Aspects of a Complete Streets
Program
A complete street is defined as a street that
works for motorists, for bus riders, for bicyclists, and for
pedestrians, including people with disabilities. The term "complete
streets" was coined in early 2003 by bicycle advocates as
a way to describe-and sell-what had until then been referred
to as "routine accommodation". The philosophy of Complete
Streets believes "bicycling and walking accommodations should
be a routine part of the department's planning, design, construction,
and operating activities."
Most U.S. roadways are not "complete streets." According
to a national survey conducted in 2002 by the federal Bureau
of Transportation Statistics, about one quarter of all walking
trips take place on roads without sidewalks or shoulders, and
bike lanes are available for only about five percent of bicycle
trips. Another BTS poll, the 2003 National Transportation Availability
and Use Survey, found that the top complaint among both able-bodied
and disabled pedestrians and cyclists was that there were too
few usable sidewalks and bikeways-essentially, too many incomplete
streets.
While the Transportation Equity Act of 1998 (TEA-21) included
language, asking states to consider bicycle and pedestrian travel,
it is still not a requirement.
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.
More than two dozen jurisdictions have adopted laws or policies
requiring that all roads be routinely built and reconstructed
to accommodate pedestrians and bicyclists, including disabled
travelers, according to a recent national survey conducted for
the Thunderhead Alliance, a coalition of state and local advocacy
groups.
Most of these policies have been put in place since 2001, when
the U.S. Department of Transportation issued design guidance
in response to the new language in TEA-21. The guidance document,
"Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel," states
that "bicycling and walking facilities will be incorporated
into all transportation projects unless exceptional circumstances
exist."
Exceptions include roads where bicyclists or pedestrians are
prohibited by law; where the costs are excessive (more than 20
percent of project costs); and where there is clearly no need.
The document also calls for paved shoulders on rural roads and
designs that are accessible for disabled people.
While the idea of complete streets is based on consistency-every
time you build or reconstruct a road, make it multimodal-in practice,
every project is unique. In a rural area, a complete street may
be a two-lane road with a paved shoulder. In a congested urban
area, it may feature an extra-wide sidewalk and refuge islands
for pedestrians. It does not necessarily have to include bike
lanes, however, because cyclists can travel safely with the slow
moving automobile traffic. Truly complete streets expand beyond
bicycling and walking to consider disabled users and transit
riders. Every street cross section requires balancing the needs
of many users in a way not considered in typical highway design
manuals.
The complete streets movement represents a convergence of several
existing trends, spearheaded by a variety of groups. Bicycle
advocates have long fought for "routine accommodation"
policies. Innovative cities have adopted multimodal plans to
free residents from automobile dependence. New urbanist builders
have emphasized the need for walkable communities. They have
been joined recently by public health advocates seeking to increase
physical activity and stem the obesity epidemic. Finally, more
and more state and local transportation agencies are recognizing
the need to do things differently.
At last January's annual meeting of the Transportation Research
Board-an event usually dominated by traditional highway engineering
concerns-more than 180 people packed a session called "Complete
the Streets," with highway planners sitting side by side
with disability and bicycle advocates. A series of similar sessions
is planned for next year's meeting.
Complete streets may yet become a way for all road users, and
all road designers, to shape the future of a maturing road network.
Text from: Complete The Streets - by Barbara McCann- Published
in Planning magazine May 2005 - http://www.completestreets.org/g-completestreetsPlanningmag.pdf
|
