Complete Streets Guidelines Heading to Council
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
Filed under: General
11 comments
T Tacoma1 November 10, 2009
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.
N Nick November 10, 2009
Looking forward to this!
Dispair-inducing walks around town: your days are numbered!
T Tacoma1 November 10, 2009
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.
T Tacoma (A)roma November 10, 2009
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.
D Douglas Tooley November 11, 2009
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.
G geargirl November 12, 2009
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!
N Narndt November 12, 2009
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.
J jamie from thriceallamerican November 12, 2009
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.
A Altered Chords November 12, 2009
@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.
J Jesse November 13, 2009
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.
T Tacoma1 November 13, 2009
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.