Complete Streets for Planners MN APA Conference September 28, 2011 Ethan Fawley, Fresh Energy

Small Group Exercise: Draw a “complete” street

What are “complete” streets? Complete Streets are designed and operated to be safe and accessible for pedestrians, transit riders, bicyclists, and drivers—all users, regardless of age or ability.

What do “complete” streets look like?  Vary by local context  Typically include sidewalks and safe crossing points in urban and suburban areas  Typically include bike lanes or path on busier roads  Include texturized curb ramps for wheelchair users and visually impaired

Many types of “complete” streets

Why? Access and equity Health Environment High gas prices Personal preferences Quality of life Main Street vitality Tourism SAFETY

The Potential Nationally:  50% of trips 3 miles or less  28% of trips 1 mile or less  72% of trips of 1 mile or less are driven Source: Dan Burden

What is a Complete Streets policy?  Directs transportation planners and engineers to consistently design roads will all users in mind  Declares political support for building “complete” streets  Sets a vision for a Complete Streets process  Focused on safety and accessibility of all road users  Offers implementation steps

Growing national movement 280+ policies in last 11 years Number of Policies Adopted

Growing Minnesota movement  Rochester  Hennepin County  St. Paul  Albert Lea  Bloomington  Duluth  Independence  Byron  Stewartville  Big Lake  St. Louis Park  Fargo-Moorhead Metro COG  Red Wing  New Hope  North St. Paul  Breckenridge  Pipestone  St. Cloud APO  Rochester-Olmsted COG  Dilworth  Battle Lake  Wilkin County  State policy for Mn/DOT signed May 15, 2010 by then-Governor Pawlenty after strong bi- partisan legislative support Local resolutions or policies

From policy to practice  An effective policy should prompt the transportation agency to:  restructure procedures, policies, and programs  rewrite design manuals or standards (if applicable)  offer training opportunities to planners and engineers  create new performance measures Source: National Complete Streets Coalition

Complete Green Streets Adds stormwater management North St. Paul Living Streets Plan, 2011

Complete Streets and Engineering 101 for Planners

Designing roads  Complex, yet standardized  Most road design traditionally driven by:  Functional classification  ADT  Auto Level of Service  Design speed  Standards  State Aid Standards  Any local standards  Subdivision requirements  State Road Design Manual  ADA requirements  Cost  Available right-of-way  Growing interest in other modes and public process

Some Policy Discussions  Flexibility in design and standards  Lane widths  Minnesota State Aid Standards call for at least 11 feet  Turn lanes can sometimes be 10-feet wide  High speed or rural roads typically 12 feet  Number of lanes  State Aid Standards require four lanes at 15,000 ADT  Also driven by Level of Service  Bike lane widths  Guidance calls for 5- or 6-feet wide  Sidewalk widths  Typically at least 5-feet wide, minimum of 4 feet  Boulevard widths  Some communities have standards

Some Policy Discussions  Design speed  Speed limits set by state; hard to lower  How to design in traffic calming  Functional classification  Funding and Cost-sharing policies  Accessibility standards

Complete Streets and cost  Focus is taking advantage of regular road building as an opportunity; not about an additional program or retrofits  About balancing the available space in the right of way—not expanding

Complete Streets and cost  About maximizing the value of public investment across many goals  None of the cities, counties, or states have needed to raise additional money to pay for Complete Streets and no community has later reversed their policy

Some Expanding Best Practices  Curb bump outs  Pedestrian zone planning  HAWK (High-intensity Activated crossWalk) signals  Buffered bike lanes  Bicycle Boulevards or Neighborhood Greenways  Sharrows  PROWAG accessibility standards  Far-side transit stops

Some Resources  MN Complete Streets Coalition toolkit  American Planning Association Complete Streets best practices manual  National Complete Streets Coalition implementation toolkit coming soon  Mn/DOT Context Sensitive Solutions Training  Institute for Transportation Engineers Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach

Getting started on Complete Streets in your community Most common process in Minnesota 1.Understand the potential local value of Complete Streets 2.Work group drafts a resolution of support 3.Council/board approves resolution 4.Work group creates a full policy 5.Council/board approves policy 6.Implementation and reporting

Complete Streets Exercise 76 th Street in Richfield

Basic Info  Mostly residential with some commercial  7,000 ADT with little projected increase  Road is straight and flat  Neighborhood complaints about speeding  Neighbors don’t feel very comfortable walking directly next to road  No area for snow storage on sidewalk side  Interest in extending a regional trail on one side  Interest in adding street trees  Interest in better supporting walking and biking  Existing utility lines are an issue  Right of way = 60 feet wide  Existing street = 44 feet wide

76 th Street After

After Before

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