Complete Streets Webinar by Smart Growth America

Today, I sat in on this webinar by Smart Growth America and the Complete Streets Coalition, focused on the benefits of the complete streets approach. The full report can be downloaded from here:
 
hhttp://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/research/safer-streets-stronger-economies/

Read on for some key things I took from the webinar and be sure to take a look through the report.

The webinar and the report provide case studies and highlight the many benefits of the complete streets approach. The problem in many cases promoting such streets is the lack of available data on the benefits and before and after comparisons, so importantly, the report provides case studies where the complete streets approach has proved successful. Some key takeaways were:

• Safety is improved as there is less conflict, more space for everybody and vehicles often drive slower because they are no longer the dominant mode.
  
• It encourages more people to walk and cycle promoting healthier communities. Doctors can prescribe exercise to address health issues but if there is nowhere to safely walk or cycle then we are contributing to societies health problems.
• More people on the street spend more money in local stores, and this is the biggest selling point i think, as funding is often an issue. The improvements, in town centre locations at least, attract new businesses to the redesigned street and this influx of investment into the community far outweighs the cost of the street improvements.
  
• If you design streets for people it will attract people, if you design streets for cars it will attract cars (some cars are ok though and vital to business also, parking should be set to encourage turnover  and maintain available spaces)
  
• Removing unwarranted traffic signals and replacing with 4-way stops reduced maintenance requirements and gives priority to pedestrians, it helps change priority from car to people.
  
• Proposed changes to reduce capacity will almost always result in some public opposition fearing traffic problems. Must focus on the other benefits but it requires commitment and determination to implement.
  
• Context is important also, and a complete streets serving a central retail area will require different treatments compared with the application of the principles on a connecting arterial, both can be made complete and multi-modal but the components used may differ.