Introduction to Complete Streets in Wisconsin

1. Introduction toComplete Streets in Wisconsin

2. What are Complete Streets? Complete Streets are safe, comfortable, and convenient for travel for everyone, regardless of age or ability – motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and public transportation riders.

3. Who wants Complete Streets? Nearly one-third of Americans don’t drive: • Children under 16 • 21% of Americans over 65 • Many low-income Americans 66% of Americans want more transportation options so they have the freedom to choose how to get where they need to go. 73% currently feel they have no choice but to drive as much as they do Sources: 2008 National Household Travel Survey; Future of Transportation National Survey (2010)

4. Incomplete Streets are Unsafe More than 40% of pedestrian deaths in 2007 and 2008 occurred where no crosswalk was available. Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Reporting System

5. Incomplete Streets are Unsafe

6. We know how to build right

7. Yet too many roads still turn out like this:

8. The tremendous potential Walking is the second most common form of travel, representing 10.9% of all trips. Of all trips: • 50% are under 3 miles • 28% are 1 mile or less • 72% of trips 1 mile or less are driven Source: 2008 National Household Travel Survey

9. Complete Streets Can Benefit Communities Increase capacity Improve safety Better health Economic growth Lower emissions Reduce costsSmarter growthProvide choices

10. Benefits: Health States with the lowest levels of biking and walking have, on average, the highest rates of obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Source: 2010 Benchmarking Report

11. Benefits: Health The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently named adoption of Complete Streets policies as a recommended strategy to prevent obesity.

12. Benefits: Children More than 1/3 of our nation’s children are overweight or obese. Limited physical activity contributes to the obesity epidemic among children. Streets that provide dedicated space for bicycling and walking help kids be physically active. Source: F as in Fat 2009, Trust for America’s Health

13. Benefits: Children Complete Streets Policies support and strengthen Safe Routes to School programs, which enable community leaders, schools and parents across the United States to improve safety and encourage more children, including children with disabilities, to safely walk and bicycle to school. Source: National Center for Safe Routes to School

14. Benefits: People with Disabilities 20% of Americans have a disability that limits their daily activities. Complete Streets feature curb cuts, high visibility crosswalks, and other designs for travelers with disabilities. Source: U.S Census 2000

15. Benefits: Older Adults By 2025, nearly 1/5 of Americans will be 65 or older. About half of all non-drivers over the age of 65 would like to get out more often. Complete streets policies help create streets that support older drivers and pedestrians through better design. 15

16. Benefits: Transit Connect transit to work, to shops, to schools, to homes through appropriate planning and design for transit users. Create smooth, predictable transit trips by planning and designing for transit vehicles.

17. Benefits: Lower Costs Complete Streets give people more control over their expenses, replacing expensive car travel with cheaper options like walking, riding bikes, and taking public transportation.

18. Benefits: Capacity

19. Benefits: Capacity

20. Benefits: Capacity

21. Benefits: Capacity

22. Change Travel Patterns Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks.

23. Change Travel Patterns Cities with more bike lanes per square mile have higher levels of bicycle commuting.

24. Complete Streets Policies A complete streets policy ensures that the entire right-of-way is planned, designed, and operated to provide safe access for all users.

25. 2000 FHWA Guidance: “Bicycling and walking facilities will be incorporated into all transportation projects unless exceptional circumstances exist.” Consistent with Federal Guidance

26. Elements of a Policy Sets a vision. Includes all modes. Emphasizes connectivity. Applies to all phases of all applicable projects. Specifies and limits exceptions, with management approval required. Uses latest design standards is flexible. Is context-sensitive. Sets performance standards. Includes implementation steps.

27. From Policy to Practice An effective policy should prompt the transportation agency to: restructure procedures, policies, and programs rewrite design manuals or standards offer training opportunities to planners and engineers create new performance measures

28. Why have a policy? To gradually create a complete network of roads that serve all users.

29. Why have a policy? To save money: in the long run, retrofit projects always cost more than getting it right the first time.

30. Before

31. After

32. Complete Streets Policies Over 200 communities have committed to a complete streets approach. As of01/15/10

33. Where It’s Happening As of 01/07/11 33 n=203

34. The Growing Movement Number of Policies Adopted Year

35. Complete Streets in Wisconsin Wisconsin is one of 24 states in the U.S. with Complete Streets Policies. The Wisconsin Complete Streets legislation is a huge step toward increasing our state's bicycle and pedestrian friendliness. It applies to the 11,820 miles of state highways and to local roads that receive funding through four state and federal programs.

36. Wisconsin’s Complete Streets Policy Text about WI’s policy...

37. The Importance of Local Policies Wisconsin’s statewide ordinance only applies to roads that receive state or federal funding. Municipal policies add Complete Streets requirements to more local roads, which is essential for improving bicycle and pedestrian conditions in Wisconsin communities. Local policies mean safer routes to schools, workplaces, and other destinations.

38. Policy Development Guidance

39. US DOT Gets Complete Streets “It turns out that a complete streets approach offers the perfect intersection of my twin guideposts: safety and livable communities.” Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood

40. WI Gets Complete Streets Wisconsin law now requirescomplete streets with all reconstructed or repaved roads.

41. For more information • Fact sheets, photos, brochures • Information on changing policy • Policy tracking & examples • Complete Streets blog and monthly newsletter • Links to research & publications National Complete Streets Coalition www.completestreets.org Special thanks to the National Complete Streets Coalition for sharing much of this content.