Complete Streets Policies & Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This publication was made possible through funding from Kaiser Permanente National Community Benefit. Author: Michelle Lieberman Contributors: Margo Pedroso Sara Zimmerman November 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................... 2 SECTION 1 Benefits of Walking + Bicycling .................................4 SECTION 2 What are Complete Streets Policies + Bicycle + Pedestrian Plans?................................................ 5 SECTION 3 Why Complete Streets Policies + Bicycle + Pedestrian Plans are Key Tools for Local Change .......................... 6 SECTION 4 How Complete Streets Policies + Bicycle + Pedestrian Plans Work ......................................................... 8 SECTION 5 Essential Elements for Strong Complete Streets Policies + Bicycle + Pedestrian Plans .....................................12 SECTION 6 Getting Involved: Key Roles for Health ........................ 16 SECTION 7 Conclusion..........................................................18 Endnotes ....................................................... 19 Increasing walking and bicycling + for community members. But how do cities and counties go about making these improvements? How do we make sure these improvements are well-thought out, community-supported, and effective? Complete Streets policies, together with bicycle and pedestrian plans, are two key tools used by cities and counties to support community visions and goals for walking and bicycling and health. Health stakeholders have a crucial role to play in advancing strong Complete Streets policies and bicycle and pedestrian plans in their communities. This report will help healthcare and public health professionals understand and support healthy, active communities. Increasing walking and bicycling for community members. This report will provide an this. Section 4 summarizes how With this report in hand, health introduction to Complete Streets Complete Streets policies and stakeholders can support Complete policies and bicycle and pedestrian bicycle and pedestrian plans work, Streets policies and bicycle and plans, outlining key information including the processes by which pedestrian plans, and use these about processes and reasons why they are adopted and implemented, policies and plans to create the health-focused stakeholders should and describes promising policy framework for developing and engage in the development and directions and considerations to implementing change. These efforts implementation of these tools. ensure Complete Streets policies can provide both short-term and Section 1 provides a brief summary and bicycle and pedestrian plans long-term objectives and strategies of the benefits of walking and are effective. In Section 5, the that lay out a local jurisdiction’s bicycling, also known as active report describes key ways for direction towards supporting active transportation. Section 2 provides health stakeholders to be involved transportation. By supporting and an overview of what Complete in Complete Streets policies and influencing Complete Streets policies Streets policies and bicycle and bicycle and pedestrian planning. and bicycle and pedestrian plans, pedestrian (or active transportation) The report concludes with Section health stakeholders can play a central plans are. Section 3 describes why 6, which reflects on important role in advancing health at the Complete Streets policies and bicycle considerations and future growth local level. and pedestrian plans are key tools for in weaving together health with creating healthy active communities, Complete Streets policies and setting out research that supports bicycle and pedestrian plans. Introduction3 1 BENEFITS OF WALKING + BICYCLING Walking and bicycling, also known as active transportation, have broad community benefits, health benefits, and other benefits as well. Research and studies have shown that walking and bicycling are key ways for community members to get sufficient physical activity as part WHAT IS of their daily lives, helping combat ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION? the eight percent of deaths in the U.S. associated with inadequate levels Active transportation is any means of getting around that is powered by 1 of physical activity and leading to human energy, usually involving walking and bicycling, but also including reduced risks of stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, some cancers, other non-motorized forms of transportation, such as the use of wheelchairs, premature death, and depression.2 roller skates, or skateboards. Among people who walk on a regular basis, about 60 percent meet the national physical activity guidelines (whether through walking alone or Other benefits of more walking and often walking and biking out of need, in combination with other forms of bicycling may include an increased rather than for recreation.9 People physical activity), compared with 30 sense of community, less social in low-income communities and percent of those who do not walk isolation, higher cognitive functioning, communities of color also have regularly.3 Almost one-third of transit lower rates of depression, less air considerably higher injury and users get their entire recommended pollution, fewer climate-changing fatality rates from traffic crashes. amount of physical activity just by emissions, and many more.7,8 African Americans, Latinos, and walking to and from transit stops.4 low-income people are twice as likely Conversely, people who travel by People in low-income communities to be killed while walking—and these car are more sedentary, which is and communities of color may communities also have higher rates associated with chronic disease and especially benefit from increased of chronic diseases.10 These inequities premature death.5 Studies show focus on active transportation emerge in significant part from the that walking or bicycling to school and greater investments in safety differences in availability and quality is related to higher overall physical improvements. People in low-income of sidewalks, bike lanes, and other activity for youth.6 communities and communities of neighborhood features that support color are more likely to walk and bike safe walking and bicycling. to everyday destinations and are 4 2 WHAT ARE COMPLETE STREETS POLICIES + BICYCLE + PEDESTRIAN PLANS? Most of our current street design in the U.S. is car-centric, leaving people walking, bicycling, and taking transit as an afterthought. Complete Streets policies and they address the need for equitable infrastructure improvements along bicycle and pedestrian plans guide streets, and their requirements with education, encouragement, and decisions about street design and regarding implementation. Complete enforcement programs. An effective improvements, shifting the priority Streets policies are meant to guide bicycle and pedestrian plan guides from moving cars to ensuring people all future decisions regarding streets, the local jurisdiction’s future can get around safely and easily by including the design of new streets, investments in both changes to any method—on foot, by bike, riding changes to existing streets, and existing streets as well as new facilities transit, or in a vehicle. decisions around funding. Complete that support walking and bicycling. In Streets policies can be adopted at contrast to Complete Streets A Complete Streets policy sets out the local, regional, or state level. This policies, bicycle and pedestrian plans a jurisdiction’s commitment to report focuses on those adopted at are more implementation-oriented routinely design, build, and operate the local (city or county) level. To and spell out more detail regarding all streets to enable safe use by date, more than 1,400 Complete specific streets and routes where everyone, regardless of age, ability, Streets policies have been passed infrastructure improvements will or mode of transportation.11 An in the United States. The National occur, prioritization of improvements, effective Complete Streets policy Complete Streets Coalition maintains funding sources, responsible parties, ensures the jurisdiction will address an inventory of Complete Streets and action steps and timelines. Bicycle conditions for everyone, no matter policies. and pedestrian plans are often viewed if they are walking, biking, or driving, as guiding documents for a specific when a new street is built or an A bicycle and pedestrian plan length of time (often 5 to 20 years), existing street is reconstructed. (sometimes called an active and need to be updated periodically A Complete Streets policy can take transportation plan) is an adopted to remain relevant to the community’s many forms; it can be an ordinance document that lays out a community’s vision and needs. or resolution, an executive order, or vision for future pedestrian and a policy of a jurisdiction’s department bicycle activity, defines goals and While a Complete Streets policy sets of transportation. Policies vary widely objectives aligned with that vision, out a jurisdiction’s intent create in strength: how binding their and identifies actions required to a street network that balances needs language is, the degree to which achieve the goals. Jurisdictions of all users, a bicycle and pedestrian sometimes develop separate plans plan delves into more specific to address bicycling and walking changes needed to support walking individually, or may combine the and bicycling. Because they serve two into one planning effort and complementary but different document.