Reference Guide Unit 1 What are Complete Streets? Definition “A transportation facility that is planned, designed, operated, and maintained to provide safe mobility for of Complete all users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, transit vehicles, truckers, and motorists, appropriate to the Streets function and context of the facility. Complete street concepts apply to rural, suburban, and urban areas.” - Official Caltrans Definition “Complete Streets are streets for everyone. They are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street. Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work. They allow buses to run on time and make it safe for people to walk to and from train stations.” - National Complete Streets Coalition History of • Post WWII growth created motor vehicle dependence. Complete • 1962: the Federal-Aid Highway Act (planning for future projects should be “comprehensive”). Streets • Early legislation included: the Oregon “bike bill” (1971); California AB 69 (1972); and Florida Statute 335.065 (1984). • No Federal Complete Streets Policy yet today. Metro Resources Transit Supportive Planning Toolkit (2016) online resource Los Angeles Long Range Metro County-wide Metro Complete Street Active Transportation Transportation Plan Sustainability Planning Policy (2014) Strategic Plan (2016) (2009) Policy & Implementation Plan (2012) California’s AB 1358 – Complete Streets Act (2008) Complete CEQA – but hasn’t always directly encouraged Complete Streets (passed 1970; new guidelines, 2010) Streets AB 32 – Global Warming Solutions Act (2006) SB 375 – Sustainable Communities and Climate Protection Act (2008) Policies SB 226 – CEQA Streamlining for Infill Projects (2011) SB 99 – Created the Active Transportation Program (ATP) (2013) SB 743 - LOS generally shall not be used as a significance threshold; addresses CEQA reform (2013) Key Refer to the 10 Elements of Comprehensive Complete Streets Policies from the National Complete Streets Tenants Coalition. Local policy should: avoid vague, noncommittal statements; use clear language; build on of Local existing work; and leave no room for circumnavigating requirements. The Policy should also: ID roadway Policies users; discuss the modes covered; include a clear vision; apply to both new and retrofit projects; make any exceptions specific; and set clear procedures and performance standards. 1 Unit 2 Why are Complete Streets Important? Safety & Public Shifting Travel Demand & Funding Opps. & Sustainability Health Demographics Future Trends Fiscal Responsibility Current Trends Intergovernmental New Planning Aging population After Leverage county, Panel on Climate paradigm: emphasis increasing. transportation state, federal funds Change requires on safety. infrastructure (e.g. Metro Call for adaptation & increases, more Projects, ATP grants, mitigation. Gov’t Rising rates of Immigration people use it. TIGER grants). officials will control obesity & health care from developing carbon emissions costs. countries on the through cap-and- rise. Job creation Technological and cost benefit trade, regulation, & advances Disadvantaged Lifestyle changes analysis taxation. (e.g. vehicle Communities, in household automation). SB 74: Created changes Senate Bill 535 & location to balance congestion (2012). preferences. mgmt practices with active transportation, Populations suffer Millennials & Rise of public health, etc. disproportionately Creative Class Transportation from poor street Network Sea level rise: design & have an Companies 6.7” by 2030 increased likelihood (rideshare). 14.3” by 2050 of illness, injury, & 41.1” by 2100 death. Sustainability Health Quality of Life Safety Economic Benefits Transportation Active A recent study Streets designed Americans spent an Quick accounts for greater Transportation found that with sidewalks, average of 18 cents Facts than 70% of oil has been shown people who medians, improved of every dollar on consumption, 25% to improve mental live in walkable bus stop placement, transportation, with of global warming health. communities are traffic-calming, the poorest 1/5 of pollution, & a large more likely to be & treatments for families spending proportion of local 43% of people socially engaged disabled travelers more than 2xs air pollution, such with safe places & trusting than improve pedestrian that figure. Most as particulate matter to walk within 10 residents of safety, according families spend that leads to “air minutes of home less walkable to the FHWA. much more on their quality alert” days met recommended neighborhoods. Some features, like transportation than and increased rates of activity levels; medians, improve on their food. health problems. among individuals Additionally, they safety for all users without safe reported being since they enable place to walk, just in better health pedestrians to cross 27% were active & happier more busy roads in two Taking public enough. often. stages, get rid of transportation saves left-turning vehicle individuals $9,581 Nearly 1/3 of Complete Streets crashes, & improve each year. transit users increase the sense of bike safety. meet the Surgeon social connectivity & General’s sense of community recommendations belonging. for minimum daily exercise through their daily travels. 2 Unit 3 How to Put Complete Streets on the Books 1 Goal Setting & Visioning Determine ‘outcomes’ & ‘outputs’: Outcomes Outputs Bicycle mode share Miles of protected bike lanes Pedestrian mode share Miles of sidewalks Number of bicyclist- or pedestrian- Number of pedestrian crossings of arterial roadways involved traffic fatalities Number of projects at locations with an above-expected crash rate 2 Integrating Complete Streets into Local Planning Processes Integrate the policy into General Plan Entitlement Processes (such as): Development Review Checklists Traffic impact studies DRAFT Regional Transportation Plans Impact fees Mitigation fees FIGURE 2-2 PROPOSED STREET CONTEXTS In-lieu mitigation fees 3 Street Typologies, Layered Networks & Place-Types Determine if the street has: Create a layered network A Motor vehicle emphasis B approach for each of the Transit emphasis typologies listed under 3A Bicycle emphasis Pedestrian emphasis 4 How to Handle Caltrans Facilities Refer to the: Caltrans Smart Mobility Framework California Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) NelsonAssessment\Nygaard Consulting Associates,Technical Inc. | 2-5 Assistance Program Conduct/Develop Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) Refer to Multimodal Level of Service (MMLOS) Best Practices 3 Unit 4 How to Evaluate Complete Streets Safety Equity Economic Environment Public Health Usage / Ridership Access Fatalities Access Opportunities Air quality Trips Counts Timing (e.g. total (e.g. VMT per (e.g. jobs, (e.g. air (e.g. bike trips to/ (e.g. number (e.g. travel time number, & by capita, bike trip accessible in toxics nearby, from school) of bicyclists/ by mode) mode, age, percentages, 30-45 mins, temp Clean Air Act pedestrians per income, gender, walking trip & permanent contaminants) unit time) etc) percentages) jobs created by project) Serious Injuries Place Value Stormwater Emergencies Counts (e.g. total (e.g. LOS, multi- (e.g. tax yield runoff (e.g. emergency (e.g. first/last number, & by modal LOS, per acre, real (e.g. rate and response times) mile connections, mode, age, usage percentages estate property volume of runoff, percent of people income, gender, by age, gender, value, retail & percentage of serviced, low etc) etc.) restaurant sales runoff that is stress biking & nearby) absorbed) walking) Counts (e.g. first/last mile connections, trees retained or planted) Benchmarking Goal-Setting Innovative (i.e. before (e.g. Vision Zero, Strategies projects are People St) implemented) Why Evaluate your Complete Streets? Make sure Complete Streets projects are working towards the right goals • Economy • Environment • Place • Safety • Equity • Public Health • Apply the right performance metrics 4 Unit 5 Moving from Policy to Practice FUNDING SOURCE Metro Call for Projects Metro Metro Toll Roads Metro Set Goals & Weigh tradeoffs & gain consent Measure A Dept of Performance Parks & Rec Metrics Proposition C Metro Measure R Metro Plan Evaluate Measure M Metro Complete Streets Projects Cap and Trade (includes AHSC) CA EPA Overcome barriers & Active Transportation Program Caltrans opposition Regional Surface Transportation Caltrans Build Great Secure Projects project Program funding Congestion Mitigation and Air FHWA Quality Program Surface Transportation Program FUNDING FHWA Local SOURCES & STRATEGIES Enhanced Mobility of Seniors FTA • Coordinating with maintenance or capital projects and Individuals with Disabilities • External funding and grants (5310) • Innovative strategies: • Public-private partnerships (P3s) Formula Grants for Rural Areas FTA • Crowd-funding (5311) • Capital improvement funds Urbanized Area Formula Grant FTA (5307) BARRIERS & OPPOSITION TIGER Discretionary Grants US DOT OVERCOMING BARRIERS • Engage stakeholders at the right times • Identify project champions • Spend political will wisely • Pick your battles carefully • Consider the “Policy-to-Practice” Cycle • Derive performance measures from project goals • Use storytelling • Can’t always pick the low hanging fruit • Show how a plan fits into Complete Streets