Completing What They Started, Streetwise

[XLFD]

The Michigan Complete Streets Act.  Points of this are debatable, but overall I think it is a step (and a ride) in the right direction.  Haven't heard about it yet?  Here's what it is.

 

7-28-2010:  In a move that will make transportation more accessible to all residents, the House and Senate today passed Complete Streets legislation (HB 6151 & HB 6152) sponsored by State Representatives Pam Byrnes (D-Lyndon Township) and Jon Switalski (D-Warren) to ensure that future transportation plans statewide take into consideration the needs of all users including pedestrians, bicyclists, seniors, people with disabilities and children. This plan is now set to be signed into law.
In 2009, Michigan had the 9th highest rate of adult obesity in the nation, at 28.8 percent, and the 26th highest rate of overweight youths (ages 10 – 17) at 30.6 percent, according to a report by Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  If that trend continues, the prevalence of obesity will grow to 44 percent by 2018.

“The Senate’s approval of the Complete Streets legislation is a testament to the importance of creating walkable and bikeable communities where residents have the opportunity to lead healthy, active lifestyles,” said Mike Maisner, Legislative Committee Chair Healthy Kids, Healthy Michigan.

Complete Streets have many benefits, including, increased property values, reduced risk of pedestrian-vehicle crashes and increased pedestrian traffic.

 

 

8-4-2010:  Both Complete Streets bills (HB 6151 and HB 6152) were presented to Governor Granholm last Thursday afternoon. Late Sunday, she signed them both into law.

They were sent to the Secretary of State’s office on Monday, August 2 as Public Acts 134 and 135 of 2010.

 

10/21/2010:  Berkley was the ninth Michigan city to pass a Complete Streets resolution earlier this month, and more cities are looking at their own resolutions, as well.

The city voted to adopt the Complete Streets policy earlier this month; now the planning commission will be working on a master plan amendment to address that issue. The groundwork will likely be laid and money appropriated within six months, says Amy Vansen, a city planner with Berkley.

"I think a lot of conversations needs to happen so when improvements are made, they're made in the best way possible," Vansen says.

Novi adopted a resolution in August, and Saline was also an early adopter of the Complete Streets program, passing its resolution last month.

 

At least nine Michigan cities have adopted measures to practically institute the recently passed law enacted by Michigan to consider all roadway users when constructing/maintaining streets.  Street construction in incorporated areas should have had this all along.  The devil is in the details, but Ludington, Scottville, Manistee, Baldwin, Pentwater etc. would be well served in showing their support for this well-intentioned law by incorporating it into their local ordinances.  Manistique, in the U.P., did this two months ago, and this is how they did it:

 

Complete Streets Resolution for Manistique, Michigan

Passed by unanimous vote of the Manistique City Council on September 13, 2010

WHEREAS, increasing walking and bicycling offers the potential for greater health of the population, and more livable communities; and

WHEREAS, A Complete Street is safe, comfortable, and convenient for travel by automobile, foot, bicycle, and transit regardless of age or ability, and

WHEREAS, The Michigan Legislature has passed Complete Streets legislation that requires the Michigan Department of Transportation and local governments to consider all users in transportation related projects; and

WHEREAS, the Michigan Planning Enabling Act has been amended, requiring that all transportation improvements identified in a plan are appropriate to the context of the community and considers all legal users of the public right of way; and

WHEREAS, Complete Streets support economic growth and community stability by providing accessible and efficient connections between home, school, work, recreation and retail destinations by improving the pedestrian and vehicular environments throughout communities; and

WHEREAS, Complete Streets enhance safe walking and bicycling options for school-age children, in recognition of the objectives of the national Safe Routes to School program; and

WHEREAS, the City of Manistique recognizes the importance of street infrastructure and modifications such as sidewalks, crosswalks, shared use paths, bicycle lanes, signage, narrow vehicle lanes and accessible curb ramps, that enable safe, convenient, and comfortable travel for all users; therefore

BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Manistique, to the extent feasible, will include Complete Streets design considerations and practices as a routine part of infrastructure planning and implementation; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the City of Manistique supports the future development of a non-motorized transportation plan and a Complete Streets ordinance that supports ease of use and safety for all users of transportation systems within the City of Manistique.

 

Encourage your local community to get on board with Complete Streets protocols, for the safety and health of you and your neighbors. 

[Susan Rose]

These are good ideas, unfortunately the uncontrolled spending has broke Local, State, Federal governments.  They behave like a child with check books. As long as I can write a check I have money mentality, with zero accountability. If we weren’t so broke I would welcome these types of initiatives.

[XLFD]

Your ambivalence to the Complete Streets Laws equals my own.  Many local ordinances already have the germ of the complete streets, in that they may call for sidewalks to be installed under certain conditions, but fail to enforce it equally.  This is what we have in Ludington where plans for installations of sidewalks are required to be included in all building permits of lots adjacent to streets, but fails to adequately enforce it when those plans are not realized. 

 

This is why we have forests on some public right-of-ways and opulent homes along Lakeshore Drive in town with no sidewalks and fences forcing foot traffic into the road's shoulder. 

Adoption of a complete streets ordinance might not do anything to change this, and might make our governing unit ruin perfectly good road shoulders by building a lot of useless bike lanes and other ill-advised constructions, but it is something that should have been in place back 60 years ago.   Now, as you say, it will likely be more than we can afford, and be co-opted by special interest groups.

[Willy]

One thing that should be done is installing sidewalks on streets leading to schools. It is appalling how many streets around the School complex on Washington st. lack sidewalks, thus forcing children to walk in the street on the way to and from school. This is a condition that should not be allowed to exist.

[XLFD]

If I had any say on it, RJE, I would try to pass a local ordinance making it mandatory for anyone with property adjacent to a street within 1000 ft. of school property to install a sidewalk.  The same radius we use to keep RSOs away from the kids, about three blocks.  Even this small area, however,  would cost city hall a great deal with all the neglect from the past as regards installing sidewalks, as illustrated in the "Haight of Insanity" thread.  Haight Street is not an anomaly.

[XLFD]

Well, about a half of a year after I urged them to, the Ludington City Council became about the fortieth Michigan community to adopt a Complete Streets Resolution.  In Monday's LDN, they had an article saying that it was to be considered at the City Council that night. 

I would have liked to go, but I didn't have time to get written permission to do so due to the letter of trespass that still violates my civil rights without a clue as to why; but I replied to the article that afternoon, and it was printed in the comments:  

 http://www.ludingtondailynews.com/news/57798-ludington-council-meet...

 

Sure enough, John Shay presented and endorsed this policy not with the visionary foresight of making our streets usable by  and safe for pedestrians, disabled individuals, and bicycles, but because the City would receive extra points when it applies for MDOT grants for street projects.  The resolution just has the City consider making city streets better for walkers and bikers while planning the projects, but does not require the City to actually make those changes. 

In the hard edition, Shay states on page 8:  "The City has already taken the Complete Streets Concept into consideration on previous street projects including construction of a bike lane on the north side of Bryant Road..." 

The City did not put in this bicycle lane voluntarily.  For some reason, back in 2005 the MDOT would only okay a generous grant to create the multi-use path/loop that cuts through the heart of Cartier Park if the City would create a bicycle lane on Bryant Road.  To his credit Shay at the time, like myself, was perplexed at the uselessness of a bike lane in that area.  Until you consider the MDOT more than likely had some dumb quota for adding bicycle facilities, irregardless of usfulness.

[AQUAMAN]

Gotta wonder what kind of steel trap minds are running the MDOT agency these days, rewarding points towards grants for just thinking about improvements, not actually doing them. Pathetic waste of more time and paperwork gone awry in Michigan politics.

[XLFD]

Time will tell, but so far the "Complete Streets" legislation passed by the Michigan legislators and signed into law by ex-governor Granholm was nothing more than just  a bunch of window dressing made to appease the angry handicapped, pedestrians, and bicyclists who have inadequate facilities to get from point A to B.

The actual state law does little more than create another level of bureaucracy, and has no teeth unless they have dedicated leadership (rare in a bureaucracy) or definite guidelines for the MDOT to help implement the policies.  Once the car-less population figure out that this illusionary progress and gets angry again, we might finally get some real policies. 

The sad thing is, if Ludington City Hall enforced its own sidewalk ordinances, we would have a very walkable community already.  Here's the state law

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(dsc1ye45ifzdpc45jwaxip45))/mileg.a...