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Upcoming webinar: Assessing the Return on Investment in Complete Streets — Join the National Complete Streets Coalition tomorrow, March 23, 2017 from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT for our webinar “Creating Value: Assessing the Return on Investment in Complete Streets.” Co-host Stantec will join the Coalition to explain how to plan and design Complete Streets projects to make them more competitive for grants. Participants will learn how to use basic return on investment analysis to measure the benefits of Complete Streets. Missed our last webinar on Public Health in Complete Streets? View the recording here.
Steering Committee Spotlight: AARP St. Louis —The National Complete Streets Coalition was in St. Louis, MO last month for the New Partners for Smart Growth conference. While we were there we had a chance to collaborate with AARP St. Louis, the local chapter of our Steering Committee member AARP. AARP St. Louis is working to improve walkability, increase transportation options, and encourage healthy, active living, especially for people aged 50 and older, and we wanted to take a moment to highlight some of the great work they’re doing in St. Louis. Read the full interview here.
Send us your Complete Streets policies — Has your community passed a new Complete Streets policy? The National Complete Streets Coalition is collecting city, county, regional, and state policies for documentation in our Policy Atlas and Inventory and our Best Complete Streets Policies reports. For inclusion in these resources, please send a PDF copy of your policy to Mary Eveleigh.
A broadside against communities — This month President Trump released his blueprint for the next federal budget. The proposal would cut billions of dollars from domestic programs, including key programs that support economic growth in American communities. Without these federal programs communities will see rising demands on their services and fewer opportunities to grow their economies—and we are here to fight it. Tell Congress to reject this disinvestment in communities by sending a message to your representatives.
Upcoming Webinar: Artist and Civic/Transportation Collaboration — Join Transportation for America tomorrow, March 23, 2017 from 2:30-3:30 PM EDT for “Training Programs for Artist and Civic/Transportation Collaboration,” the third webinar in a series exploring the role of arts and culture in transportation planning and community development. Presenters from Metro Nashville Arts Commission and the Center for Performance and Civic Practice will discuss training programs that prepare artists to work directly with civic, municipal, and transportation professionals.
Complete Streets Case Study: Myrtle Beach, SC — Coalition Steering Committee member Voices for Healthy Kids has released a new case study that takes a deep dive into the process of passing a Complete Streets policy in a popular tourist town in South Carolina. “Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Reaches the Complete Streets Finish Line” provides an overview of how Myrtle Beach worked to build momentum towards Complete Streets and how their policy has been implemented.
Consensus Recommendations for Pedestrian Injury Surveillance — The Safe States Alliance has released a new report that establishes broader definitions for who counts as a pedestrian and how to improve injury surveillance. The report is designed to support injury prevention professionals across the fields of public health and transportation by setting standards for monitoring pedestrian injuries and explaining how to better design and evaluate interventions to prevent these injuries.
The Coalition visited Peoria, IL this week for a public presentation on Complete Streets. Peoria adopted the Complete Street program in 2015, said Peoria Mayor Jim Ardis, who opened the meeting. Coalition Director Emiko Atherton continued with an address stating that for business reasons, downtown streets need to benefit motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians as well as senior citizens and the disabled. “If you’re 8 or 80, people want to be able to travel to their destination in a reasonable amount of time safely,” said Atherton, adding that Peoria has the benefit of a rich Downtown history to call upon when reviving its city center.
Billerica, MA Selectmen unanimously approved the town’s Complete Streets Policy this month. The new legislation calls for “developing a connected integrated network that serves all road users” and maintaining a comprehensive inventory of pedestrian and bicycle facility infrastructure that will prioritize projects to reduce or eliminate gaps in the sidewalk and bikeway network. “This is the right direction for the town to go in,” Selectmen Dan Burns said.
A new bill proposed from California Senator Scott Wiener, S.B. 760, would make the safety of all road users, not just drivers, a priority for the state’s department of transportation. “S.B. 760 will push Caltrans to follow through in project implementation and to be a leader in designing safe streets,” said Jeanie Ward-Waller of the California Bicycle Coalition, one of the bill’s sponsors. The bill would make policy changes at Caltrans to ensure that when state highways in urban areas are repaired, rebuilt, or redesigned, the safety of everyone who uses the street is considered, from design to completed project.
St. Petersburg, FL officials want to improve the city’s streets to better accommodate a variety of users, including walkers, bicyclists and motorists. To gain public input, city officials are holding a series of public workshops this week for the Complete Streets Implementation Plan. St. Petersburg adopted a Complete Streets policy in 2015 to encourage streets that are safe and convenient for all users. The policy outlines how the city will create a Complete Streets Implementation Plan.
Baltimore, MD City Councilman Ryan Dorsey has teamed up with Bikemore to craft new Complete Streets legislation. “At the end of the day this is about designing roads in Baltimore for the people who live in Baltimore City, in our communities, and bringing their voices to the table in the process of determining what those roads actually should look like,” said Dorsey. The proposed bill is currently being drafted with a goal to reach the City Council this spring. The law would create a comprehensive manual breaking down clear design guidelines for roads.
Montclair, NJ is one step closer to having a final plan in place for making streets in town safer for all those who use them. Montclair SAFE held a final public open house this month to gain feedback on a draft of the city’s Complete Streets Implementation Plan. Several improvements were put forth including sidewalks, lighting, parklets, crosswalks, and gateways, where signing and/or landscaping could alert drivers to slow down and watch out for pedestrians and cyclists.