06/17/09
COMPLETE STREETS POLICY PROGRESS
City of Brotherly Love Embraces Complete Streets
Connecticut General Assembly Passes Complete Streets Bill
First Policy in Idaho!
Resolution Adopted in Anderson, SC
New York Legislature Introduces Complete Streets Bills
Successful Briefing on Capitol Hill
Federal Policy Update
Quick Takes: Policy Progress
COALITION NEWS
Show Your Support for Safe Routes to School
A Brand-New CompleteStreets.org
Coalition Welcomes Two New Partners
Welcome Dan!
Complete Streets Speaks
COMPLETE STREETS NEWS
Los Angeles Prepares to Complete the Streets
Complete Streets Workshops: Indiana & Kansas
NYC Debuts Street Design Manual
Chicagoland Looks to Complete Streets Principles to Help Residents with Disabilities
Seattle's Innovative New Bus Stops
EPA Joins DOT, HUD in Partnership for Sustainable Communities
American Academy of Pediatrics Links Built Environment with Health
Quick Takes: Complete Streets Talk Around the Country
Dear Editor
Two Older Adults Die on Incomplete Streets
RESOURCES
Emergency Response and Street Design
Accessible Pedestrian Signals: A Guide to Best Practices
Action Strategies for Healthy Communities
PBIC Launches Updated Image Library
Upcoming Conferences: Safe Routes to School, National Environmental Public Health
QUOTES
COMPLETE STREETS POLICY PROGRESS
City of Brotherly Love Embraces Complete Streets
First City-level Policy in Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed a Complete Streets executive order (http://cityofphiladelphia.wordpress.com/2009/06/04/philadelphia-receives-bicycle-friendly-city-award-mayor-nutter-establishes-%E2%80%98complete-streets%E2%80%99-policy/) at a public ceremony on June 4, establishing Philadelphia as the first city in Pennsylvania to adopt a complete streets policy. The Complete Streets policy, soon available to read on the Mayor's site (http://www.phila.gov/executive_orders/execordersnutter1.html), will balance the needs of all users on Philadelphia’s transportation network, be they pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, or motorists. It emphasizes the many benefits of complete streets, from cleaner air to more efficient use of road space, and pays special attention to the safety of its most vulnerable citizens: children, older adults, and those with disabilities. The Philadelphia Inquirer (http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20090613_Editorial__Making_life_easier_for_bikers__walkers.html) commended the Mayor's executive order in an editorial, adding that the next step is ensuring compliance. The National Complete Streets Coalition was represented at the event by Bill Johnston-Walsh, the senior manager for state operations at the AARP Pennsylvania office, and Andy Clarke, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists. Clarke did double-duty, as he also presented Mayor Nutter with the League of American Bicyclists’ Bicycle Friendly Community Award (http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/communities/). The City is the first in Pennsylvania to receive the honor, making yesterday’s event a particularly important landmark in moving toward a more livable Philadelphia.
Connecticut General Assembly Passes Complete Streets Bill
The General Assembly passed an amended version of the S. 735 Complete Streets bill, (http://www.cga.ct.gov/2009/AMD/S/2009SB-00735-R00SA-AMD.htm), with the Senate voting overwhelmingly in favor and the House voting largely along party lines. The bill now awaits Governor M. Jodi Rell’s signature; there is little indication of her position on the bill, though her top-ranking transportation staff have been supportive. Though amendments to the bill weakened its language, many strong components remain, including providing 1% of transportation funding to bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, the creation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board, and required reporting of all bicycle and pedestrian access projects funded by the State Transportation Fund and by federal programs such as the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program (CMAQ). As the Tri-State Transportation Campaign points out (http://blog.tstc.org/2009/06/01/amended-complete-streets-bill-passes-ct-senate-faces-action-in-house-today/), the bill was amended with a unnecessary amendment allowing exclusion of projects where "accommodation of all users is not consistent with the state’s or such municipality’s, respectively, program of construction, maintenance and repair." Be sure to follow our blog (http://www.completestreets.org/news-blog/blog/) in the coming weeks for updates on this legislation.
First Policy in Idaho!
The Coeur d'Alene City Council unanimously adopted a complete streets policy (http://parks.cdaid.org/images/Final%20Complete%20Streets1.pdf) on May 5. The adopted policy addresses streets, bridges, and public transportation stops in the community, with specific policies for rural areas. The City's Pedestrian and Bicycle Committee aimed to have a long-term planning tool to facilitate accessibility for bicyclists and those with disabilities, as well as general multi-modalism. Councilman Goodlander commented that the policy is an opportunity for the city to move into the future, when cars are not the only way to travel.
Resolution Adopted in Anderson, SC
The City of Anderson recently endorsed complete streets through a resolution (www.completestreets.org/newsletter/cs-resolution-andersonsc.pdf) (.pdf), directing city staff to review existing policies and guidelines so that complete streets are integral to their process. The resolution calls for city staff to "plan for, design, construct, and operate all new transportation improvement projects to provide appropriate accommodation for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and persons of all abilities." According to the Independent Mail (http://www.independentmail.com/news/2009/jun/15/budget-approval-honors-presentations-agenda-anders/), Anderson County Interim Administrator Rusty Burns will soon introduce a county-level complete streets resolution.
New York Legislature Introduces Complete Streets Bills
As of June 1st, members of both houses of the New York State Legislature had introduced Complete Streets bills for consideration. Assembly Transportation Committee Chair David Gantt and Senate Transportation Committee Chair Martin Dilan have sponsored complete streets bills in their respective houses (A8587 (http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=A08587) / S5711 (http://assembly.state.ny.us/leg/?bn=S05711) ). The New York Bicycling Coalition and AARP New York were the principal advocates; they were joined by numerous regional and local organizations. In New York State, 40% of all residents don’t possess a driver’s license and over 25% of all households don’t own a motor vehicle, further underscoring the need to accommodate and protect all roadway users. The legislation would require that 'bicycle and pedestrian ways and safe access to existing and planned public transportation' be provided whenever a public road is built or reconstructed. Read more about the legislation and how to help the New York Bicycling Coalition in their press release (www.completestreets.org/newsletter/cs-nybc-pressrelease.doc) (.doc) and on their website (http://www.nybc.net/completestreets/).
Successful Briefing on Capitol Hill
The room was packed on Friday, June 6th for the Capitol Hill briefing, "Complete Streets: Integrating Safety and Livability into the Next Transportation Bill," (http://www.eesi.org/060509_streets) sponsored by Representative Doris Matsui, the Environment and Energy Study Institute, Transportation for America, and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Presentations (http://www.eesi.org/060509_streets) and streaming video (http://files.eesi.org/video/060509_streets.html) of the briefing are available online. Dr. Ileana Arias (http://www.cdc.gov/injury/about/director.html), Director of the Center for Injury Prevention and Control (http://www.cdc.gov/injury/index.html) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noted that every eight minutes a pedestrian is injured in the United States. Lavada DeSalles, a long-time volunteer and former Board member with AARP, noted that older Americans are particularly vulnerable — while persons over 65 years old make up 12% of the population, they comprise 19% of pedestrian fatalities in the U.S. She also presented the results of the AARP report, Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America (http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/transportation/2009_02_streets.html). The final two presenters, Mayor Bill Floyd of Decatur, GA (http://www.billfloyddecatur.com/) and Jon Orcutt (http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/about/orcuttbio.shtml), Policy Director for the New York City Department of Transportation, showed the Congressional staff in attendance what complete streets policies look like on the ground. Both emphasized a federal complete streets policy would help them continue to make streets safe for everyone. Read more about the briefing in the Complete Streets Blog (http://www.completestreets.org/policy/federal/complete-streets-for-safety-and-livability/).
Federal Policy Update
Momentum for completes streets has been growing on Capitol Hill in the past few weeks. Representative Matsui [CA-5], our complete streets champion and sponsor of the Complete Streets Act of 2009, was joined by Representatives Carnahan [MO-3] and Sires [NJ-13], both members of the House T&I Committee, in a letter to committee leadership stating that complete streets is one of their highest transportation priorities for the bill. And as reported in our last newsletter, Representative Tauscher [CA-10] led a letter in support of including complete streets policy requirements for federally funded road projects in the upcoming transportation bill (http://www.completestreets.org/webdocs/federal/cs-2009letter-ticmte.doc) (.doc). Seventeen other members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee signed on to the letter, which was sent to Chairman Oberstar (MN) and DeFazio (OR): Rep. Carnahan [MO-3], Rep. Sires [NJ-13], Rep. Baird [WA-3], Rep. Bishop [NY-1], Rep. Boswell [IA-3], Rep. Capuano [MA-8], Rep. Cohen [TN-9], Rep. Edwards [MD-4], Rep. Filner [CA-51], Rep. Hare [IL-17], Rep. Hirono [HI-2], Rep. Johnson [TX-30], Rep. Lipinski [IL-3], Rep. McMahon [NY-13], Rep. Norton [DC], Rep. Perriello [VA-5], and Rep. Walz [MN-1]. Thanks to everyone that helped build support for the letter!
We are adding co-sponsors to the Complete Streets Act of 2009 (HR 1443/S 584). Since the last newsletter, Representatives Cleaver [MO-5], Holden [PA-17], and Price [NC-4] have signed on. Going forward, we are looking for strong support in the Senate as well. Help us add co-sponsors to the bills in the House and Senate by taking action today (http://action.smartgrowthamerica.org/t/6237/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=81)!
The American Clean Energy and Security Act (HR 2454), the House climate bill that was recently passed out of the Energy and Commerce Committee, encourages complete streets policies as a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector. The National Complete Streets Coalition applauds the leadership of Representative Matsui, Committee Chairman Waxman, and Subcommittee Chairman Markey in addressing emissions from the transportation sector and ensuring that Americans have convenient, low-cost, low-carbon transportation choices. Read the letter of support we sent (http://www.completestreets.org/webdocs/federal/cs-2009letter-climate.doc) (.doc) to Chairman Waxman and Ranking Member Markey.
With major transportation, climate and energy legislation coming before Congress in the next year or two, the Livable Streets Initiative has launched a new blog focused on federal transportation topics. Streetsblog Capitol Hill (http://dc.streetsblog.org/) is updated daily with news and analysis of federal transportation policy and related issues. Be sure to check it out! One of the first items on the new blog was a ‘Flashback’ for those of you who don’t remember our push for Complete Streets in the transportation bill in 2005, entitled “Obama Once Led Push for ‘Complete Streets” (http://dc.streetsblog.org/2009/05/28/flashback-obama-once-led-push-for-complete-streets/).
Quick Takes: Policy Progress
* Lee County, FL: WalkBikeLee (http://www.bikewalklee.org/), which recently celebrated the County's adoption of a complete streets resolution, is now working with the area Metropolitan Planning Organization on adoption of a complete streets policy. The MPO is set to review a resolution this Friday. (via the News-Press http://www.news-press.com/article/20090617/OPINION/906170363/1015/opinion)
* Sherman, IL: A recently completed draft of Sherman’s comprehensive plan call for incorporating complete streets in all new street projects. (Via the State Journal-Register http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1098183292/Sherman-revises-plans-for-future)
* King County, WA: The County Board of Health recently adopted a resolution (http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthServices/health/BOH/%7e/media/health/publichealth/documents/boh/res0905.ashx) urging King County, the city of Seattle, and suburban cities to incorporate complete street designs in planning and construction of the roadway network to create streets that are comfortable and safe for all users.
COALITION NEWS
Show Your Support for Safe Routes to School
A bipartisan group of Senators [Harkin (D-IA), Burr (R-NC), Sanders (I-VT), Merkley (D-OR), and Collins (R-ME)] introduced S. 1156, the Safe Routes to School Program Reauthorization Act. The bill would expand funding for SRTS to $600 million per year, include high schools, simplify regulatory compliance to improve project delivery, and strengthen research and evaluation. All of these changes will make SRTS grants more widely available, and help more schools and communities across the country make it safer for children to walk and bicycle to school and get into healthier, greener habits; read the full details on the Safe Routes to School National Partnership site (http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/national). Take a few moments to contact your Senators today (http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/alert/?alertid=13424291), asking them to cosponsor the legislation.
A Brand-New CompleteStreets.org
The National Complete Streets Coalition debuted a newly redesigned site (http://www.completestreets.org/) earlier this month, chock-full of new features and resources that will be expanding over the coming weeks. We've launched a new blog (http://www.completestreets.org/news-blog/blog/) to track complete streets progress as it happens, and a twitter feed (http://twitter.com/completestreets) for those who like it short and sweet. We've given more prominence to our federal efforts (http://www.completestreets.org/federal-policy/), as well as to state and local campaigns (http://www.completestreets.org/changing-policy/local-advocacy/) happening across the country. Don’t miss the new Complete Streets Atlas of all the complete streets policies across the country! We hope our many resources will be easier than ever to find and use. Credit for the redesign goes to State and Local Policy Associate Stefanie Seskin; be sure to drop her a line of thanks and share (http://www.completestreets.org/who-we-are/contact-us/) with any suggestions you have.
Coalition Welcomes Two New Partners
Two organizations have stepped up recently to become Complete Streets Partners (http://www.completestreets.org/who-we-are/partners-and-funders/): both the American Institute of Architects and the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District, long-time collaborators on complete streets initiatives, have joined at the Bronze level. The American Institute of Architects (http://www.aia.org/) has been the leading professional membership association for licensed architects, emerging professionals, and allied partners since 1857. The AIA serves as the voice of the architecture profession and the resource for its members in service to society, carrying out this goal through advocacy, information, and community. The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District (http://www.airquality.org/)’s overall mission is to achieve clean air goals by leading the region in protecting public health and the environment through innovative and effective programs, dedicated staff, community involvement, and public education. The AQMD’s work involves interaction with local, state and federal government agencies, the business community, environmental groups, and private citizens. We commend the leadership both organizations have taken in complete streets, and thank them for their generous contributions. We invite other organizations to join the Coalition as Complete Streets Partners; read the details on our website (http://www.completestreets.org/get-involved/join-the-coalition/#partner).
Welcome Dan!
The Coalition is excited to announce the latest addition to our staff, Dan Guilbeault. Dan joins us as our new Federal Policy Fellow, and will work full-time on building support for complete streets and advancing our goals on Capitol Hill. Dan spent nearly two years on the Hill, then attended the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, where he received a Master of Urban Planning degree. He can be reached at dguilbeault [at] completestreets [dot] org or 202-207-3355.