Everyone Wins With Complete Streets

[Metro Jacksonville]

Everyone Wins With Complete Streets



Complete streets are those designed and operated to enable safe access and travel for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit users, and travelers of all ages and abilities will be able to move along the street network safely.  Here are a few benefits for incorportating the concept of Complete Streets into urban Jacksonville's landscape.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2011-feb-everyone-wins-with-complete-streets

[BridgeTroll]

Great article Ennis!  While looking at the first two examples of Complete Streets it occured to me that it would be very important for all users to "follow the rules".  Pedestrians should cross when and where designated.  Cars must stay within their lanes and speed limits.  Bikes would stay in bike lanes and obey traffic signals.  As a driver and pedestrian in DT Jax for years... "following the rules" is an issue.

[Captain Zissou]

Awesome Job Ennis.  My main hesitation is that I don't think complete streets work in isolation.  Without a network of streets with complete street principals in place, you end up with one street that motorists fly through, endangering pedestrians.  It could also just be a bottleneck for motorists (which isn't necessarily a bad thing).  A complete network takes people out of their cars and puts them on bikes, foot, or transit, which then alleviates the problems caused by drivers in the first place.

Using a pilot neighborhood to implement a network of streets would be a great first step, IMO

[thelakelander]

I agree.  Nothing in isolation works when it comes to stimulating urban vibrancy.  A network of connected streets that tie together neighborhoods and destinations is a must.

[urbaknight]

I wonder if the city and/or JTA are in any kind of violation of the Americans With Disability Act? Just look at JTA's proposed projects, how they seem to ignore all plans that benefit pedestrians. And the city's relaxed approach on "bad drivers" and the fact that they're pretty much allowed to do what ever they want, such as parking, often completely covering the sidewalks, or running over people, they're never charged. Can the ADA do anything to help us fix the way things are done, or should I say "not done"?

[dougskiles]

We aren't NY or SF, but we can incorporate these ideas into our city:

Fixing the Great Mistake: Autocentric Development by Elizabeth Press (Streetfilms.org)

http://www.streetfilms.org/fixing-the-great-mistake-autocentric-development/

and

Revisiting Donald Appleyard's Livable Streets by Elizabeth Press (Streetfilms.org)

http://www.streetfilms.org/revisiting-donald-appleyards-livable-streets/

[dougskiles]

Boy, I wish we could bring this lady to Jacksonville:

http://www.streetfilms.org/transforming-nyc-streets-with-jsk/#more-1163

http://www.streetsblog.org/2010/08/16/nycdot-releases-landmark-ped-safety-study-will-pilot-20mph-zones/

But, without Michael Bloomberg as mayor, she wouldn't have had the power to take action.  Bloomberg, who was a lifelong Democrat, switched his registration to Republican in 2001.

[fieldafm]

http://www.good.is/post/long-beach-begins-building-excellent-new-bike-lanes?utm_campaign=daily_good&utm_medium=email&utm_source=headline_link&utm_content=Long%20Beach%20Begins%20Building%20Excellent%20New%20Bike%20Lanes

Long Beach Begins Building Excellent New Bike Lanes

We all know biking is a healthier way of getting around than sitting in a car. And in a sunny place like Long Beach, California, it should be more pleasant than driving, too. Unfortunately, without safe bike lanes, cyclists often have to share the road with cars, and that can be a harrowing experience.

But today, the City of Long Beach began construction on its Broadway and Third Street Separated Bikeways Project. Along two stretches of road, Broadway Avenue and Third Street between Alamitos and Golden avenues, one car lane will be eliminated to create a dedicated bike lane that's separated from traffic by planters and pylons. Cyclists will be able to get around (on these two streets, at least) without dodging cars.

This pilot project will cost $639,594 and is scheduled for completion by March 11. If these bike lanes prove effective, the city will make them permanent with landscaped medians (and, presumably, expand the network of separated bike paths). It's part of Long Beach's plan to become "the most bicycle-friendly city in America." And while that may be an ambitious goalâ€"has the City Council heard of Portland or Davis?â€"it's one more cities should adopt.

[doglover]

We need something like this...do you know how many times I've been riding my bike in Riverside and been yelled at by motorists to "get out of the damn road"

[fieldafm]

As Doug was mentioning... here is one of said streets in NYC

[urbaknight]

The problem with the city is that, if you even mention what other cities are doing and how we can learn and implement different things to enhance our own city, southern pride kicks in, our leaders have such a problem with being anything like anyone else. Even if it's a good idea, just mention another city and they'll scrap any idea.

[cityimrov]

I like the idea of complete streets.  I think it's an important part of our city.

Why don't we build complete streets in the parts of town which desperately need them?  How do I explain this?  There area large parts of our city where people NEED complete streets.  They spend all day walking, biking, and taking the bus.  They are completely dependent on the JTA Bus system in order to survive.  Quite a lot of them don't even own cars.  When I go by their neighborhoods, I see them dodging cars, walking in narrow sidewalks, and trying to choose whether to bike in the dangerous streets or in the bumpy sidewalks.  Like a few days ago, I was driving pass the area and had to be careful as an entire family was trying to dodge cars to go to the Family Dollar Store just a block away from their apartment building.  I see people daily trying to dodge cars in another area going from their apartment to the local Wal-Mart.  Not only adults, but young kids.  It's like Frogger except people can get hurt here!  These areas desperately need a complete street system.  

In Jacksonville, we kind of have complete streets or "semi-complete" streets.  They have lots of bike lanes, wide clean sidewalks, and are a basically nice space.  They also usually empty, nearly unused, and are always situated between one gated community next to another with large stretches of empty "landscaping" land.  Oh, and most of the people who live in that area have a car and don't even use the bus system.  They barely even walk unless it's for exercising (they wear exercise gear).  

Why in the world are we building a semi-walkable street system in an area that doesn't need it and ignoring the areas that so desperately need it?  

[buckethead]

Bicycle lanes might need to be as wide as 8'.

[dougskiles]

Awesome!  I bought a welder yesterday (with no previous experience - scary!) with the intention of building a kayak trailer that I can tow from my bike.  Perhaps I need to start thinking a little bigger...

[I-10east]

IMO the area on Beaver St & Garfield St is complete. On foot, you have sidewalks, On bike you have sidewalks What's wrong with riding a bike on the sidewalk? Are we THAT spoiled when a very spread out city like Jax gotta have freakin' bike lanes throughout it's 800 some-odd square miles? I'm not playing Frogger by stupidly riding a bike on already narrow Beaver St! Transit, JTA bus, oh I know, it's not trendy or sexy enough for yall like a streetcar. This is just one mans take that I know alot of MJers will completely disagree with.