Livable Streets Advocacy Training Kansas City Region October 10, 2011

Livable Streets Advocacy Training October 10, 2011 Agenda 4 :00 - 4:20 Welcome and Introductions 4:20 – 4:50 Livable Streets 101 4:50 – 6:30 Advocacy training and next steps 6:30 – 7:00 Walkability Audit (outside) 7:00 – 7:30 Working with Local Governments 7:30 – 8:00 Lee’s Summit – a case study

Livable Streets 101

What is a Livable Street Benefits of Livable Streets What are We Asking For?

The Complete Streets Movement Missouri Livable Streets

What is a Livable Street

What is a Livable Street?

Livable Streets consider the needs all users: • Pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, car drivers, truck transport • Seniors, children, people of all abilities and means

Common Livable Streets Elements • • • • • • • • Sidewalks Bicycle facilities (lanes and routes) Trails Crosswalks Paved shoulders Curb cuts Transit connections Street trees

Livable Streets Are Flexible • Urban • Suburban • Rural • Large/small city • Busy street • Quiet street

• • • • Different names – same thing: Livable Streets Complete Streets Comprehensive Street Design Routine accommodation (of bicycling, walking, transit)

Two meanings of “Complete” • Individual Complete Streets: Each street must be complete – meet the needs of all users • Complete System Connectivity: We also need complete, connected travel networks for people who walk, bicycle, use transit

What does Livable Streets not mean?

Source: www.enterstageright.com, Dan Jennings • Congestion and gridlock • A street designed for only one mode • A bicycle path or sidewalk on every street

Source: www.enterstageright.com, Dan Jennings

Benefits of Livable Streets

What are the benefits of Livable Streets?

• • • Livable Streets are healthy. They get people physically active, which leads to healthier residents including students, workers.

Livable Streets promote transportation choices. For those who can not or choose not to drive, Livable streets provide a safe space for non-motorized modes.

Livable streets support economic development efforts. Walkable retail encourages lingering, spending. Properties closer to trails sell faster, for more.

Livable Streets promote improved health and well-being.

• • • Nationally and in Missouri, childhood obesity is on the rise with 14% of Missouri high schoolers and 30% of adults considered obese. Obesity increases risk of chronic diseases including Type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

The presence of sidewalks is positively associated with physical activity

34,5 32,5 30,5 28,5 26,5 24,5 22,5 20,5 18,5 0,79 0,81 0,83 0,85 0,87 0,89 0,91

% Driving

0,93 0,95 Source: Trust for America's Health, " F as in Fat ,“ and U.S. Census

Livable Streets provide more transportation choices.

Courtesy www.pedbikeimages.org

• • About 1/3 of Missourians cannot drive because they are too young (under 16), too old (some over 65), have a physical disability or live in chronic poverty.

Creating sidewalks and transit connections for these residents provides access to jobs, retail, social and recreational amenities.

Livable streets support economic vitality.

• • • Large businesses consider the overall health of a community when deciding where to locate or expand.

Properties located adjacent to trails sell quicker and for more.

Businesses favor healthier employees as they lose fewer workdays to sickness.

Livable Streets Are Kind to the Budget

   Livable Streets means spending existing budget and resources with different, better priorities--more productive, more inclusive, more community oriented Far cheaper to include Complete Streets elements up front than add later Bicycle & pedestrian projects are typically far cheaper than road projects (by several zeros . . . )

Want to take a walk?

What are We Asking/Advocating For?

What are We Asking/Advocating For?

• Adopt a written Livable Streets policy: o o o Ordinance Resolution Internal policy • Engage Citizens o o Citizens Committee Engage citizens about Complete Streets in project planning • Update internal policies o o o o o Streets plan Zoning code & regulations Development code Funding/budget City Comprehensive Plan • Individual projects o o o o Planning Design Construction Maintenance

An ideal Livable Streets policy:

     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.

Specifies that ‘all users’ includes pedestrians, bicyclists and transit passengers of all ages and abilities, as well as trucks, buses and automobiles.

Makes any exceptions specific and sets a clear procedure that requires high-level approval of exceptions.

Includes specific next steps for implementation of the policy.

Sample policies online at – CompleteStreets.org  – Changing Policy MoBikeFed.org/CompleteStreets

All Agencies: Transportation Planning happens at several levels • • • • Local Regional State Agencies Federal

The Complete Streets Movement

Complete Streets Movement

Nationwide: • • • 283 jurisdictions have adopted Complete Streets policies 25 states, Puerto Rico, D.C.

Growing rapidly

Complete Streets Movement

In Missouri & Kansas: • 22 Complete Streets Policies in MO & KS: cities, counties, metro planning agencies, Missouri General Assembly • • Compared w/ 4 in 2008 7 in the KC metro area; 5 of the 9 largest cities • • • The 6 largest cities in MO have adopted Complete Streets; over 1.1 million people Mid-America Regional Council policy (2010) Missouri & KC are now national Complete Streets leaders

Complete Streets Policies in our Region

Kansas City region: • KCMO MO & KS: • Missouri General Assembly St. Louis • KCK • St. Louis MPO • Mid-America Regional Council (KC MPO) • • Topeka • Independence • St. Joseph MPO Columbia • Lee’s Summit • • Springfield • Johnson County • Blue Springs • De Soto, Festus, Crystal city, Herculaneum, Pevely • Leawood • Elsberry Ferguson • Roeland Park •

Missouri Livable Streets

What is Missouri Livable Streets?

• An MU Extension project • Advocacy trainings, outreach – Sedalia, Jefferson City, St. Louis County, O’Fallon, St. Louis, Warsaw, Kirksville, Crystal City, Springfield, Kansas City . . . • • • Statewide media campaign Technical assistance – – Livable Streets Design Manual Advocacy Manual Education and training to design professionals

Missouri Livable Streets works through a stakeholder-driven process to identify best practices and available resources for livable streets and deliver these to interested Missouri communities.

Courtesy www.pedbikeimages.org , Laura Sandt

Missouri Livable Streets support

• • • • • A merican Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Centers for Disease Control Communities Putting Prevention to Work (CPPW) award Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) University Outreach and Extension Missouri Council for Activity and Nutrition

Livable Streets Resources

 CompleteStreets.org

   LivableStreets.Missouri.edu

MoBikeFed.org/CompleteStreets KanBikeWalk.com

 BikeWalkKC.org/CompleteStreets   Trailnet.org

PedNet.org

Send e-mail to champions.

[email protected]

with subject Subscribe ‘Livable Streets’ list for monthly updates on policies, programs and

The Challenge of the 20 th Century was making our country accessible for automobiles – – From 0 miles paved roads in 1900 to over 2 million miles in 2000 From 0 cars per household in 1900 to one car per household by 1950 to one car per driver by 2000 The Challenge of the 21 st Century is making our country accessible to humans again . . .