Complete Streets from Policy to Project The Planning and Implementation of Complete Streets at Multiple Scales Final Report 2013-30 Acknowledgements: The authors wish to express their gratitude to the many people who contributed to the report, including Scott Bradley at the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and members of the Technical Advisory Panel for this report. In addition, we are grateful to the many individuals who participated in interviews and shared their knowledge of the keys to successful complete streets implementation. Authors: Carissa Schively Slotterback, PhD, AICP Cindy Zerger Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota Suggested Citation: Slotterback, C.S., and C. Zerger. 2013. Complete Streets from Policy to Project: The Planning and Implementation of Complete Streets at Multiple Scales. Minneapolis, MN: Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. This research was funded by: With support from: The Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Local Road Research Board Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. 3. Recipients Accession No. MN/RC 2013-30 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date Complete Streets from Policy to Project December 2013 The Planning and Implementation of Complete Streets at 6. Multiple Scales 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Carissa Schively Slotterback and Cindy Zerger 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. Humphrey School of Public Affairs CTS Project # 2012009 University of Minnesota 11. Contract (C) or Grant (G) No. 130 HHH Center, 301 19th Ave. S., (C) 99008 (WO) 11 Minneapolis, MN 55455 12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Minnesota Department of Transportation Final Report Research Services & Library 14. Sponsoring Agency Code 395 John Ireland Boulevard, MS 330 St. Paul, MN 55155 15. Supplementary Notes http://www.lrrb.org/pdf/201330.pdf 16. Abstract (Limit: 250 words) Complete streets is emerging as an influential movement in transportation planning, design, and engineering. This guidebook, with accompanying case studies, explores the variety of ways in which complete streets is conceptualized and institutionalized by various jurisdictions. It offers practical and applicable insights for jurisdictions in Minnesota and elsewhere. The research focused on best practices in 11 locations across the nation: Albert Lea, Minnesota; Arlington County, Virginia; Boulder, Colorado; Charlotte, North Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Dubuque, Iowa; Fargo-Moorhead, North Dakota/Minnesota; Hennepin County, Minnesota; Madison, Wisconsin; New Haven, Connecticut; and Rochester, Minnesota. The guidebook is informed by an analysis of multiple data sources from each jurisdiction. The authors conducted a review of key documents (e.g., plans, policies, design guidelines), site visits, photo documentation, and in-depth interviews with more than 100 key informants. Six best practice areas emerged through the analysis: (1) framing and positioning, (2) institutionalizing complete streets, (3) analysis and evaluation, (4) project delivery and construction, (5) promotion and education, and (6) funding. The six best practice areas are described in detail and illustrated by examples from the case locations. The guidebook concludes with an appendix of complete streets case reports that offer additional details about each of the 11 case jurisdictions. 17. Document Analysis/Descriptors 18. Availability Statement Complete Streets, Transportation, Planning, Policy, No restrictions. Document available from: Implementation, Pedestrian, Bicycles, Transit, ADA, National Technical Information Services, Albert Lea, Arlington County, Boulder, Charlotte, Alexandria, VA 22312 Columbus, Dubuque, Fargo-Moorhead, Hennepin County, Madison, New Haven, Rochester, Minnesota 19. Security Class (this report) 20. Security Class (this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 156 Table of Contents Introduction 1 - 3 Background 4 - 8 Methodology 9 - 10 Historic Millwork District in downtown Dubuque. Best Practices 11 - 47 References 49 -51 Appendix: Case Studies 57 Downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Introduction Complete streets is emerging as an influential movement in transportation planning, design, and engineering in a wide range of cities, counties, and regions. This movement calls for a more comprehensive consideration of the full range of modes and users in the system. As a practice emerges around complete streets, we have a critical opportunity to explore the variety of ways in which complete streets interest emerges in jurisdictions and how the concept becomes institutionalized in day-to-day practice. While complete streets definitions vary across communities agencies based on local priorities and contexts, most focus on considering multiple modes, accounting for the varying interests of users, and advancing a safer and more accessible transportation system. This definition of complete streets from the State of Minnesota offers an example: Complete streets is “the planning, scoping, design, implementation, operation, and maintenance of roads in order to reasonably address the safety and accessibility needs of users of all ages and abilities. Complete streets considers the needs of motorists, pedestrians, transit users and vehicles, bicyclists, commercial and emergency vehicles moving along and across roads, intersections and crossings in a manner that is sensitive to the local context and recognizes that the needs vary in urban, suburban, and rural settings.” (MN State Statutes 2012, §17.75, Sub. 1) A busy intersection in Boulder incorporates a change in materials and striping in key pedestrian areas. Introduction 1 With the growing interest in complete streets, we are seeing an increasing number of examples of jurisdictions that are moving from complete streets plans and concepts to constructing projects. In each organization and jurisdiction, this move from idea to project looks different. This guide explores the space between initiating complete streets and the construction of one or more complete streets projects. We explore 11 national cases from a variety of jurisdictional and geographic contexts that have constructed complete streets projects. In some cases, these jurisdictions have been doing work in multi-modal transportation for decades that has since evolved into complete streets. This case-based analysis draws on over 100 interviews with a wide range of community and project stakeholders. It explores a diverse set of perspectives on what it takes to be successful in implementing complete streets. The study explores policy, process, design, maintenance, and funding approaches. In addition, the analysis reveals broader issues of institutional and cultural change that are laying the groundwork in many communities for a reconsideration of the transportation system. This study is intended to produce practical and usable insights and best practices for jurisdictions in Minnesota and elsewhere. It is supported by funding from the Minnesota Department of Transportation and the Local Road Research Board, both of which are working to advance complete streets practices. We developed this practitioner-oriented guidebook to respond to these interests and to offer insights into the state of the practice in complete streets. In the upcoming section, the guide puts this study in the context of previous complete streets and associated efforts around context sensitive solutions. This background section also highlights key resources for practitioners in Minnesota and elsewhere. Next, we offer a discussion of the methodology for the study, highlighting a rigorous case-based analysis that generated deep knowledge of practice in the 11 case jurisdictions. Finally, we conclude with a discussion of best practices, which highlights examples from the wide range of jurisdictions in the study. The best practices are organized into six categories, including: (1) framing and positioning, (2) institutionalizing complete streets, (3) analysis and evaluation, (4) project delivery and construction, (5) promotion and education, and (6) funding. In presenting key practice examples in each of these categories, we offer deep detail about the practice but also critical aspects of the organizational and jurisdictional context. This approach to presenting the best practices ensures that readers acquire knowledge of a wide set of practices, but also gain insight into the approaches that might be best for their particular context. This Guide to Complete Streets Planning and Implementation concludes with an appendix of complete streets case studies that offer details about each of the 11 case jurisdictions. The case study reports highlight key findings and unique aspects of each case, summarize relevant complete streets documents (e.g. policies, plans, decision rubrics), offer a chronological overview of the evolution of a complete streets program in the case jurisdiction, and illustrate implementation via images of completed projects and their community context. 2 Introduction The 12-block Historic Millwork District in Dubuque incorporates complete streets features. Introduction 3 Background Overview of the Literature As the complete streets movement has gained momentum over the past ten years there has been a growing amount of research and writing on the subject. Resources range from technical papers geared toward researchers and practitioners to more general articles targeted toward a more