1. From Policy to Technique:
Complete Streets – Street Design
and Multimodalism
Congress for New Urbanism
June 12, 2009 – Denver, CO
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
2. Colorado Springs CS Policy
"Construct complete streets designed to accommodate all users.
In all new roadway projects or major reconstruction projects,
accommodate travel by pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users, except
where pedestrians and bicyclists are prohibited by law from using a
given facility or where construction of bikeways or walkways would be
unsafe or impractical. Such facilities for pedestrian and bicycle use shall
be designed to the best currently available standards and guidelines.
Definition of Complete Streets: Complete Streets are streets that have
been built for safe and convenient travel by all road users, including
people on foot and bicycle, as well as transit users. Complete Streets
policies call for routinely providing for travel by all users when building
and reconstructing streets and roads.”
[Ordinance No. 05-196, passed December 13, 2005]
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
3. How the Policy was Initiated &
Approved
• Initiated by City’s recently created Citizens’ Transportation Advisory Committee
(September 2004).
• Staff drafted policy language, and the CTAB agreed.
• Presented to stakeholders, including Housing & Building Association .
• Presentation included frank discussion that the new policy would be reflected
in the City’s new Street Design Standards.
• HBA requested language change: “Construct complete streets designed to
reasonably accommodate all users.” CTAB did not agree, but added a definition
of complete streets.
• HBA changed position to support the proposal to CTAB, Planning Commission
and City Council (December 2005).
• November 2004 – 1% transportation sales tax approved by voters
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
4. Implementation of Complete Streets
City capital projects
Retrofit Projects
Sidewalk infill
Numerous Roundabouts
New Street Design Standards
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
9. Approach to Street Retrofitting
• Primarily tied to street resurfacing program
– 7-10% of street network annually
– Assess opportunities & needs
• Add bike lanes (narrow traffic lanes)
• Road dieting
– “Old style” 4 lanes to 3 lanes plus bike lanes
– Convert 2 dysfunctional travel lanes to 1 well operating travel
lane (each way), plus bike travel
– General threshold: up to 15,000 ADT
• Some removal of turn lanes on modest volume collectors
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
10. Approach to Retrofitting
• Focus on network connectivity
• Low hanging fruit
• Often opportunistic, sometimes incremental
• Flexibility
• Surprisingly low cost at times
• May not achieve all elements at once
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
13. Cheyenne Boulevard
Speed (85th Percentile)
• Posted: 35 mph
• Before: 41 mph
• After: 36-39 mph
Observations
• Residents more comfortable parking on-street
• More bike use
• Some complaints from motorists (inability to pass)
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
17. Tejon Street
Speed (85th Percentile)
• Posted: 25 mph
• Before: 24 mph
• After: 26 mph
Safety
• Total accidents about the same, but fewer injury accidents
• More alcohol-related accidents after
Observations
• Merchants: customers commenting on easier (diagonal) parking
• Most complaints are non-specific (why was it changed?)
• Compliments & increased use by cyclists
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
18. Road Dieting
Pros
• Reduce accident rates (seriousness of accidents)
• Reduce travel speeds & aggressive driving
• Improve bicycle safety & access
• Increase buffer between travel lanes & parking, property frontages
• Maintain or improve emergency response time
• Can change back if conditions warrant
Cons
• Increase delay at driveways and side streets during peak travel times
• Fewer traffic gaps for pedestrians at uncontrolled intersections
• Loss of passing opportunities
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
19. Additional Thoughts
Understand how to communicate with your public
Scale public outreach / input appropriately
Include attention to maintenance element of CS
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
20. Complete Streets –
Lessons Learned
Value of community group support
Strike appropriate balance between policy
firmness and flexibility
Be candid about policy implications
New projects – policy needs to be integrated into
street design standards
Retrofits can be done “inexpensively” if taken
with an opportunistic and incremental approach
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets
21. Questions?
Craig Blewitt, Manager
Comprehensive Planning
City of Colorado Springs
cblewitt@springsgov.com
From Policy to Technique: Complete Streets