What are Complete Streets and why should Jackson Hole adopt this progressive policy? COMPLETE STREETS are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.
A complete streets policy ensures that government agencies routinely design and operate the entire right of way to enable safe access for all users. A complete streets policy reverses the problematic practice of addressing motor vehicles first and non-motorized and transit users last by designing streets and highways that serve all users.
Friends of Pathways can help transform the highways and streets in the Jackson Hole region into a “complete streets” system that serves everyone.
Streets and sidewalks are built with public funds, and should therefore accommodate all members of the public- the young and old, the physically able and the physically challenged, moms and dads pushing strollers, kids on bikes, as well as cars and buses and trucks.
Like in many communities, approximately 30 percent of Jackson Hole residents cannot or have chosen not to drive for diverse reasons. They may be too young or may have decided to “give up the keys” due to aging issues. They may use the START bus then walk or bike part of their journey. They also may be physically handicapped or they may have simply made a lifestyle, environmental, or economic choice not to have and operate a car.
Of the remaining 70 percent of our community, a significant portion also elect to ride bikes and walk for some of their trips for many of the same reasons. Even if a journey is by car, most trips still include some walking, and virtually every visitor to Jackson Hole desires to walk along our streets to shop and dine. Thus a majority of our community and visitors need safe places to walk or bicycle. They need complete streets!
The Solution
Adopt Complete Streets principles into the relevant local and state government agencies procedures and plans, and implement this new approach into all transportation projects in the Town and County.
The recently completed Pathways Master Plan states that development and implementation a Complete Streets Plan for the Town of Jackson and mixed-use villages in Teton County is one of the ten top priorities for the next 5 years. The Town and County must now be held to their commitment to implementing Complete Streets practices.
Friends of Pathways Role
Friends of Pathways is advocating for this public policy change and is leading a Jackson Hole campaign for government agencies and projects to adopt a Complete Streets approach. FoP will invest time and efforts into such specific projects as the Town of Jackson and Teton County Comprehensive Plan changes, Pathways Master Plan implementation, pending Town and County Street Standards, Forest Service and National Park Service road projects and plans, and Wyoming Department of Transportation plans and projects on the State Highway System.
Friends of Pathways supports the use of the best practices in complete street design and management. FoP has the professional resources to assist in this effort, and will bring national experts to Jackson Hole to help inform our community and train our government agency staff in the appropriate use of these new standards for complete streets.
Public Action
Making progress to complete our streets, such as pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, sweeping road shoulders for bike safety, and building accessible sidewalks requires strong public support and involvement. Friends of Pathways will help our members stay involved.
Most government plans include and welcome public comment. Friends of Pathway will help our members understand the process at hand, and provide simple and time efficient methods for you to take action on government plans and projects. The best outcomes often come from effective public participation, and FoP will take a leadership role in encouraging public support.
Please sign up for our e-mail alerts, and Friends of Pathways will keep you informed and provide the specifics on how you can help. FoP will do the hard work of researching agency plans and provide useful factual summaries to best utilize your time and maximize your effectiveness in commenting.
More Information
Complete Streets Highlights:
- Specifies that “all users” includes pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists, of all ages and abilities.
- Aims to create a comprehensive, integrated, connected network.
- Recognizes the need for flexibility: that all streets are different.
- Is adoptable by all agencies to cover all roads.
- Applies to both new and retrofit projects, including design, planning, maintenance, and operations, for the entire right of way.
- Makes any exceptions specific and sets a clear procedure that requires high-level approval of exceptions.
- Directs the use of the latest and best design standards.
- Directs that complete streets solutions fit within the context of the community.
- Establishes performance standards with measurable outcomes.
WHERE DID COMPLETE STREETS ORIGINATE?
Federal legislation passed in 1991 called for all states to consider bicycling and walking whenever new roads were constructed or existing roads were reconstructed. At about the same time, amendments to the Clean Air Act noted the advantages of walking and bicycling in improving air quality, while the Americans with Disabilities Act required that transportation projects include the needs of physically challenged users. These provisions have been solidified in subsequent legislation, at all levels of government.
Some of these provisions have the force of law and some do not. This means that Jackson Hole community members must often lobby project after project for state and local laws and policies to make sure that all street projects are designed and built with all users in mind and that all existing streets are redesigned and rebuilt to safely accommodate all users.
BENEFITS OF COMPLETE STREETS
Complete streets improve safety and reduce crashes through safety improvements. One study found that designing for pedestrian travel by installing raised medians and redesigning intersections and sidewalks reduced pedestrian risk by 28%. Complete streets also improve safety by increasing the number of people bicycling and walking. A recently published international study found that as the number and portion of people bicycling and walking increases, deaths and injuries decline.
Complete streets encourage more walking and bicycling. Public health experts are encouraging walking and bicycling as a response to the obesity epidemic, and complete streets can help. One study found that 43% of people with safe places to walk within 10 minutes of home met recommended activity levels, while just 27% of those without safe places to walk were active enough. Residents are 65% more likely to walk in a neighborhood with sidewalks. A study in Toronto documented a 23% increase in bicycle traffic after the installation of a bicycle lane.
Complete streets can help ease transportation woes. Streets that provide travel choices can give people the option to avoid traffic jams, and increase the overall capacity of the transportation network. Several smaller cities have adopted complete streets policies as one strategy to increase the overall capacity of their transportation network and reduce congestion. An analysis by the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute found that non-motorized transportation options can replace some vehicle trips, and in urban areas where more people commute by foot or bicycle, people drive fewer miles overall. In Portland, Oregon, a complete streets approach has resulted in a 74% increase in bicycle commuting in the 1990s.
Complete streets help children. Streets that provide room for bicycling and walking help children get physical activity and gain independence. More children walk to school where there are sidewalks. Children who have and use safe walking and bicycling routes have a more positive view of their neighborhood. Jackson Hole is starting a Safe Routes to School programs, which is gaining in popularity across the country to benefit our community’s schools.
Complete Streets are good for reducing greenhouse gasses and improving air quality. Each of us must do our part to reduce global climate change. Yet if each resident of Jackson Hole (estimating 20,000 population) replaced one car trip with one bike trip just once a month, it would cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 753 tons of per year in just our community. Complete streets allow this to happen more easily.
Complete streets make fiscal sense. Integrating sidewalks, bike lanes, transit amenities, and safe crossings into the initial design of a project spares the expense of retrofits later. Jeff Morales, the Director of Caltrans when the state of California adopted its complete streets policy in 2001, said, "By fully considering the needs of all non-motorized travelers (pedestrians, bicyclists, and persons with disabilities) early in the life of a project, the costs associated with including facilities for these travelers are minimized.” Friends of Pathways supports this “build it right the first time” model.
