Complete Streets for public health

Making it Better Conference

November 16, 2011 Ethan Fawley, Fresh Energy

Small Group Exercise:

Draw a “complete” street

What are “complete” streets? Complete Streets are designed and

operated to be safe and accessible for

pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists,

and drivers—all users, regardless of

age or ability.

What do “complete” streets look like? Vary by local context Typically include

sidewalks and safe crossing points in urban and suburban areas

Typically include bike

lanes or path on busier roads

Include texturized curb

ramps for wheelchair users and visually impaired

Many types of “complete” streets

Example: Franklin Ave in Minneapolis The “incomplete”

12-inch wide Sidewalk

Heading to the “complete”…

New businesses

Why? Access and equity Health Environment High gas prices Personal preferences Quality of life Main Street vitality Tourism

SAFETY

Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks

Cities with more bike lanes per square mile have higher levels of bicycle commuting

Complete Streets are recommended by:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Minnesota State Obesity Plan

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, American Heart Association, Minnesotans for Healthy Kids Coalition, and Minnesota Public Health Association

Benefits: Health

Benefits: Health Obesity is lower in places where people use bicycles, public transportation, and their feet.

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Obesity Walk, Bike, Transit

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

Benefits: Health

States with the highest levels of biking and walking have, on average, the lowest rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2010 Benchmarking Report, Alliance for Biking and Walking

Example: Albert Lea Blue Zones AARP, Dan Buettner, and

the City led project to improve the length and quality of lives

Life expectancy of 786 full participates increased by an average of 2.9 years

Project included “walking moias,” walking school buses, walkability audit, and a new Complete Streets subdivision ordinance

City added first bike lane in 2011

The Potential Nationally:

50% of trips 3 miles or less

28% of trips 1 mile or less

72% of trips of 1 mile or less are driven

Source: Dan Burden

What is a Complete Streets policy?

Directs transportation planners and engineers to consistently design roads will all users in mind

Declares political support for building

“complete” streets

Sets a vision for a Complete Streets process Focused on safety and accessibility of all road

users

Offers implementation steps

Growing national movement 290+ policies in last 11 years

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2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Growing Minnesota movement

Rochester Hennepin County St. Paul Albert Lea Bloomington Duluth Independence Byron Stewartville Big Lake St. Louis Park Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG

Red Wing New Hope North St. Paul Breckenridge Pipestone St. Cloud APO Rochester-Olmsted COG Dilworth Battle Lake Wilkin County Eagan

State policy for Mn/DOT signed May 15, 2010 by then-Governor Pawlenty after strong bi-partisan legislative support

Local resolutions or policies

Getting started on Complete Streets in your community

Most common process in Minnesota 1. Understand the case for Complete

Streets—decide whether to go for a policy or project to start

2. Work group drafts a resolution of support

3. Council/board approves resolution 4. Work group creates a full policy 5. Council/board approves policy 6. Implementation and reporting

Step 1: Understanding the case • Determine some compelling potential

benefits for your community – Connect with comprehensive plan – Safety, health, environment, schools,

economic, etc.

• Connect with a few potential allies across focus areas

• Find local examples—or upcoming local

projects that could be case studies

• Begin to engage engineers

Key Potential Challenges

Concern about costs Opposition from local engineer Misinformation about what Complete Streets means

Partisan politics

Neighborhood opposition to implementation

Source: http://www.planetware.com

Complete Streets and cost Focus is taking advantage of regular

road building as an opportunity; not about an additional program or retrofits

About balancing the available space in the right of way—not expanding

Complete Streets and cost About maximizing the value of public

investment across many goals

None of the cities, counties, or states have needed to raise additional money to pay for Complete Streets and no community has later reversed their policy

Key Policy Strategy Takeaways

Work with the engineers as early and positively as possible

Build a campaign focused on what you need for success Partner with allies from various perspectives

Be willing to compromise, but don’t sell out

Engage media

Key Policy Strategy Takeaways

Messages Key message is safety, especially for seniors and kids

Find tangible, personal good and bad stories

Address cost head on

Pedestrians are a safer message focus than bicyclists

Public doesn’t know what Complete Streets means, so connect to safe roads every time

Messengers Engineers, principals, doctors, moms with kids, seniors, people with disabilities

Cater to who you need to reach

Common Points of Discussion

“We already do this.”

Cost

Lane Widths Emergency vehicle access

Traffic Speeds

Number of lanes

Functional classification

What you need for successful implementation

Strong political support Stamina

Knowledge

Find and cultivate supportive engineers

Project supporters—reach out to

community EARLY!!!!

Some Resources MN Complete Streets Coalition toolkit

American Planning Association Complete Streets best practices manual

National Complete Streets Coalition implementation toolkit coming soon

www.completestreets.org

Complete Streets Exercise 76th Street in Richfield

Basic Info

Mostly residential with some commercial 7,000 ADT with little projected increase Road is straight and flat Neighborhood complaints about speeding Neighbors don’t feel very comfortable walking directly

next to road No area for snow storage on sidewalk side Interest in extending a regional trail on one side Interest in adding street trees Interest in better supporting walking and biking Existing utility lines are an issue Right of way = 60 feet wide Existing street = 44 feet wide

(Very) basic engineering in feet Traffic Lane widths Minnesota State Aid Standards call for at least 11 feet

(working to get down to 10 feet) Turn lanes can sometimes be 10-feet wide High speed or rural roads typically 12 feet

Number of lanes State Aid Standards require four lanes at 15,000 ADT Also driven by Level of Service (intersection delay)

Bike lane widths Guidance calls for 5- or 6-feet wide

Sidewalk widths Typically at least 5-feet wide, minimum of 4 feet

Share-use path widths Typically 10’ minimum, can go to 8’ in right context

Boulevard widths Some communities have standards

76th Street After

After

Before

For More information:

www.mncompletestreets.org

www.completestreets.org www.fresh-energy.org