Complete Streets Guidelines Heading to Council (10. November 2009, 12:53 by Derek Young) ~ One Street For All?
The City’s Complete Streets Design Guidelines came before the Tacoma City Council Study Session today after nearly two years in development.
Elliott Barnett from the City of Tacoma stated in an email to stakeholders:
The Guidelines are a comprehensive Complete Streets approach tailored to Tacoma. The objectives are to design, build and maintain streets that safely, comfortably and appropriately accommodate all users and transportation modes; foster a sense of place in the public realm; and, reduce environmental impacts when feasible. The Guidelines set a framework to achieve these objectives, add cost-effective tools to the City’s toolbox, and identify implementation steps. The final draft Guidelines incorporate changes identified through the extensive public input received on the previously released public review drafts.
This isn’t intended to be a one size fits all approach. Not every street will handle every mode of transportation, but the City is trying to make a system that can accommodate all modes of transportation. Tacoma’s Complete Streets guidelines:
- Support a balanced transportation system
- All users and transportation modes to be considered in street design
- Provide options to reduce environmental impacts
- Support efforts to make streets safe, attractive and comfortable
- Provide options for streets that contribute to neighborhood character
- Support growth vision for Mixed-use Centers; livability in residential areas
- Add cost-effective street design options to Tacoma’s “toolbox”
- Approaches tailored to Tacoma
The implementation of Complete Streets will be an ongoing process whenever construction, alteration, and maintenance occurs on our City streets. It puts the design elements at the beginning of the process.
On November 17th, a resolution endorsing Tacoma’s Complete Streets Design Guidelines is scheduled for Council consideration.
Complete Streets Project Summary (PDF)
More information at CityofTacoma.org
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I know that there has been alot of hard work with the complete streets planning. Thanks to all that have been involved. I can’t wait!
Thanks for the update.
1 | Posted by Tacoma1 | Nov 10, 02:13 PM
Actually, I love walking around town, it’s one of the reason why I choose to live here. I do it almost every day…..certain streets that is……. along Yakima Ave, along Dock St, through UPS, Ruston Way, through the north end over to 6th ave.
We just need more walkable tree lined streets. And that is of course, the point of complete streets.
3 | Posted by Tacoma1 | Nov 10, 02:30 PM
as a daily cyclist I feel that the problem lies more in the hearts and minds of drivers than having a bike lane. I wont feel safe until people accept bicycles on the street.
4 | Posted by Tacoma (A)roma | Nov 10, 03:26 PM
I believe that most drivers feel that they own the streets and bicycles and pedestrians are simply not welcome. They’ll never change their driving habits out of the goodness of their hearts. Obviously, to make a street pedestrian or bike friendly, you need to make car traffic slow down. But I think it needs to be suggestive. I think tree-lined streets help because they give the illusion of a narrow street. Reducing street width to single-lanes from double-lanes in high pedestrian/bike areas will help give some control back to pedestrians and bikes.
I’m sure some of you have heard of a chap named Christopher Alexander. He developed a pattern language for civil design back in the 70’s to enable communites to solve some of these same issues put forth by the Complete Streets Project. It’s pretty interesting stuff.
5 | Posted by RapPilot | Nov 10, 04:56 PM
It’s my sincere hope that this is not an effort that just sits on the shelf. The forthcoming mixed use center planning effort will certainly be one big area where these guidelines can be put to work.
FWIW, I’d like to see utility relocation work added to the list of Street planning events. Smarter planning could lead to some significant cost savings and great synergy.
The connection between street planning and building permits is important, but sensitive. It could easily become onerous, but doing small things like installing bike racks or creating handicap/loading zones are certainly quite doable on even the smallest of projects.
Road building has been a civic function since roman days and the City should be willing to support transportation expenditures in developing areas as well. As a roads and transit person I’d extend this to include the construction of park and rides in our business districts.
6 | Posted by Douglas Tooley | Nov 11, 08:59 AM
Aside from McMenamin’s finalizing the purchase of the Elks Building, this is some of the best, most heartening news I’ve heard of late regarding our fair Tacoma.
We’re long overdue for creating walkable, rideable streets that encourage community and get people outdoors and out of their cars.
I’m excited and proud to see this vision emerging. Let’s go T-town!
7 | Posted by geargirl | Nov 12, 08:49 AM
There are so many four lane mini-speedways going through Tacoma just begging for this treatment! Yakima from Wright Park south to the freeway is a perfect example. Lots of space with little traffic is the recipe for speed. I see it every day on my bike commutes. Folks certainly will moan (see 21st St bikes lanes this past Summer and then multiply many times over), but this just has to happen. Everyone wins. The only “losers” are the drivers used to using Tacoma side streets as freeways.
narndt@8: ding! ding! ding! My philosophy exactly, surface streets should be slow to get around on, so if people want to get from point A to point B quickly they should damn well be driving on the freeway.
I’d add that we really need to work on light timing in this town. Short, frequent light cycles (maybe 60 sec per light, 90 sec max) would be better for pedestrians (less jaywalking out of frustration) and potentially traffic-calming (getting stuck at a red light is less of a penalty, so less incentive to speed through). Oh yeah, better for biking, too…I’d definitely prefer to not have to stop, but if I do I don’t want to have to wait minutes to go again.
Also, walk signals should always turn green with the direction of traffic, and stay green (or blinking red) through the entire green traffic signal.
9 | Posted by jamie from thriceallamerican | Nov 12, 11:51 AM
New from Veronica Moss! The opposing viewpoint regarding complete streets:
10 | Posted by tacoma1 | Nov 12, 01:37 PM
@9 …shorter light cyles.
Amen. So that when I need to pop in from 1:00 to 2:00 on a sunday and realize I forgot my card key, I do not sit @ a red light for what seems like 15 minutes while nary a single car, bicycle, pedestrian, dog or squirell passes in front of me.
11 | Posted by Altered Chords | Nov 12, 02:02 PM
This is super great (really!)but doesn’t the city view thier role in streets as one of repairman and not one of installation or rebuilder? Isn’t that why there are LIDs to do total redo’s? Has this policy changed lately?
This is an awesome concept (plus buried utilities) but until the city realizes that some 125 year old streets cease to be able to be just repaired but rather need to be ripped out and renewed, I don’t see this concept coming to fruition in many places.
Am I wrong on this? Tell me I am because I think it IS the city’s responsability to sometimes replace a street – even without a LID.
12 | Posted by Jesse | Nov 13, 08:19 AM
After carefully reading the complete streets plan, I kinda think you guys are missing the point here.
Complete streets is about providing room for all users and giving the streets back to the people. It’s about street diets, street trees, traffic calming, visual friction, and about livable communities to bicycle, walk and live.
I encourage all to carefully read the entire plan, not just the summary.
13 | Posted by Tacoma1 | Nov 13, 10:24 AM
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