Public works staff presented four options to the commission and cited adherence to Complete Streets principles as a primary rationale for their recommendation to approve the original plan.  Commissioners said they favored an option that incorporated all elements of the original plan while also allowing for three public parking spaces, voting 4-1 in favor of that option.

All commissioners voiced support for the Complete Streets policy during the discussion. Options that did not add bike lanes on both the north and south sides of Ninth Street were given little consideration during the hearing.

Approval was preliminary because the plan calls for widening a portion of the street about eight feet to the south, an option that would require an easement for the road.  Todd Thompson, a local attorney who owns a law office sitting on the Ninth Street property, said he would consider donating the property but would first need more details from the city.

Charlie Bryan, community health planner at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department and facilitator of the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee, addressed the commission and provided a historical perspective of the Complete Streets movement in Lawrence. Several other members of the committee also spoke in favor of adopting an option consistent with Complete Streets principles, as did LiveWell Lawrence chair Susan Johnson, of Kansas State Research and Extension in Douglas County.

The project allows for both an eastbound and westbound bike lanes to be located on the one block stretch of street. Under this plan the eastbound bike lane would not continue in either direction (west of Tennessee or east of Kentucky streets), but both complete streets advocates and the Commissioners said it was important to build these lanes now while the opportunity existed to incrementally build cycling infrastructure near downtown.

Commissioner Mike Dever voted against the plan, opting instead for a design that creates a bike lane starting on the block just west of Tennessee and eliminates one of the two eastbound lanes of traffic for vehicles.  Like the plan that was approved, this optional plan also is consistent with Complete Streets principle, and one member of the Complete Streets Committee spoke specifically in favor of this option because of its clearer alignment of bike lanes.

Complete Streets is an initiative of LiveWell Lawrence and is facilitated by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.  Contact Charlie Bryan at cbryan@ldchealth.org for more information.

The group heard a presentation from Charles Soules, director of Public Works for the city of Lawrence. Soules described a number of street renovation projects under way in the city and described the city’s efforts to incorporate Complete Streets principles into those projects. In 2012 a number of projects were undertaken to address areas identified as gaps in the city’s street/sidewalk system, funded through Community Development Block Grant dollars.

These included:

• Completion of a new sidewalk at Sixth and Iowa streets.

• Installation of sidewalks on West Sixth near Kasold Drive.

• Sharrow pavement markings (to enhance auto/bike lane sharing) on Monterey Way and Connecticut Street.

• Completion of a lighted pathway along 11th Street from KU to downtown Lawrence.

Priority projects for 2013 include:

• Intersection reconstruction at Bob Billings Parkway and Iowa Streets including a multi-use path on Bob Billings Parkway from Iowa to Kasold.

• Intersection reconstruction at Bob Billings Parkway and Wakarusa Drive that will include sidewalks and bike lanes on both sides of Wakarusa that will extend approximately one-fourth mile north and south of the intersection.

• Sixth and Iowa left turn lane, including a sidewalk on the south side of Sixth Street from Iowa to Rockledge Road.

• Farmland Business Park development that will include sidewalks, multi-use paths and bike lanes.

• Possible addition of bike lanes on Ninth Street between Tennessee and Kentucky streets.

• Development of infrastructure including sidewalks, bike access, and multiuse paths in and around the northwest area of the sports park under discussion between the city and Kansas University.

Scott McCullough, director of Planning and Development Services for the city, also spoke with the group about incorporation of Complete Streets principles into city planning. McCullough reiterated the city’s commitment to Complete Streets principles, but also provided several current examples of situations where “variances” from the policy were under consideration due to project approvals prior to passage of the policy or where design considerations limited inclusion of some Complete Streets elements.

Members of the Committee pledged ongoing interest in working together to ensure that Lawrence and Douglas County have a transportation network that is safe for all users in the community.

Lawrence Complete Streets is a LiveWell Lawrence initiative facilitated by the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. If you would like more information or to participate on the committee, contact Charlie Bryan at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department at cbryan@ldchealth.org.

Following presentations by Scott McCullough, Lawrence Planning and Development Services Director, and Mark Thiel, Lawrence Assistant Public Works Director, the public was invited to speak.

“Streets are important to the health and productivity of our community. Streets serve young and old, motorists, cyclists, walkers, wheeled mobility device users, bus riders and businesses,” said Charlie Bryan, community health planner at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department.

Bryan, facilitator of the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee, addressed the commission.

The Lawrence Complete Streets Committee, formed in Jan. 2011 by LiveWell Lawrence, has been highlighting the value of enacting policies that consistently create safe transportation networks for all users. LiveWell Lawrence is a community initiative focused on making it easy for Lawrence residents to eat healthy foods and be more physically active.

Dot Nary, a member of the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee, also addressed the commission.

“We need more policies that encourage use of our accessible bus system, more street environments that are pleasant to wheel in, and more efforts to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to
work, recreate, contribute and participate in their neighborhoods and the entire city,” Nary said.

“Lawrence is a great place to live,” added Nary, who is also a member of the Access Task Force of Independence, Inc. and a researcher at the Research and Training Center on Independent Living at the University of Kansas. “Adoption of a Complete Streets policy will make it an even better place to live with a disability, age and live well.”

Complete streets policies encourage people to get around safely, even when they aren’t inside a car. Unlike conventional street design, complete streets are designed and built so that people of all ages and abilities can travel easily and safely, while also getting the regular physical activity that is so critical to improving health and well-being. Complete streets design elements include sidewalks, bike lanes, paved shoulders, bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes and more.

According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, 315 regional and local jurisdictions, 26 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia have adopted complete streets policies or have made written commitment to do so.

The Complete Streets Policy is scheduled for consideration by the Lawrence Commission on Tuesday, March 27, as the third item under the regular agenda section.

The policy seeks to create an equitable, balanced, and effective transportation system that encourages walking, bicycling, and transit use, to improve health and reduce environmental impacts, while simultaneously promoting safety for all users of streets.

Through its Lawrence Complete Streets public education campaign, LiveWell Lawrence has been highlighting the value of streets designed for young and old, motorists, bicyclists, walkers, wheelchair users, transit riders and businesses. LiveWell Lawrence is a community initiative focused on making it easy for Lawrence residents to eat healthy foods and be more physically active.

Members of the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee have worked with Lawrence planning and public works staff to review and revise the policy first presented to the Lawrence commission on Oct. 25, 2011. Changes incorporated into the final version of the policy include the following:

• The definition of street Users was expanded to include mobility device users, neighborhood electric vehicle users and utility tricyclists
• The applicability of the policy to Street Maintenance was clarified
• The applicability of the policy to both public and private transportation infrastructure was illuminated
• A section on data collection, progress reporting and public input was added

Support for the adoption of a Complete Streets policy is found in a number of City of Lawrence documents, including the Climate Protection Plan, the Peak Oil Plan and the environmental chapter of Horizon 2020, the City’s comprehensive land use plan. Additionally, the Policy Board of the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization passed a resolution in support of Complete Streets.

The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has facilitated the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee on behalf of LiveWell Lawrence. Members of the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee represent a broad cross-section of the community, and the committee includes participants who serve in an advisory role. The diverse composition of committee was a deliberate effort to be inclusive of the divergent views among Lawrence residents, the pro-business community and environmentalists. The committee includes representation, for example, from the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce, the Lawrence Home Builders Association and Parsons Brinkerhoff as well as Independence, Inc., the Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods, the Lawrence Central Rotary Club, the Sustainability Action Network, the Lawrence Sustainability Advisory Board and the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

As we grow older, we never want to forget that feeling of fast cars and freedom. But will our communities grow and adapt with us? Or will we have to pack up and move to a new community that accommodates our needs as we age? The City of Lawrence likes (Facebook thumb up) the first option.

 
As of September 2011, the City of Lawrence and Douglas County have created a Retiree Attraction Task Force to address ways in which the city and county can effectively promote Lawrence as an attractive location for retirees and those 50-plus to call home. Our streets play an integral part in the attraction index of a community and although Lawrence has countless, stunning, natural qualities like the autumn trees, Mount Oread, and the people (let’s not forget the people); our streets could use some “sprucing” up.

 
We want our community to be livable. More importantly, we want our community to be livable for all ages. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly one in five Americans will be 65 and older by 2025 (and according to the calculator on my smartphone, that’s 62 million Americans).

 
The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) has proudly endorsed the planning concept of Complete Streets for several years, and the organization’s research has revealed a strong link between community engagement and successful aging. In its most recent national report on ‘Livable Communities,’ “50.05 Beyond: Creating Environments for Successful Aging,” the AARP defines community livability as “how the physical and social environments can promote independence among individuals and strengthen the civic and social ties among them.” The livability of a community depends in part on options that allow residents of all ages and abilities to connect with their communities. Having transportation options and an accommodating, built environment contribute to maintaining independence and to people feeling they have control over their own lives.

 
Let’s face it, we love our independence and we always want to be able to do things on our own. Like when we wake up at 5 a.m. on our 16th birthdays to catch the first spot in line at the DMV, knowing all too well that this is not just a license to drive, but a license to freedom. Then a few weeks later, anxiously awaiting the mailman to hand you an envelope from the DMV, tearing it open (mom begging you to use the proper utensil specifically invented to open envelopes) to find that piece of plastic and your mouth drops, “Oh the horror!” You see yourself, a painfully, awkward and sleep-deprived mess of a 16 year-old.

And now, although tough to admit, it’s quite the process to get in the car to run an errand. It no longer feels like an errand, but a project that lasts half a day. Driving becomes daunting, but we don’t want to be stripped away from our independence (kids begging us to hand in our keys forever). Though as natural as the autumn trees come and go, when we age, our mobility and coordination go right along with it.

So what can we do to create an environment for successful aging? Repaving is not always the answer. In fact, Complete Streets can be extremely cost effective and even the simplest change can positively influence the attractiveness of the roads around our community.

“Increased crosswalk time, better lit roads, reduced speed limits, and more sidewalk seating” are just a few easy solutions the City of Lawrence can implement, said Rebecca Holmes, Project LIVELY (Life, Interest and Vigor Entering Later Years) Coordinator for the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department. A major goal of Project LIVELY is to help keep older adults safe and independent in their homes and community by delaying premature nursing home placement.

“Complete Streets include many safety improvements that will allow my clientele to utilize the roads safely, increasing their ability to remain independent and active members in our county”, Holmes said.

Planning and retrofitting the built, travel environment for an aging population is just one way we can enhance community livability. Ensuring that our community members are able to age successfully is important to the City of Lawrence and Douglas County. Lawrence Complete Streets commits itself to preserving that nostalgic feeling of fast cars and freedom for seniors, and strives to maintain a supportive, healthy, and safe transportation network for all ages and abilities.

Lawrence Complete Streets is a campaign based in Lawrence, KS to educate citizens about the benefits of enacting policies that consistently create safe transportation networks for all users. Lawrence Complete Streets is a LiveWell Lawrence initiative.

Use the bus, wheel to work, bike to class or go for a walk on your lunch break. Go ahead, get outside and smell the crisp, Lawrence air! Chances are you’ll burn some calories and save some gas money too. We’ve all heard this before, and it’s pretty clear our society has entered an era of promoting healthy habits and behaviors. But what if you’re like the 54 million other Americans with a disability, who can’t just step outside, jump over a pothole, dodge a car running a red light or listen for oncoming traffic at a crosswalk? Are our roads designed equally for everyone to share and benefit from?

“There’s a catch 22”, says Dot Nary, Research Associate of KU’s Research and Training Center on Independent Living, “I want to spend more time outside, not rely so heavily on my van to get from point A to point B, but often times it’s hard.”

Nary negotiates the community in a wheelchair, and like many Lawrence citizens, she wants to practice those beloved healthy habits too. Unfortunately, many of our sidewalks and streets present her with unwelcoming challenges.

There have been instances when Nary has wheeled down a sidewalk and asked herself, “What’s the curb cut going to be like?”

She has to take additional precautionary measures to make sure she’s completely free from barriers that may prevent her from traveling safely. Nary explains that when the curb cuts are too steep or there are deep cracks or other obstructions in sidewalks, she has to wheel down the driveway and into the road to continue her commute. Typically, Nary will call the city to fix problems. But, she adds, “I can’t always be the curb-cut police.”

Streets in our community must allow safe and comfortable travel for everyone, including people with disabilities. Streets that are truly “complete” provide all of us with a choice of mobility options — without any “catch 22s”. They allow everyone to travel to and from work, school and other destinations with the same level of safety and convenience, whether or not they have mobility, vision or cognitive disabilities.

Even though our roads are not designed equally for everyone, fortunately the state of Kansas has taken particular measures to get us there. “The Kansas Department of Health and Environment encourages communities to complete a “Walkability checklist”, says Jamie Simpson, the Disability Program Coordinator for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. A “Walkability Checklist” basically asks the question, “How walkable is your community?” “All facets of a community should be addressed in a Walkability Checklist, and to assure that this is done in a culturally competent manner, we need people with physical disabilities or those who use multi-modal transportation to be involved with the walkability assessment,” Simpson says. For further information about Walkability Checklists, see: http://http://www.kdheks.gov/safekids/downloads/checklist-walkability.pdf

By doing this, we create a standard of design to our streets – one in which everyone can benefit from. Implementing a Complete Streets policy in Lawrence can serve as the standard we all need.

So go ahead, get outside! But this time (oh no, the dreadful catch 22 again), take a look around and really ask yourself if your street is truly complete.

The Lawrence Complete Streets committee will hold a public presentation to explore the connection between land use and transportation policies and the development of “Connected, Livable Communities.” Paul Zykofsky, a guest speaker for the Kansas Built Environment and Outdoors Summit, will provide a special free session for the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee following the summit. The public is invited to attend. The event is scheduled on Friday, Oct. 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, located at 200 Maine St. in Lawrence.
Registration for the event is encouraged and is available online at www.lawrencecompletestreets.org

Mr. Paul Zykofsky, a guest speaker for the Kansas Built Environment and Outdoors Summit, will provide a special free session for the Lawrence Complete Streets Committee following the Summit. The public is invited to attend. The event is scheduled on Friday, Oct. 7 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, located at 200 Maine Street in Lawrence.

Registration for the event is encouraged and is available online at www.lawrencecompletestreets.org.

Joseph Fowler walking with his daughter, Kennedy, along Peterson Road in the northwest part of Lawrence. Complete streets, such as this example of Peterson Road, provide children with opportunities to walk, bike and play in a safe environment. A community with a complete streets policy considers the needs of children every time a transportation investment decision is made.

Mr. Zykofsky will provide a quick overview on what it means to be a “Livable Community” and provide directed guidance for the Lawrence Complete Streets committee based on what is already happening in Lawrence and where the greatest opportunities for improvement exist.

Mr. Zykofsky is member of the National Complete Streets Coalition, and is the associate director of the Local Government Commission in Sacramento, Calif. Zykofsky manages the commission’s land-use and transportation programs and has been director of the commission’s Center for Livable Communities since 1995. The National Complete Streets Coalition seeks to fundamentally transform the look, feel and function of the roads and streets in our communities by changing the way roads are planned, designed and constructed.

Lawrence Complete Streets is a LiveWell Lawrence initiative aimed at educating citizens about the benefits of enacting policies that consistently create safe transportation networks for all users. Lawrence needs streets designed to be safe and convenient for travel by automobile, foot, bicycle and transit regardless of age or ability. Complete streets help people of all ages and abilities get physical activity and maintain independence by providing room for bicycling and walking. Complete streets are good for air quality. Poor air quality is linked to increases in asthma and other illnesses. Complete streets make fiscal sense. Integrating sidewalks, bike lanes, transit amenities, and safe crossings into the initial design of a project spares the expense of retrofits later. Learn more about Complete Streets at www.lawrencecompletestreets.org.

On Thursday, Sept. 15, the Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization voted to establish support for Complete Streets. The resolution passed unanimously by those policy board members present. This is a significant milestone for Lawrence Complete Streets and LiveWell Lawrence. The resolution directs L-DC MPO staff to incorporate Complete Streets principles into the Metropolitan Transportation Plan for the Lawrence-Douglas County Region. The resolution also directs staff to support and encourage the passage of  Complete Streets policies by governments in Douglas County.

Locally, the city of Lawrence, in partnership with LiveWell Lawrence, hosted a public presentation about Complete Streets last September. LiveWell Lawrence’s community plan includes the goal to, “design all streets with safe access for all users: walkers, bicyclists, wheeled-device users, transit riders and drivers.”

As part of a broader goal to improve the health of the community, this LiveWell Lawrence goal is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation that communities adopt Complete Streets policies in their effort to reduce obesity.

On May 5, Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and Steven LaTourette (R-OH) introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 (.pdf) (H.R. 1780). The measure is designed to create safer streets for all who use them – including motorists, bus riders, pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities.

On May 24, a dozen members of the Senate, led by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), introduced similar Complete Streets legislation, the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 (S. 1056), which calls on states and metropolitan planning organizations to consider the safety, interests and convenience of all users in the design and construction of transportation projects receiving federal transportation funding.

That same day, NPR mentioned Complete Streets policies in a story about improving the design and safety of streets to meet the needs of an aging population. The NPR report cites a recent survey by AARP that finds the use of public transit by those ages 65 and over increased by 40 percent in the past decade. With the first baby boomers turning 65 this year, Lawrence’s reputation as one of the best places to retire could be supported by efforts to make roads safer for seniors.

Complete Streets policy adoption has accelerated rapidly, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition. In their recent publication, Complete Streets Policy Analysis 2010: A Story of Growing Strength (.pdf), they report that the number of communities adopting policies roughly doubled each of the last three years. In total, 249 jurisdictions (.pdf) have adopted policies or have made written commitments to do so. On April 2, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City Kansas, with the leadership of Mayor Joe Reardon, passed a Complete Streets resolution (.pdf).

To show support for the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011, an online form to write members of Congress is provided by the National Complete Streets Coalition.

Lawrence’s 11th annual celebration of Earth Day was Saturday, April 16. Lawrence Complete Streets offered valet bicycle parking during the activities at South Park.  We parked over 40 bicycles throughout the day, offering their riders a chance to enjoy the festivities while volunteers guarded the bikes in a secure space.

LiveWell Lawrence is taking its quest for a healthier community to the streets. Literally.

Lawrence Complete Streets is our new public education campaign that highlights the value of streets designed for young and old, motorists, bicyclists, walkers, wheelchair users, transit riders and businesses.

“Complete streets” is a term that is used nationwide to describe road networks that are consistently designed and operated to enable safe access for all users.

How do streets relate to community health?

Complete streets make it easier to walk, bike, wheel, or bus to everyday destinations like work, school, shopping and entertainment. They help keep people healthy by supporting daily physical activity (aka exercise).

And the more we leave our cars at home, the better the quality of the air we breathe.

The linkage between street design and health is so strong that the Centers for Disase Control and Prevention, the Kansas Health Foundation, and public health agencies around the state and country are actively promoting complete streets principles.

In the weeks and months ahead, we hope to help you think about streets in a whole new way. We’ll be using traditional as well as social media to tell the story.

If you are interested in learning more, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @LCmpleteStreets. We hope to have a website up soon, and we will be at Lawrence’s Earth Day celebration operating valet parking for bikes.

If you want to get involved in the campaign, contact the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department at LCmpleteStreets@ldchealth.org or 785-843-3060.