Complete Streets Becoming More Whole

Skateboarding to school
Photo courtesy of windsordi on Flickr

City plans for Complete Streets are slowly becoming a bit more comprehensive. Last Wednesday night, the San Clemente Planning Commission approved a new mobility plan to their city General Plan. A few exciting highlights from their comprehensive “Policy Framework-Draft Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan” include:

• We shall incorporate bicycle accommodations into all land use plans and capital improvement projects.
• (The city shall) include skateboarding as a legitimate form of transportation as a policy, and include programs to evaluate and revise ordinances as necessary to accommodate safe skateboard use.
• Support the creation of comprehensive safety awareness programs for pedestrians, skateboarders, cyclists and drivers.
• The city shall measure non-motorized trips and vehicle trip productions, especially at local schools, so as to monitor mode share goal progress.

Gathering Community Support – Eagle Rock Takes Back the Boulevard

Take Back the Boulevard is an initiative created by residents to improve the quality of life in Eagle Rock through equalizing the mode share on Colorado Boulevard. In Eagle Rock, Colorado Boulevard is the main thoroughfare, a 6 lane roadway connecting major highways and freeways. A more equitable mode share on Colorado Boulevard will facilitate more transportation options and economic opportunities. On the Boulevard, 83% of the distance between one store front to another – 120 feet – is dedicated to vehicular traffic only. Of the 120 feet of public space, including sidewalks and roads, pedestrians and bicyclists are confined to 20 feet of area.

Help Pass SCAG Motion with Active Transportation Policies!

We need your help! Advocates and community members: Your participation will help ensure an important motion (read here) supporting active transportation policies is passed. If you can, plan to provide public comments at the SCAG Regional Council Meeting (agenda) on Wednesday, April 4th at 1:00pm @ Westin Bonaventure Hotel.  If you cannot attend the meeting, please sign on to our letter to support the motion.

SCAG Recommends Active Transportation Policies but No Funding Changes

At the March 21st Southern California Association of Governments’ (SCAG’s) Joint  Policy Committees’ meeting, committee members recommend that the Final Draft of the Regional Transportation Plan and Sustainable Communities Strategies (RTP/SCS) be adopted at the upcoming April 5th General Assembly.  Active transportation and public health advocates once again made up the overwhelimng majority of speakers during the public comment period demanding additional funding and planning for active transportation.

Unfortunately, despite the repeated input from the public, the proposed final version of the RTP/SCS allocates a mere $6.7 billion dollars for active transportation over the next 25 years.  This amounts to a mere 1.3% of the total RTP/SCS budget despite the fact that active transportation accounts for 21% of all trips in the SCAG region and that the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health estimates that the true need is in the range of $40 billion.

Joint Use and Community Based Schools Action Team Meeting

Joint Use and Community Based Schools Action Team Meeting

Meeting via conference call on  Wednesday March 21, 1-2 pm. 

Conference Call Number: 1-866-394-4146
Access Code: 553816012#
Mute/unmute: *4

Complete Streets Comment letters

 

Small town, main street

Originally uploaded by Complete Streets

Read the letter that the California Safe Routes to School Network coordinated and submitted to the Office of Planning and Research in November.  I’m super excited to say that over 50 groups and individuals signed on in support of these comments.  That is fantastic.  And it’s great to that both  California Walks and WALKSacramento also submitted letters with meaningful advice, especially in regards to ADA issues,  on how the implementation of California Complete Streets legislation AB 1358 can further support walkable and bikable communities for all users – regardless of age or ability.

Many thanks to the many people who have worked tirelessly on the introduction, adoption and now implementation of California’s Complete Streets Policy.

Support Complete Streets in California

No more streets like pictured above and this foot path with a utility pole in the middle of the walkway.   Support transportation planning for all modes -including pedestrians, bicyclists, those in wheelchairs and more.
Sign on with other organizations and individuals to support Complete Streets in California.  This is a great opportunity to show support across the state for walkable and bikable communities – and the many co-benefits that come along with that.  To have your name included in this letter, please email jessica@saferoutespartnership by 11am Friday November 20th.

Consider signing on to the Complete Streets Comment Letter

As we wrote last week, the California Office of Planning and Research is currently taking public comments on their update to General Plan Guidelines to reflect the 2008 Complete Streets Legislation.  Please see the comment letter that we will be sending into OPR this Friday November 20th and consider signing on – if interested please let me know via email by COB 11/18 at jessica(at)saferoutespartnership.org.

California Complete Streets Legislation

In January 2011, California Complete Streets legislation AB 1358 comes into effect.  As a result, all cities and counties, upon the next update of their circulation element, must plan for complete streets. The Governor’s Office of Planning and Research is currently taking public comments on the draft guidance until November 19th.

We are currently circulating a draft comment letter that individuals and organizations are encouraged to sign on to.  The comment letter will be finalized this Friday 11/12 noon.  Then will be circulated for all California Safe Routes partners to consider signing onto, those who want to sign on need to let me know by COB 11/18 via email jessica@saferoutespartnership.org.  Consider signing on!