Every week, more and more communities are adopting Complete Streets policies. In just the last nine months, 45 communities have done so – just two shy of the record number of policies adopted in all of 2009. The first thing I read when I arrived at work this morning was the unanimous adoption of a Complete Streets ordinance in Saline, Michigan.
Saline’s policy is the third to come across my inbox in the same number of days. Some of the other policies passed this month include:
Kauai County, Hawaii, where the County Council unanimously passed Resolution No. 2010-48 (.pdf) on September 15. Kauai’s resolution is the first to come after 2009’s passage of a statewide Complete Streets law and is a great first step to ensure that law’s intent becomes a reality across the state. The Nutrition and Physical Coalition of Kauai County Built Environment Task Force (better known as Get Fit Kauai) led the charge, working closely with the Mayor and participating in a number of meetings about the policy. Get Fit Kauai was joined by Kauai Path, AARP, Kauai Police Department, Grove Farm Developers, Kauai Economic Development Board, Malama Kauai, and several Kauai residents in bringing about the resolution’s passage.
Newport, Rhode Island, which adopted its own resolution that same evening. Resolution 2010-130 (.pdf) sets forth a policy to encourage the use of Complete Streets concepts in “the planning and redevelopment of transportation-related infrastructure improvements within the City of Newport.” This is the first victory for Complete Streets advocates in Rhode Island, including the state chapters of AARP and the Sierra Club.
Manistique, Michigan, where City Council unanimously adopted a resolution on September 13. Manistique joins eight nine other communities in the state with some form of policy and is the second on the Upper Peninsula to adopt a resolution. The Manistique Strategic Alliance for Health Coalition worked in partnership with the City of Manistique to promote the concept of Complete Streets and its health benefits.
New Haven, Connecticut, whose adoption of a new Complete Streets Design Manual on September 7 marked the latest step in making the city’s streets safer for everyone. First unveiled in July, the manual establishes new guiding principles for street design and a process to involve community members as well as providing engineering guidance and tools. (And, if you’ll allow me to geek out for a moment: this was a really cool birthday “gift” for me!)
In the last month, I’ve also heard about policies in jurisdictions as diverse as Columbus, Mississippi; Brookhaven, New York; Herculaneum, Missouri; and Ross, California. The sheer number of communities realizing the benefits of Complete Streets and adopting policies is inspiring. Reading all these policies is one of the best things about my job.
However, it’s also becoming more difficult to keep tabs on all of them. The National Complete Streets Coalition will depend even more on supporters across the country to share information and copies of new policies – and any others that we don’t have on our Atlas.
So please, share your successes with us!