Approach to Developing

Complete Streets Guidelines

Overview of Staff Report Back

Led by Public Realm Section,

Transportation Services

In Partnership with City Planning

April 9, 2014

Council Directions

In May 2013,

City Council adopted a motion (PW22.10) requesting the Deputy

City Manager, Cluster B, to develop Complete Streets Guidelines

in consultation with the GM, Transportation Services and Chief

Planner and ED, City Planning and report back on an approach.

Council directed Transportation Services and City Planning to:

• Integrate existing plans, policies and bylaws

• Review the National Complete Streets Coalition’s “Policy

Elements”

• Include stakeholders, such as the Disabilities Issues

Committee in the process

All of the above motions affect the

planning, design and construction of streets and are integrated into the

proposed approach for developing Complete Streets Guidelines

Council Directions

Also in 2013,

City Council adopted a motion (PW25.7(4)) requesting Toronto

Water; Transportation Services; Engineering and Construction

Services; City Planning to develop “green infrastructure”

standards for the public right-of-way for implementation in

capital projects.

In a motion (EX34.4(18)), Council requested information on

international best practices for stormwater management and

green infrastructure.

Complete streets are designed and operated to

enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians,

bicyclists, motorists, and public transportation users of all

ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a

complete street.

www.completestreets.org

choose

Official Plan Review

consultations to update

transportation policies

PG32.3 – PGM April 10, 2014

“New and existing City streets will incorporate a

Complete Streets approach and be designed to

perform their diverse roles” policy 3.1.1(5)

“The "Complete Streets" approach recognizes that

there is no single way in which to make a street

"complete"… Guidelines for applying the "Complete

Streets" approach will be developed” section 3.1 sidebar

Official Plan Review

Priority Focus = Guidelines

Complete Streets Guidelines focus on the physical design of streets

modal choice, priority-setting, space allocation, design standards,

context-sensitive options and decision-making protocol

Phase I

Transportation Services

Toronto

Water Engineering

and

Construction

EMS

MCIC

Solid Waste

Management

Private

Utilities TPA

Equity, Diversity

and Human Rights

BIAs

City

Planning

MLS

Fire

Services

Toronto Police

Service

Toronto

Hydro TTC

Parks, Forestry

and Recreation

Economic

Development

and Culture

Environment

and Energy

Astral Media

Outdoor

COMPLETE STREETS Corporate Partners

Legal Services

Toronto

Public

Health

Project scoping

(19 interviews with key internal/external partners & stakeholders)

Scan of precedents and internal policy documents

Project team and interdivisional committees set-up

(Steering Committee: GM, Transportation Services; Chief Planner;

ED, Engineering & Construction Services; GM, Toronto Water)

External stakeholder engagement

(presentations to Disability Issues Committee and stakeholder

focus group – approx. 20 NGOs/interest groups)

Staff Report finalized “Approach to Developing Complete

Streets Guidelines”

(includes above input and coordination with Feeling Congested,

green infrastructure directions and other interdivisional initiatives)

April 9th PWIC and May 6th/7th City Council Meeting

Work Done to Date

2013

Summer

2013

Fall

2014

Winter

2014

Spring

Project Management (roles, staffing, committees)

Steering Committee

(DCM, Cluster B; GM, Transportation

Services; CP/ED, City Planning; ED

Engineering and Construction Services;

GM, Toronto Water)

Core Project Team

(staff from Transportation

Services and City Planning)

Technical Committee(s)

(Transportation Services, City Planning, Toronto

Water, Engineering & Construction, Fire, EMS,

Parks & Forestry, Public Health, EcDev, Major

Capital Infrastructure Coordination, Municipal

Licensing and Standards, TTC, Toronto Parking

Authority and others as needed)

Consultant Team

Stakeholders

Project Scoping – Interviews

15 City Divisions (numerous internal units) and

4 external organizations interviewed

• BILD

• City Planning

• Economic Development & Culture

• Engineering & Construction Services

• Emergency Medical Services

• Fire Services

• Infrastructure Operations Committee

• Major Capital Infrastructure

Coordination

• Metrolinx

• Municipal Licensing & Standards

• Parks, Forestry & Recreation

• Right-of-Way Management

• Toronto Centre for Active

Transportation

• Toronto Public Health

• Toronto Water

• Traffic Planning & Operations

Management

• Transportation Infrastructure

Management

• TTC

Focus Group – External Partners & Stakeholders

Scan of Precedents

• Jurisdictional scan and compilation of best practices

– Calgary, Edmonton, Waterloo

– Boston, Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia

– National Complete Streets best practices

– Others such as NACTO (National Association of City

Transportation Officials)

• Official Plan (vision and policies)

• Complete Streets Guidelines (design guidance and decision-making

process)

• Training and application to capital

projects, EAs, development review, BIA

projects, and smaller projects

• Monitoring and evaluation of key projects

(metrics / data), and update Guidelines

• Engineering and construction standards

• Mapping, network analysis and planning

“Family” of Tools

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Phase I

Phase 2

Phase 3

Audience

Who are Complete Streets Guidelines for?

The Street Design Manual provides policies

and design guidelines to city agencies,

design professionals, private developers,

and community groups for the improvement

of streets and sidewalks – New York

Complete Streets Guidelines will affect

those who design, build and maintain

streets, as well as citizens who live and

travel on those streets – Edmonton

How the Guidelines apply

All new projects that significantly impact

public and private streets should follow

these guidelines - New York City

The Handbook will inform all projects that

impact the public right-of-way in Philadelphia,

including construction of new streets and

improvements to existing streets – Philadelphia

• Reconstructions

• Resurfacings

• Water/Sewer/Stormwater Management

• Utility Cut Rehabilitations

• Safety/Local Improvements

• New Sidewalk Construction

• Bikeway Construction/Markings

• Street Furniture Installations

• Street Tree Planting/Operations

• BIA Work

• TTC/Metrolinx Projects

• Waterfront TO/PanAm Initiatives

• Private/Developer Sidewalk and Boulevard Improvements

• Environmental Assessments, Avenue Studies, etc.

How the Guidelines apply

The Guidelines

will inform

planned projects

–

Not create new

projects

Complete Streets Guidelines

A unifying and “umbrella” document for street planning and

design, that consolidates city policies and standards for the right-

of-way.

It will set out a clear, coordinated process for street design and

help provide design options based on context (e.g. land use,

street function, etc.) and best practices.

Context-Sensitive Design

Land Use,

Street

Function,

Other

Context and

Input

Street

Design

Guidance

Clear,

coordinated

process for

projects

Complete Streets Guidelines Vision, principles, directions on who to involve and when (roles ), modal choice and

priorities, space allocation, context assessment, design options & standards

Recommended

Options

Recommendations for PWIC

1. Direct the General Manager, Transportation Services and

Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to develop

Complete Streets Guidelines using the integrated approach

as outlined in Attachment 1.

2. Report back in 2015 on the Complete Streets Guidelines and

the completion of Phase 1: Development, Consultation and

Delivery of Complete Streets Guidelines, with

recommendations on the support that may be necessary for

implementation.

Budget is $300,000 to $350,000 to retain a consultant team to

develop and produce the guidelines.

Integrated Approach – Attachment 1

Federal & Provincial Transportation Association of Canada,

AODA, Highway Traffic Act, Metrolinx plan

City of Toronto

Official Plan (health, environment,

equity, social & economic vibrancy)

Wet Weather

Flow Master Plan

Transportation Strategic Plan (people

& goods, emergency / utilities, work zones, right-of-way management, public space)

Strategic Forest

Management Plan

Complete Streets Design Guide (mode choice, space allocation, street

geometry, design options)

Street Tree Study

“Green Streets”

Equity, Diversity & Human

Rights

Accessibility Design

Guidelines

Streetscape Manual

2) Includes “links” to relevant technical details such as “Green Streets”, low impact development, street tree details, area-specific plans/BIA plans, approved EAs, and SPQA / DIPS (ECS standards)

1) Builds on & integrates key policies, bylaws, standards, guidelines affecting the right-of-way, such as Official Plan, Streetscape Manual, Vibrant Streets, Accessibility Design Guidelines, Bike Plan, Walking Strategy, Wet Weather Flow Guidelines, MLS Café bylaws, Streets bylaw, etc…

Integration of Green Infrastructure

• The Guidelines will integrate planning for “green infrastructure” (to manage

stormwater and snow) as part of the street design process

• Detailed technical standards will be developed in tandem by Toronto Water;

Engineering and Construction Services; City Planning and Transportation

Services using pilot projects and best practices

Photo Courtesy of New York City

April 9th PWIC, May 6/7th City Council

Consultant RFP developed

Consultant selected

Consultation and engagement underway

(internal partners and key stakeholders)

Existing policy inventory and summaries completed

Best practices review and recommendations completed

External consultation and engagement underway

Draft Guidelines produced

Context-sensitive, decision-making process developed

Consultation and engagement > refinement

Finalize Guidelines, preparation of implementation strategy

Report to PWIC on Phase 1 completion, Phase II initiation

Timeline & Key Milestones

2014 Spring

2014 Summer

2014 Fall

2015 Winter/

Spring

2015 Spring/

Summer

Thank You

Complete Streets Core Project Team

Fiona Chapman, Manager

Pedestrian Projects, Transportation Services

Janet Lo, Project Officer

Public Realm, Transportation Services

416-397-4853 jlo3@toronto.ca

Alka Lukatela, Program Manager

Urban Design, City Planning

Allison Reid, Urban Designer

Urban Design, City Planning

Daniel Egan, Manager

Cycling Unit, Transportation Services

David Kuperman, Project Manager,

Infrastructure Planning, Transportation Services

David Hunter, Senior Planner

Transportation Planning, City Planning