47% of the older say it is unsafe to cross a major street near

home • 54% say they would walk and bike more often if the built

environment improved • 66% want more transportation options • 73% currently feel they have no choice but to drive more • 57% would like to spend less time in car

Future of Transportation National Survey (2010)

• Pedestrians are at risk –

In NY state, 23% traffic deaths vs. 12% nationwide

5 largest upstate counties, pedestrian killed every 10 days

NYC, every 2.5 days ; Long Island every week

More than 40% of pedestrian deaths (2007 & 2008) where no

crosswalks were available – 10% where available

Disproportionate are seniors / 19% fatalities, 11% injury

• Impact on aging population – 2.04 per 100,000 population

• Children / 19% between ages 5>9; 7% age 15 and younger;

23% of all pedestrians injured

• Disabled

• Extensive infrastructure focused toward motor vehicles

• Unsafe for traveling by foot or bicycle

• Promote economic development in business districts

• Improve environmental quality / air, noise

• Unsafe for pedestrians and bicyclists

Represent 12% of all trips

Suffer 13% of fatalities

Receive 1% of federal funding

• Bike lanes are available for about 5% of bicycle trips

• Of all trips

50% are under 3 miles

28% are 1 mile or less

72% of trips 1mile or less are driven

25% of walking trips take place on roads w/o

shoulders or sidewalks

• Title 23 / Transportation (23CFR)

No specific provisions in current regulations

Complete Streets Act of 2011 – H.R. 1780/S. 1056

67% of all pedestrian fatalities on roads eligible for

federal aid

• Nationally – over 200 jurisdictions have policy

• New York State

-Senate Bill S05411 - Assembly A8366 / passed unanimously

-Governor Cuomo signed August 15, 2011

-Effective 180 days later – February 11, 2012

-Projects are “grandfathered” prior to effective date

-Amendment to NYS Highway Law, Section 331

In 2010, New York State

1,200 total traffic fatalities

19,392,283 (thousands) Resident Population

303 were pedestrian fatalities

25.3% of total ( U.S. total = 13%)

1.56 pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 population

1.38 U.S. per 100,000 population

Ref: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Rural = 27% Urban = 73%

Intersection = 21%

Non-Intersection = 79%

Clear/Cloudy = 88% Rain = 9% Snow = 1% Fog = 1%

Daytime = 32%

Nighttime = 68% (8pm > 11:59pm)

Nearly one-half (48%) on Friday, Saturday, Sunday 16% 17% 15%

• State, county, local transportation projects with federal

and state funding

• Construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation projects

• Not on resurfacing, maintenance, pavement recycling,

interstate highways

• Not where cost is disproportionate … land use context;

population density; current and projected traffic

volumes / more than 20% of project costs

• Not where demonstrated lack of need determined by

land use, existing and future traffic, lack of

community support, or use of design features would

have an adverse impact, or be contrary to, public safety

• No expenditure in excess of project funding

• Institutionalize design features into planning, project

scoping, design implementation

• Document analysis ; publicly available

• For everyone – pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists,

transit riders of all ages and abilities

• Easy to cross streets

• Design and operate the entire right-of-way to

enable safe access for all users, regardless of

age, ability, or mode of transportation

• No single prescription / each is unique to community’s

vision

• May include:

-Sidewalks and curb ramps

-Bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders)

-Special bus lanes

-Comfortable, safe, accessible bus stops

-Frequent, safe crossing opportunities

-Median Islands

-Accessible pedestrian signals

-Curb extensions; bulb outs

-Narrower travel lanes

-Roundabouts

-Intersection control – turn lanes, signals

• Complete Streets Improve Safety

For example - use of medians enable pedestrians to cross

busy roads in 2 stages, reduce left-turning conflicts

• Complete Streets Encourage Health

For example – bicycling and walking help prevent obesity (Ref:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

• Complete Streets Lower Transportation Costs

On average, U.S. residents spend 18-cents of every dollar for

transportation, with the poorest 20% spending 36-cents.

Taking public transportation saves an estimated $9,581/year

• Complete Streets Foster Strong Communities

Social interaction

CHILDREN

• Incomplete streets: a barrier for children

• Leading cause of unintentional, injury related

death, ages 5 >14

• More than 1/3 of nation’s children are overweight

or obese

• Limited physical activity

• Complete Streets: provide dedicated space for

bicycling and walking and give children safety,

mobility to be physically active and independent

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

• Incomplete streets impede livability, are unsafe,

inaccessible for wheelchair users

• 20% of public have a disability that limits their

daily activities – short-term / long-term

• Complete Streets remove barriers, reduce isolation

and dependence

• Complete Streets feature curb cuts, high visibility

crosswalks, and other designs for the disabled

HEALTH

• Incomplete streets restrict physical activity

• Walking is the 2nd most common form of travel,

10.9% of all trips

• Complete Streets make active living easy

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Obesity Walk, Bike, Transit

Obesity is lower in places where people use bicycles, public transportation, and their

feet.

Pucher, “Walking and Cycling: Path to Improved Public Health,” Fit City Conference, NYC, June 2009

OLDER ADULTS

• Incomplete streets a problem for older

individuals

-2025: 1 in 5 will be over 65

(Ref: U.S. Census Bureau)

• Complete streets help create livable

communities

• About ½ of all non-drivers over 65 would

like to get out more often

• Independence

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

• Incomplete Streets: a hindrance to riders, good

service

• Connect transit to work, to shops, to schools, to

homes through appropriate design for transit

users

• Create smooth, predictable transit trips by

planning and designing for transit vehicles

• Complete Streets make transit safe, convenient,

and comfortable

CLIMATE CHANGE

• Incomplete streets hamper climate change

• Climate-cooling potential of Complete Streets

• Reduce environmental quality concerns …. air,

noise, energy usage, visual, land use

ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION

• Incomplete streets can restrict economic development

• In areas studied, each 1-point increase in the 100-point

Walk Score scale = an increase of home value of $500 –

$3,000

Ref: Washington, DC: Barracks Row / 8th Street SE

-$8-M public streetscape investment 2003-2004

-$8-M private investment in following 2 years

-32 new business establishments

-$80,000 in annual sales tax revenue

• Complete Streets help create viable communities

GAS PRICES

• Incomplete streets cost families money and

encourage oil consumption

• Complete Streets help create viable communities

SAFETY

• Incomplete streets put people at risk

-Walk, bike, run on roadway

-Transit stops poorly placed in shoulder area

-Lack of adequate shoulder area, or sidewalks

-3,200 lb. vehicle vs. 75-200 lb. pedestrian

• Complete Streets help reduce accidents

• In 2010 -4,280 pedestrians killed …. 1 every 2 hours

• 70,000 injured … 1 every 8 minutes

TRANSPORTATION COSTS

• Incomplete streets lead to higher costs

• Car purchase, operation … insurance,

maintenance, value

• Complete Streets give choices …. control over

expenses, replacing expensive local car travel with

cheaper options --- walking, riding bikes, public

transportation

EASE TRAFFIC WOES

• Incomplete streets breed congestion

• Complete Streets ease congestion

• Complete Streets increase road capacity, level of

service (LOS)

COST OF COMPLETE STREETS

• Help prevent costly delays and retrofits

• Require minimal to zero additional funding

• Save money through better design

• Investment in the community

CHANGE TRAVEL PATTERNS

• Incomplete streets discourage getting out of the

car

• Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a

neighborhood with sidewalks

• Regions with more bike lanes per square mile

have higher levels of bicycle commuting

• Complete Streets increase use of public

transportation, bicycling, and walking

CREATE LIVABLE COMMUNITIES

• Incomplete streets deny citizens safety, choice

• Walkable communities = happier communities

• Residents of walkable communities:

-More likely to be socially engaged and trusting

-Report being in good health and happy more often

• Complete Streets create more choices, shorten

travel times and encourage less carbon intensive

transportation

SUSTAINABLE STREETS

• Many elements of street design,

construction, and operation can achieve

both streets that work for all travelers and

“green” streets that improve environmental

sustainability

-Pavement

-Landscaping

-Climate

POLICY ELEMENTS

• Sets a community vision

• Specifies all users / modes

• Connectivity / network to serve all users

• Specifies and limits exceptions as documented

• All phases of applicable projects … road, utilities

• Flexible design criteria

• Context-sensitive

• Sets performance measures

• Implementation steps

A series of “Before” and “After” situations.

In addition to looking at things differently,

the main question to always ask,

“Can’t we do better than this?”

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Edward Stachura

Senior Project Manager

TVGA Consultants

716.849.8739

estachura@tvga.com

Information Credits:

Complete Streets Organization, Washington, DC

U.S. Department of Transportation, FHWA

New York State Department of Transportation

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Transportation for Amrica