On January 6, 2011, MVRPC adopted a Complete Streets Policy. The Complete Streets policy encourages improvements to the transportation network so that all users are able to safely and conveniently reach their destinations along and across a street or road, regardless of their chosen mode of transportation.
What: Professional Education Opportunity (CEUs available). The purpose of the event is to provide technical assistance to member jurisdictions (that will enable them to comply with the Regional Complete Streets Policy when applying for Federal funding for projects through MVRPC).
When: 9/28/2011
Time: Registration 8 am; Session: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm
Where: Center for Regional Cooperation
Who: Potential Project Sponsors and Technical Staff
Cost: Free to Member Jurisdictions – Lunch provided
Details:
For the purpose of developing a policy, Complete Streets are defined by this outcome: All current and projected users of the public right-of-way must be able to safely and conveniently reach their destinations along and across a street or road, regardless of their chosen mode of transportation, in order for that street or road to be considered "complete." "All users" include: pedestrians, cyclists, transit and school bus riders, people with disabilities, motorists, freight haulers, service personnel, and emergency responders. “All users” includes a wide range of ages from school-aged children to the elderly.
The purpose of this policy is to encourage improvements to the transportation network so that more and more streets and roads in the Miami Valley meet this definition, and to encourage future designs which accommodate all users, thereby creating an increasingly safe and accessible transportation network for all modes and users. The policy affects future rounds of project solicitations for Surface Transportation Program and Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality funds through MVRPC’s transportation planning process; current projects in the MVRPC TIP are not required to comply with the policy. This chart explains how the policy, relates to the project evaluation process. This means future applicants for federal funds for transportation projects will have to consider project designs that are accommodating of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and people with disabilities along with motorized users of the corridor.
MVRPC staff solicited volunteers from the MVRPC Technical Advisory Committee and Board, and invited advocates for a variety of road users to participate in the committee (see below). Thirty-three individuals and four staff were asked to attend five (5) meetings between March and October of 2010. The goal of the committee was to develop a “meaningful and flexible regional complete streets policy.” Because this is a regional policy, it must be flexible enough to be applied in urban, suburban and rural settings. In order to be meaningful, the policy must consider the needs of all users of the public right-of-way in a fashion that is context sensitive; that is, that takes into consideration surrounding land use, the type and amount of traffic, current and projected demands from various users and other factors.
