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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS

Legislation passed in 2010 defines Complete Streets to mean roadways planned,

designed, and constructed to provide appropriate access to all legal users in a manner that

promotes safe and efficient movement of people and goods whether by car, truck, transit,

assistive device, foot, or bicycle.

According to the legislation, Complete Streets policy means a document that providesguidance for the planning, design, and construction of roadways or an interconnectednetwork of transportation facilities being constructed or reconstructed and designated for

a transportation purpose that promotes complete streets and meets all of the following

requirements:

(i) Is sensitive to the local context and recognizes that needs vary according to urban,suburban, and rural settings.

(ii) Considers the functional class of the roadway and project costs and allows for

appropriate exemptions.(iii) Considers the varying mobility needs of all legal users of the roadway, of all ages

and abilities.

Complete Streets is not a mandate as of yet. Recently passed legislation enables local

units of government to include Complete Streets elements in master plans and requires

the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to provide technical assistance, butdoes not require local units of government to adopt a Complete Streets policy.

Resolutions are not law, binding, or enforceable; they express a vision for a community.An ordinance is law, institutionalizes the vision so as to withstand governmental

turnover, and provides the teeth behind the vision (resolution). Ordinances can definespecific strategies and actions that will support Complete Streets, and assignresponsibility for follow-through.

One of MDOTs biggest needs when working with local municipalities is to understandthe communitys vision before a project begins. By having Complete Streets ordinances

on the books and a non-motorized plan in place, better communication can occur.

Additionally, communities can exert a stronger degree of control over what the trunk

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lines through their community look like when they have an ordinance and plan in place.Additionally, Michigans Transportation Enhancement budget prioritizes communities

with Complete Streets policies in place so having a Complete Street ordinance in place

positions a community for potential funding and project coordination opportunities.

A common tagline for Complete Streets is roads for all modes. It is important to

remember that Complete Streets principles should include all modes of travel, including

by vehicle, it does not advocate all modes on all roads. Rather, Complete Streets policiesand principles should prioritize routes for non-motorized traffic. Additionally, some roads

like expressways, dont allow for non-motorized traffic. Many communities use parallel

streets for non-motorized transportation routes to avoid placing bicyclists and pedestrianson or near high volume roadways. It is important to infuse any decision or plan with

public comment and input.

No. Michigans Vehicle Code (Act 300 of 1949, Sec 657) states that Each person ridinga bicycle, electric personal assistive mobility device, or moped or operating a low-speed

vehicle upon a roadway has all of the rights and is subject to all of the duties applicable tothe driver of a vehicle by this chapter, except as to special regulations in this article and

except as to the provisions of this chapter which by their nature do not have application.

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The answer to this question is, it depends. Local municipalities control sidewalks andhave the authority to restrict their use further than the state law. Michigans Vehicle Code

(Act 300 of 1949, Sec 657.660c) states that (1) An individual operating a bicycle upon a

sidewalk or a pedestrian crosswalk shall yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and shall

give an audible signal before overtaking and passing a pedestrian. (2) An individual shallnot operate a bicycle upon a sidewalk or a pedestrian crosswalk if that operation is

prohibited by an official traffic control device. (3) An individual lawfully operating abicycle upon a sidewalk or a pedestrian crosswalk has all of the rights and responsibilities

applicable to a pedestrian using that sidewalk or crosswalk.

There are some significant risks associated with biking on sidewalks, however. Inaddition to collisions with pedestrians, collisions with motorists are still possible. Drivers

have limited visibility of a bicyclist crossing an intersection or a driveway while riding on

a sidewalk and typically dont expect to see bicyclists on a sidewalk.

"Complete Streets does not advocate shifting funding away from vehicular purposes to

non-motorized purposes. At least 1% of Act 51 funds are supposed to be used for non-motorized transportation projects. Complete Streets advocates shifting how we think and

plan for all users in the right-of-way, not just motorized vehicles. It actually costs less to

implement a non-motorized transportation project by incorporating non-motorizedelements into traditional transportation projects as opposed to implementing them

separately. Complete Streets advocates using all of the required Act 51 funding available

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for non-motorized projects for non-motorized purposes. Many communities identifyhigher targets (5-10%) for Act 51 non-motorized funding within their ordinances. It is

important however to consider that a community could spend 10% and still have a poor

system or utilize less than 10% and have a higher-functioning system. Each communityneeds to balance its needs and vision with the resources available.

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a. Roadway funding is complex and beyond the scope of this document. However, userfees such as the gas tax, vehicle registrations, tolls, etc. are only a portion of the funds

used to build and maintain roadways. In 2008, the Federal Highway Administration

estimated revenue from user-based fees as making up less than 52% of the totalfederal revenue generated. The remaining 48% comes from property taxes and

assessments, general fund appropriations (income and sales tax revenue), bond issue

proceeds (paid for with general funds), and other taxes and fees that all citizens

contribute to. When the federal Highway Trust Fund money that is distributed to thestates experiences a shortfall, general funds (from income and other taxes) are used to

make up the difference.b. In Michigan, bike trips represent between 3-15% of the total trips taken depending on

the location. Nationally, 7% of all trips are taken by bike. Compared to the 1% Act 51

requirement, non-motorized transportation use (including bike) is actually higher thanthe 1% funding requirement from Act 51. One could argue that non-motorized

transportation funding should be higher to represent those users.

c. Additionally, many non-motorized users still own and operate vehicles and thereforepay into the transportation system. The Complete Streets philosophy is about creatinga range of transportation choices.

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Before: After:

MDOT has determined that for the purposes of distribution of Act 51 funding, the

number, width, and configuration of lanes are non-issues since the funding distributionformula only considers road miles. This means that the number, configuration, and width

of the lanes do not affect local Act 51 funding.