In 2012, the Better Block Team and City of San Antonio residents took some time to see what West Commerce, a four-lane street, would look like if improvements were made to encourage walking and biking. The Better Block event allowed citizens to imagine what their community would look like with temporary bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. City officials looked to the reaction of constituents to decide how funds from the 2012 bond program would be spent. Read More About San Antonio's Better Block Experiment Recap of Final San Antonio Better Block for 2012-Case Study: Transportation and Retail Study Testing West Commerce Temporary Transformation into a Better Block (San Antonio Express ...
In 2010, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico adopted a policy (S. 1857) for Complete Streets or "Calles Completas." The bill lists reasons for why a Complete Streets policy should be adopted, citing lack of physical activity, and high levels of obesity, among other reasons duly related to needed improvements to transportation infrastructure. AARP a national organization that helps improve the quality of life for individuals age 50 and older, worked in Puerto Rico to train locals to conduct sidewalk assessments. This blog, "Rescate el acceso a sus calles y aceras," written in Spanish lists ways that the community can be a part of implementing the Complete Streets policy. Individuals interested in the implementation of Complete Streets in Puerto Rico can contact AARP by email, phone, mail, ...
In 2008, the State of California adopted a Complete Streets policy (AB 1358) to ensure that local governments would develop roads in a manner suitable to bicyclists, children, motorists, pedestrians, seniors, and public transportation. In response, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), the Congestion Management Agency for Santa Clara County, created a memorandum which provides good examples of ways local communities can comply with the California Complete Streets Act. In order to comply with the new law the VTA recommends of of the following: A general plan circulation element that complies with AB 1358; or
A Complete Streets Policy Resolution The VTA was charged with ensuring that communities are in compliance with the Complete Streets Act, by January ...
In August of 2011, the state of New York adopted a Complete Streets policy. This policy states that all county, local, and state transportation projects will consider the access and mobility needs of all users, of all ages, by using complete street designs. Resources
The text for New York's Complete Streets policy (New York's Complete Streets Policy- S05411). A slideshow presentation, created by TVGA Consultants, which provides information on the need for complete streets in New York. View charts, stats, and photos related to New York's Complete Streets policy. This American Public Health Association's (APHA) factsheet describes what Complete Streets are and provides examples of Complete Street ...
During the 2011 82(R) legislative session, Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) & Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) filed a bill (SB 513) to adopt a statewide Complete Streets policy. A companion bill (HB 1105), filed in the House, also provided a Complete Streets policy. Although, these bills were not approved by the House or Senate, advocacy groups such as BikeTexas, continue to strive for the passage of a statewide Complete Streets policy during the 2013 legislative session. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has adopted guidelines, in response to a 2010 USDOT federal policy, which encourages the development of streets designed for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Complete Street Bills 2011 Complete Streets Policy for Texas SB 513 Complete Streets Bill ...
Prior to 2010, San Antonio ranked 6th in the nation for childhood obesity and 12th for adult obesity. By initiating a Complete Streets initiative, the city has improved safety and encouraged alternative means of transportation, including walking, biking, and public transportation. The city's Complete Street's policy was adopted on September 29, 2011, and took effect in October of 2011. San Antonio Metrohealth collaborated with the City’s Planning and Community Development Department and led an interdepartmental working group of planning and engineering professionals on the creation of complete streets recommendations. Implementing a Complete Streets policy has helped make the road safer for cyclists and pedestrians alike, and has provided Latino children living in San Antonio with an ...
Fernando Martinez of BikeTexas faced several challenges in bringing the Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) to the children of Amarillo, Texas. The first time that Martinez approached school administrators they did not buy-in to the idea of SRTS. After partnering with members of a local bike club--Martinez was able to bring the concept before school administrators once again--but this time he was able to demonstrate support from the community. Soon afterward, Martinez was invited to speak at a PTA meeting where parents expressed their interest in the SRTS program. As the community became more aware of SRTS, parents and teachers wanted to learn more about how they could enable kids to participate in SRTS. The number of schools and children participating in BikeTexas' SRTS program ...
In 2012, the city of Indianapolis signed a Complete Streets proposal which will modify city code once implemented. The Complete Streets Coalition has rated Indianapolis' Complete Streets Policy as the best policy of the year. The ordinance will ensure that both public and private developments consider the transportation needs of all users when developing new land or road projects. The success of this policy will be measured based on a number of performance measures outlined in the policy. The total miles of bike lances, total feet of new pedestrian accommodations, and rate of children walking or biking to school, are all examples of specific measures that will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of this policy on a quarterly and annual basis. More information This article from the ...
According to a news article from The Reporter, health advocacy groups are working with state policy makers in Pennsylvania to develop legislation that would create a specific fund to support the construction of walking and bike trails. Groups like the Mission: Readiness organization---an organization of retired military leaders---are concerned that childhood obesity has become an issue of national security and have called on state lawmakers to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that would include active modes of transportation. The news story reports that legislators plan on proposing a whole sales tax on fuel sold to gas stations to support the development of trails. They are hoping that this tax would help raise between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion a year for new ...
