focusing on health by implementing complete streets

Focusing on

Health by

Implementing

Complete

Streets

Policies:

Michigan's

Experience

Michigan Transportation Planning Association Conference

Holland, Michigan

August 3, 2012

2

Presentation Overview

• Introduction to

Complete Streets

• State Level Policy

Activity

• Local Level Policy

Activity

• Program Overview

• Program Results

Training Objectives:

1. Learn effective strategies for passing state

level CS legislation

2. Increase knowledge of how to assist

communities in passing local CS policies

3. Learn about the results from Michigan’s

experience

3

What is Complete Streets?

A system of streets…

“planned, designed, and

constructed to provide

appropriate access to all

legal users in a manner

that promotes safe and

efficient movement of

people, and goods

whether by car, truck,

transit, assistive device,

foot or bicycle.”

PA 135 of 2010

All users include:

•Pedestrians

•Bicyclists

•Transit users

•Motorists

•Trucks

• Children

• Elderly

• People of

various

abilities

Photo: The Greenway Collaborative, Inc.

4

• Interconnected networks

(destinations linked by roads,

sidewalks, trails and transit)

• Full array of facilities (on-

street bike lanes, sidewalks,

pathways, trails, etc.)

• Facilitate movement along

and across streets

(crosswalks, access

management, traffic signals,

etc.)

• Match street design to user

needs and context

Basic Principles of Complete Streets

Lansing Master Plan

5

• Sidewalks on both sides

• Bike lanes, boulevards,

parking

• Shared-use paths, trails

• Minimized crosswalk

distances through curb

extensions

• Clear pavement markings

• Pedestrian signals, signage

• Mid-block crossings

• Lighting

Common Design Elements

High profile bicycle and

pedestrian facilities clue

drivers in to be on the

lookout for non-motorized

users

Photo: The Greenway Collaborative, Inc.

6

Benefits of Complete Streets

• Environmental:

Reduced greenhouse gas

emissions

Reduced carbon footprint

Less oil dependency

• Public Health:

Reduce obesity

More active lifestyles

Increased mobility

• Safety: sensitive design results

in fewer & less severe crashes

• Quality of Life: More attractive

streets & places translates into

more business

…this cube

represents one

ton of CO2, or

what the

average

American puts

into the

atmosphere

every 2 days…

Illustration source: peds.org

7

• There is a collective

recognition that the system

we have now does not fully

meet our current needs

• Mobility for aging and low

income populations

• Enhanced air quality

• Sustainable communities

• Economic challenges

So Why Now?

There has been a concerted

move towards Complete Streets

in the USA since the early

1990’s

Photo: The Greenway Collaborative, Inc.

8

Overview of the Program

Grasstops

•Supported by HKHM

Coalition

•Goal: Pass a state-level

Complete Streets policy by

February 28, 2012 via two-

pronged approach

•State level policy activity(Working through HKHM)

•Supporting local

implementation work

Grassroots

•Develop local support

through grants to

communities to

implement their own

Complete Streets policies

•Statewide training

-potential of 70% of

population reach

•Technical assistance

•Resources

9

Overview of the Program

State Level Policy

MDCHLocal

Health

Departments

Healthy Kids,

Healthy Michigan

Big Rapids, Detroit, East Lansing,

Escanaba, Flint, Hancock. Houghton

Ironwood, Ishpeming, Jackson

Lansing Township , Linden, Ludington

Marquette, Marquette Township

Northville Township, Pittsfield Township

Saline, WATS, Ypsilanti

Delta-Menominee, Detroit,

DHD#10, Genesee, Jackson,

Marquette, Ingham,

Washtenaw, Western UP

Individual

Members

10

HKHM History Lesson

Complete Streets is

coined

National Governor’s Association

grant for scan of existing activity to prevent

childhood obesity=no policy work

Focus on Complete Streets

and Safe Routes to

School

Develop plan:

• Recruit members

• White paper

• Grant application

• Resolution introduced

Grant received and

implemented

Legislation passed

Training begins

HKHM continues to support

CS through training and TA:

Complete Streets Institute

HKHM is

born

11

Community Policy Action Team

• Crim Fitness Foundation

• Detroit Food & Fitness Initiative

• League of Michigan Bicyclists

• Michigan Association of Planning

• Michigan Department of Community Health

• Michigan Department of Transportation

• Michigan Environmental Council

• Michigan Fitness Foundation

•Michigan Recreation and Park

Association

•Michigan State Housing

Development Authority

•Michigan Trails and Greenways

Alliance

•Washtenaw County Public Health

•AARP

•Michigan Association of Counties

•Michigan Municipal League

•Safe Routes to School National

Partnership

12

Lessons Learned: State Level

Opportunities

• Moving

quickly/could

achieve goal

• Diverse

stakeholders and

partners

• Respectful dialogue

• Lots of support for

CS

Challenges

• At the mercy of state legislative priorities

• Balancing pace of partners

• Negotiating compromise

• Implementation in tough economic times

13

5 Ps of Policy Work

• Promote = build support

• Prepare = educate/train

• Policy = develop policy

• Plan = develop a plan

• Projects = design and

implement

What can be done at the local level?

Project

Plan

Policy

Prepare

Promote

14

Local Policies

• Goal: 10 local units of government adopt CS ordinances

• 20 grants to 13 local health departments

– 29 communities

• Develop local support through grants to communities to implement their own Complete Streets policies

– Supports state-level policy initiative

– Implement CS projects and policy-setting quicker

Program Requirements

• Must have shown

evidence that passage of

an ordinance is possible

• Establish/work through

coalition

• Identify leadership

• Develop work plan

• Offer at least one

community CS training

• Pass ordinance

• 1 year to complete

15

58+ Resolutions

15+ Ordinances

Other communities

• embedding in Master Plans

• changing internal practices

• creating and adopting

active/non-motorized

transportation plans

Where in Michigan?

Photo: Michigan Complete Streets Coalition website;

August 18, 2011

16

When in Michigan?

5%

0%

0%

3%

32%

61%

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

17

What in Michigan?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Resolution Ordinance Master Plan Internal Policy Design Manual NMTP

Type of Policies

Nu

mb

er

of

Po

lic

ies

18

Lessons Learned: Local Level

Opportunities

•Creativity

•Not prescriptive, honors

local context

•Government structure

•New collaborations

•Stronger relationships

•Synergy when grants are

clustered

•Clustering allows for

regional collaboration and

work

Challenges

•Implementation in economic

times

•Ensuring quality

•Tight timeframe, esp if other

processes going

•Government structure

-County gets grant, but

county, city, village, or

township, and road

commissions implement

ordinances

-Different planning

processes for jurisdictions

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Program Results

•Statewide legislation passed

•Funding for local

implementation

-7 ordinances

-6 resolutions

-1 NMTP

-building public health

capacity at both the state

and local levels

•Averages:

Hours to implement: 246

Length: 9.7 months

Cost/reach: $0.38 ($0.05-0.55)

Cost: $9,600 ($5,000-12,000)

•Resources developed

•Training

-70% of population

-1,968 attendees

-243+ hours provided

•Technical Assistance

-560 hours provided

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What is the Complete Streets Institute?

Goal:

Deliver a comprehensive

and standardized set of

training modules statewide

to assist local communities

in raising awareness of,

becoming advocates for,

and adopting and

implementing Complete

Streets policies and

projects.

21

Thank you!

? ??? ?Holly Madill

(734) 913-2000

hmadill@planningmi.org