Policies & Legislation

This report highlights the accomplishments of the Active Living by Design (ALbD) community partnerships during the five-year grant period. The information provided in this report was collected and tracked and reported utilizing the Progress Reporting System, a system developed by ALbD to document the progress made by the community partnerships during the grant program.

The Alliance for Biking & Walking's Benchmarking Project is an ongoing effort to collect and analyze data on bicycling and walking in all 50 states and at least the 50 largest cities. This is the second biennial Benchmarking Report.

This Guide to Complete Streets Campaigns is a roadmap to winning a complete streets policy in your jurisdiction. It is also a guide to effective community organizing, as it is our hope that in winning a complete streets policy our Thunderhead member organizations will also gain strength, increase partnerships, and in many ways make their communities better with improved conditions for bicycling and walking.

School districts/COEs can begin developing Safe Routes to School programs by establishing a multidisciplinary team with parent organizations, students, school administrators and staff, local law enforcement, city planners, health officials and other stakeholders. The group can assist with realizing a community vision, developing project proposals and implementing those projects if selected for funding.

The following optional administrative regulation should be revised to reflect district practice. The strategies listed below are organized around the "five E's" (education, encouragement, enforcement, engineering, and evaluation) recommended for inclusion in all local programs by the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration and the National Center for Safe Routes to School's online resource guide, the Safe Routes to School Guide.

The Complete Streets Implementation Action Plan was created from an original and much larger list of suggested action items provided by a large cross section of department staff. The Implementation Action Plan projects are organized into seven categories: 1. Highest Focus Areas; 2. Guidance, Manuals, and Handbooks; 3. Policy and Plans; 4. Funding and Project Selection; 5. Raise Awareness; 6. Training; and 7. Research.

The California Department of Transportation (Department) provides for the needs of travelers of all ages and abilities in all planning, programming, design, construction, operations, and maintenance activities and products on the State highway system. The Department views all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers in California and recognizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit modes as integral elements of the transportation system.

Review of AB1581 — CVC 21450.5

• AB1581 Subcommittee
• Subcommittee Members
• Subcommittee Meetings
• Subcommittee's Recommendation to CTCDC
• CAMUTCD Language for Bicycle/Motorcycle Detection

10 Principles:

1. Mobility Balance,
2. Street Connectivity,
3. Community Character,
4. Forecasting is not Planning,
5. Transit will not Alleviate Congestion,
6. Active Living,
7. Multimodal Streets,
8. Sustainable Mobility,
9. Empowerment,
10. Monitoring & Reporting

This policy and technical document lays out a plan for context-sensitive complete streets in the City of Charlotte to improve the safety and neighborhood livability, promote transportation choices, and meet land use objectives consistent with the City's Urban Street Design Guidelines.

The Better Streets and Complete Streets Policies, passed in 2005 and 2006, call for City departments to work together to improve the functioning and aesthetic of our City's streets to meet social, recreational, transportation, and ecological goals. The Better Streets Plan (BSP), currently in draft form, provides a comprehensive set of street design guidelines to meet these goals. Recommendations of this report for improved project planning, design, and approval are intended to assist the City in implementing the BSP guidelines in a consistent and efficient manner.

A resolution of the city commission providing for a complete streets policy and directing staff to develop performance measures and implementation strategies to enable safe and convenient access to our transportation system for all users of all ages and abilities including pedestrians bicyclists people with disabilities transit riders and motor vehicle drivers.

A resolution introduced for the promotion of safe, convenient and healthy transportation choices for citizens and visitors within the corporate boundaries of the City of Franklin, Venango County, Pennsylvania.

GOAL M 4.2 — Complete Streets. Provide complete streets that balance the diverse needs of diverse users of the public right-of-way.

An ordinance relating to Seattle's Complete Streets policy, stating guiding principles and practices so that trasnportation improvements are planned, designed and constructed to encourage walking, bicycling and transit use while accomodating safe operations for all users.

Designing accessible pedestrian signals, including key features, location, placement, policies

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is providing this Policy Statement to reflect the Department's support for the development of fully integrated active transportation networks. The establishment of well-connected walking and bicycling networks is an important component for livable communities, and their design should be a part of Federal-aid project developments. Walking and bicycling foster safer, more livable, family-friendly communities; promote physical activity and health; and reduce vehicle emissions and fuel use.

Changing Policies To Support Complete Streets, resulting consequences, levels of service (LOS) analysis generates impacts to other modes and the environment, Relationship of Freeway LOS, Speed, and CO2 Emissions Factors, case study in Davis, CA.

• Definition
• Background
• Why Now?
• Design Elements (Width, Block Length, Sidewalks, Bicycle Lanes)
• What Does it All Mean?

Key Statistics And Facts:

1. For the first time in decades, surveys are showing a preference for expanding existing public transportation and building new bikeways and sidewalks over expanding existing highways and building new highways.
2. There are an estimated 35.3 billion walking trips nationwide every year in the U.S.
3. Walking is not just for recreation. Over 50% of all walking trips serve a functional purpose other than exercise and recreation.
4. Nearly a third of Americans do not drive, and the non-driving senior population will grow even larger in the near future with the aging Boomer generation.
5. 55% of Americans say they would rather drive less and walk more.
6. The top pedestrian complaint is simply that there are too few sidewalks.
7. The top bicyclist complaint is simply that there are too few bikeways.
8. While pedestrian and bicycle trips account for roughly 9% of all trips, 13% of all traffic related fatalities involve pedestrians and bicyclists.

With communities across the country now recognizing the importance of "complete streets," what does implementation of a city or county's complete streets policy actually look like? While bike lanes and sidewalks are an important component of making a complete street, the underling design guidelines and policies for roadways and parking are equally influential in creating livable communities.

Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel: A Recommended Approach is a policy statement adopted by the United States Department of Transportation. USDOT hopes that public agencies, professional associations, advocacy groups, and others adopt this approach as a way of committing themselves to integrating bicycling and walking into the transportation mainstream.

A white paper that presents a thorough discussion on Complete Streets.

AB 1581 (Fuller) was signed by the Governor on October 8, 2007, and became law on January 1, 2008.

This Complete Streets Policy is written to empower and direct citizens, elected officials, government agencies, planners, engineers, and architects to use an interdisciplinary approach to incorporate the needs of all users into the design and construction of roadway projects funded through the Anderson/Madison County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MCCOG).

This resolution sets forth MTC's regional policy for accomodation of bicycle and pedestrian facilities during transportation project planning, design, funding and construction. Also included is pedestrian accomodation checklist.

Across the country, a growing number of commumities are using the deceptively simple tool of complete streets policies to change the way they approach transportation. Adopted as state law, local ordinance or even as a city council resolution, these policies set a new vision for transportation investments. Most than 85 states, regions and cities have adopted such policies, including new state laws passed in Calfornia and Illinois and policy resolutions or ordinances in major cities including St. Paul, Miami, Chicago, Seattle, Sacramento and Charlotte.

Complete the streets so everyone can use them safely and conveniently—that's the new cry of advocates, planners and elected officials who are behind a movement to fundamentally alter the way roads are planned, designed and built.

What the Bill Does: The Complete Streets Act of 2008 (S. 2686), introduced by Senators Harkin (IA) and Carper (DE) and Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2008 (H.R. 5951) introduced by Rep. Matsui (CA) ensure that future transportation investments made by state Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning Organizations create appropriate and safe transportation facilities for all those using the road—motorists, transit vehicles and riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed into law on September 30th Assembly Bill 1358, the California Complete Streets Act of 2008 authored by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco). The new law requires cities and counties to include complete streets policies as part of their general plans so that roadways are designed to safely accommodate all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit riders, children, older people, and disabled people, as well as motorists.

Table of Examples of Complete Streets Policies and Guides from across the nation.

Complete Streets policies can end the project-by-project struggle for better facilities

This document supplies a variety of evidence-backed factual conclusions that support a community's decision to enact a complete streets resolution or law. An adopting body should select those findings it views as most significant for its community and add findings related to local conditions or concerns. All policies should include the first finding, which defines complete streets.

Good planning practice requires that communities establish long-range comprehensive plans for future physical development. A comprehensive plan provides a vision of how residents and stakeholders wish to see their community evolve, and acts as a policy guide for decision-making regarding future development. In different states, comprehensive plans are known by a variety of names, including community plans, master plans, and general plans. In some states, these plans are required; in others, they are optional. The plan's effect from a legal perspective also varies widely, and some states require that comprehensive plans address specific topics and undergo regular updates.

Local governments have the power to fight childhood obesity and improve community health by passing complete streets policies that foster streets safe for active travel. At theGood planning practice requires that communities establish long-range comprehensive plans for future physical development. A comprehensive plan provides a vision of how residents and stakeholders wish to see their community evolve, and acts as a policy guide for decision-making regarding future development. In different states, comprehensive plans are known by a variety of names, including community plans, master plans, and general plans. In some states, these plans are required; in others, they are optional. The plan's effect from a legal perspective also varies widely, and some states require that comprehensive plans address specific topics and undergo regular updates. National Policy and Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), we developed this Model Local Ordinance on Complete Streets to assist localities in making streets safe, comfortable, and convenient for everyone. Our models are developed by thoroughly surveying existing law, conducting extensive legal research, and consulting legal and policy experts.

State governments have the power to fight childhood obesity and improve community health by passing complete streets policies that foster streets safe for active travel. At the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), we developed this Model State Statute on Complete Streets to assist states in making streets safe, comfortable, and convenient for everyone.

State and regional governments have the power to fight childhood obesity and improve community health by passing complete streets policies that foster streets safe for active travel. At the National Policy & Legal Analysis Network to Prevent Childhood Obesity (NPLAN), we developed these Model State/Regional Resolutions on Complete Streets to assist states and regional governments in making streets safe, comfortable, and convenient for everyone.

Streets are key public spaces that often make up much of the land in a town or city. But across America, streets are frequently built for cars, with few features like sidewalks to make them safe and pleasant places to walk or bike. Conventional street design promotes traffic congestion, pollution, and collision injuries and discourages physical activity.

This research has been undertaken to explore how sidewalks in New Jersey are constructed, maintained, reconstructed and financed. Sidewalks are a complicated issue due to multiple jurisdictions (local, county, and state), ambiguous responsibility for construction, reconstruction and maintenance, and contested liability. The research methodology included interviews with New Jersey planners and engineers at the state and local levels, a review of state and national guidelines, consultation with national professionals regarding practices outside New Jersey, and a legal analysis of sidewalk-related caselaw.

The Complete Streets Act of 2007 will ensure that the transportation plans of California communities meet the needs of all users of the roadway including pedestrians, bicyclists, users of public transit, motorists, children, the elderly, and the disabled. By encouraging good planning for all modes of travel, the AB 1358 will make our roads safer and more convenient places for Californians who choose to walk, ride a bike, or take transit.

Complete streets are not limited to a few designated corridors. Many communities have launched main street initiatives, adopted bicycle plans, or undertaken special planning processes for nonmotorized travel in specific places. In contrast, complete streets policies strive for diversity on just about every thoroughfare. And the process of creating complete streets is leading planners and engineers across the country to approach street design in fundamentally new ways.

Presentation provides an overview of complete streets, examples of policies and actions in the Sacramento region and national level, simulations of streets and neighborhoods in Sacramento area

The Concept Plan process has provided an opportunity for Carmichael residents, property owners and County departments to participate in creating a design concept for Fair Oaks Boulevard. The Concept Plan illustrates Draft General Plan and Carmichael Community Plan draft policies, addresses the creation of a special planning area (SPA), and compares roadway design options. Specifically, the concept plan illustrates ways in which the community's desires for Fair Oaks Boulevard can be meshed with the roadway project proposed by the County of Sacramento.

An ordinance providing for the continuation of a one-half of one percent retail transactions and use tax by the Sacramento Transportation Authority for local transportation purposes

Snapshot of Complete Streets history and implementation

1. Ditch concurrency
2. Code form
3. Get network
4. Complete streets
5. High Speed Rail: Again? Local?