Transportation Transition Team - ANSWER THE POLL

[Ocklawaha]

Complete Streets would certainly include bicycle accommodations but depending on how the policy was set up it is also possible that bicycle trails where no streets exist might be a different animal. It also would include accommodations for mass transit, trucks, autos etc. but not necessarily create any of those networks.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

• Treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes.

• Ensure convenient access for people of all ages and abilities.

• Go beyond minimum design standards.

• Collect data on walking and biking trips.

• Set a mode share target for walking and bicycling.

• Protect sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected (for example, snow removal)

• Improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.

The new US DOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations are posted on FHWA’s website.

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/policy_accom.htm

At its base, complete streets is just a policy of where you design all new streets and retrofit existing ones in a manner that treats all modes as equals.  For example, instead of just placing a 5'-wide sidewalk and calling it a day for pedestrians, the sidewalk would be set back from the street to buffer pedestrians from fast moving auto traffic, shade trees would be added to provide protection to the pedestrian from our extreme weather and street lighting would be pedestrian scale for safety.  The same goes with the bicycle mode.  Its more than about putting bike lanes on streets.  In some places, it may make more sense to mix bike and auto traffic.  In others it may make more sense to have separated bike paths buffered from high speed vehicles.   

With that said, the concept also encompasses more than just physical road construction, engineering and design.  It can be as simple in the beginning as mapping your existing pedestrian, bicycle and mass transit networks to realize what you have and identify gaps in those networks (collecting data).  In this essence, I can see Dashing Dan's point.  If the policy is structured in manner that promotes treating all modes as equal priorities, that can also include working to make sure every mode has a reliable citywide connective network.  Considering Jax has limited network connectivity for pedestrian, bike and transit, it could influence funding priorities to quickly establish better connectivity with the alternative networks.

[Ocklawaha]

No doubt that it would bring on massive changes but my point is, for the purpose of the survey, while complete streets might treat all modes as equals, it is not THAT mode in and of itself. For example it might insist that every street has a streetcar track, but it is not a streetcar system.

OCKLAWAHA

[thelakelander]

I was just trying to clear up what "complete streets" are to those who may not understand the concept.  Nevertheless, yes you're right, its a policy not an actual system.  However, without it, no matter the what the actual system or alignment is, it won't be well utilized (ex. see Jax's disconnected transportation network today), without taking a context sensitive approach and apply complete streets oriented goals to its design and environment.  I'd say, its something that should be done in conjunction with every individual project listed on the list.

[Charles Hunter]

First, let me say, I like the Complete Streets idea, and the various agencies should implement it where-ever possible.  I would love more pedestrian-friendly streets - with shaded sidewalks more than a few inches from whizzing traffic, and a place for bikes to operate safely.

My question goes to the "where-ever possible" part of that.

Are Complete Streets wider for the same road capacity?  If you have an existing 4-lane street, with enough traffic to justify 4 lanes, would rebuilding it as a Complete Street be wider - with the bike and maybe parking lanes, transit amenities, a wide sidewalk separated from the roadway by a buffer?  If so, it would seem that in some (many?) cases the city or state would have to by more right of way.

Or is the idea that a Complete Street, in such a situation, would go on a "lane diet" and the attractiveness of the other modes would reduce demand so only one lane each way would be needed?  Or the traffic would move to parallel streets.

Or, are high capacity roads (Blanding, Atlantic, etc.) not good candidates for Complete Streets?  There is no one size fits all solution.

[thelakelander]

First, let me say, I like the Complete Streets idea, and the various agencies should implement it where-ever possible.  I would love more pedestrian-friendly streets - with shaded sidewalks more than a few inches from whizzing traffic, and a place for bikes to operate safely.

My question goes to the "where-ever possible" part of that.

This is where "Context Sensitive Solutions" come into play.  Complete Streets is just a policy.  It doesn't address actual design requirements to accommodate each mode because there's no set way to properly address a particular issue (due to the wide variety of surrounding context).

Are Complete Streets wider for the same road capacity?

No.  It really depends on the context and road capacity is equally focused on all modes, instead of a dominant focus on automobile oriented capacity.

If you have an existing 4-lane street, with enough traffic to justify 4 lanes, would rebuilding it as a Complete Street be wider - with the bike and maybe parking lanes, transit amenities, a wide sidewalk separated from the roadway by a buffer?  If so, it would seem that in some (many?) cases the city or state would have to by more right of way.

Or is the idea that a Complete Street, in such a situation, would go on a "lane diet" and the attractiveness of the other modes would reduce demand so only one lane each way would be needed?  Or the traffic would move to parallel streets.

Or, are high capacity roads (Blanding, Atlantic, etc.) not good candidates for Complete Streets?  There is no one size fits all solution.

[/quote]

You would look at each project on an individual basis.  For example, auto travel could justify 4 lanes because there isn't a viable alternative in place.  In that case, a lane diet that creates space for better pedestrian and bicycle amenities could change the mode split in certain urban environments (ex. Orlando's Edgewater Drive in the College Park neighborhood).

Here's a good before and after traffic study of Orlando's Edgewater Drive project:
http://www.cityoforlando.net/transportation/TransportationPlanningDiv/pdf/Edgewater.pdf

In some other cases, the street width may already be fine (Lake Shore Biz District at Blanding & San Juan) but improvements like the addition of street trees, bulb outs and medians at intersections improve pedestrian safety in crossing the street may be needed.

Then in others like a West Beaver Street, the amount of auto traffic may simply be too high and the speed too fast to add separate bicycle facilities to the corridor.  In that case, a solution might be to establish a bike corridor on an adjacent parallel less traveled street like Broadway Avenue. 

In the end, you really have to evaluate each project individually and the ultimate answers will range depending on that project's context and physical conditions.

[Ocklawaha]

Since it is a dramatic policy change, I'd think any hang-ups would depend solely on how the policy was written. The desired points of implimentation would have to be flexible enough to alter the rules (San Marco Blvd for example). As for Blanding, I think the policy would prevent us from doing another real estate eating bus lane for a bus line with 20 minute headways... How much better could that space have been used.

I'd love to see it with passive bus and streetcar lanes anywhere they are warranted.  Most autos track somewhere around 4.5' to 6', while most buses are at 6.5'. The benefit is that impressed (a cheap brick look alike) asphalt or concrete can be laid in one lane with two smooth 'bus tracks'. An automobile can possibly span the 6.5' which means at least one tire is always on the bricks... OR the driver could get into the other SMOOTH lanes.

OCKLAWAHA

[Dashing Dan]

First, let me say, I like the Complete Streets idea,

Are Complete Streets wider for the same road capacity?  If you have an existing 4-lane street, with enough traffic to justify 4 lanes, would rebuilding it as a Complete Street be wider - with the bike and maybe parking lanes, transit amenities, a wide sidewalk separated from the roadway by a buffer?  If so, it would seem that in some (many?) cases the city or state would have to by more right of way.

Or is the idea that a Complete Street, in such a situation, would go on a "lane diet" and the attractiveness of the other modes would reduce demand so only one lane each way would be needed?  Or the traffic would move to parallel streets.

Or, are high capacity roads (Blanding, Atlantic, etc.) not good candidates for Complete Streets?  There is no one size fits all solution.

Keep in mind that as a basic principle, moving people in cars consumes far more space than in any other mode of travel.  So once you get people out of their cars and onto bicycles, buses, or sidewalks, then you won't need nearly as much space overall. 

In the shorter term we need a specific policy that sets a maximum number of lanes per roadway.  FDOT used to have a policy like that.

[Charles Hunter]

Thanks all for the answers.  Looks like implementing Complete Streets will also require an investment in transit, even mundane stuff like regular bus service, to give folks a viable option to using their (OK, our) private autos, with our big carbon and space footprints.  One hour service just ain't gonna cut it.

[thelakelander]

Maybe, it would encourage JTA to reissue their bus shelter RFP. Transit riders and the elderly could certainly use some sort of protection from our harsh elements.

[thelakelander]

Speaking of applying "complete streets policy" on an existing street, here are a few shots of a local street in the Central Florida neighborhood I grew up in.  With this project, they didn't widen the street or purchase additional ROW.  They basically added pedestrian scale lighting and shade trees in the grass strip between the auto lanes and sidewalks.  Since the auto volume on this particular street isn't that high, bikes share the road with cars.


Avenue T NE - Winter Haven, FL

The image below is of Pace Road, just north of Auburndale,  FL.  Pace Road is being widened and extended to serve the new USF Poly campus near I-4 and the Polk Parkway.  Pace is anticipated to generate heavy auto use so a decision was made to add a 12' wide multi-use path instead of bike lanes.






Orlando's Edgewood Avenue's lane diet is another form of applying complete streets policy to an existing street with constrained ROW.  In this case, they restripped a four lane FDOT road into a three lane facility with bike lanes and parallel parking.  For this project to happen, the city ended up taking over jurisdiction from FDOT.






As a part of making downtown Kissimmee more walkable, the city was able to work with FDOT to restrip US 17/92 to include bike lanes.

[Fallen Buckeye]

Went with complete streets because it helps us gets the most from what we already have transportation-wise and it is an easy to implement policy. It'll also help ensure the success of the others when and if they happen. I would say that the port is equally important, too, and in the long run would help generate revenue for the city to be used on other things.

[Dashing Dan]

In this town it makes sense to take a hard look at the traffic forecasts that everyone has been using.  I bet that a lot of them are unrealistically high.  Lower forecasts would make it much easier to do lane diets, etc.