[LMich]

Lansing just passed a "complete streets" ordinance a few weeks back after a petition drive led to council's passage of the ordiance. I was surprised and pleased to learn the city is the first in the state to pass such a measure.

Neuner: Lansing takes a big step for its streets

September 3, 2009 • From Lansing State Journal

As a member of Walk and Bike Lansing!, I applaud the LSJ for its recent coverage of the Lansing City Council's move toward making Lansing more friendly for walkers and bicyclists.

However, recent news coverage has been inaccurate, conflating the concept of "complete streets" with that of a non-motorized plan.

A non-motorized transportation plan is a planning document that identifies specific bicycle and pedestrian needs in a community, including both on-road facilities (like bike lanes), or off-road trails. Typically, such plans review needed improvements, prioritize implementation strategies, identify viable funding sources, and highlight ways to connect and integrate existing facilities.

As mentioned in your Aug. 28 article, Grand Ledge, Mason, St. Johns and Delhi, Meridian and Watertown Townships beat Lansing to the punch and have already adopted non-motorized plans.

This is different from complete streets. A complete streets policy governs the way planners and engineers design roadways, requiring that they consistently design streets to safely accommodate all users - including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, and those with disabilities. The complete streets concept includes retrofitting existing streets to increase safety, and changing design standards so that streets are designed with all users in mind from the outset.

The ordinance that the Lansing City Council passed two weeks ago hit both concepts - Lansing is now not only required to adopt a non-motorized plan, but streets must also be designed and retrofitted to be complete. Many states and cities have adopted bike and/or pedestrian plans that designate some streets as corridors for improvements for bicycling and walking. But Lansing is one of just a few places that have gone beyond this to ensure that every street project takes all road users into account.

In fact, Lansing is the first municipality in Michigan to adopt a complete streets ordinance.

Picky details? Maybe for the average reader, but the complete streets element of the Lansing ordinance means the city took a much bigger step toward being friendly toward pedestrians and bicyclists than is being portrayed.

Read up on Complete Streets at wiki, and at the website for the National Complete Streets Coalition.