8.a.
Planning Board Meeting 2 (4th Tuesday)
- Meeting Date:
- 10/27/2020
Information
PROBLEM/ISSUE STATEMENT
The Active Transportation Planner is presenting the City of Billings Complete Streets Progress Report 2020.
BACKGROUND
Due to a growing recognition that Complete Streets make communities healthier, safer, and improve the quality of life, the City of Billings adopted the first Complete Streets Policy (the Policy) in 2011 and updated it in 2016. Along with 1,500 other Complete Streets policies implemented across the United States as of 2020, the Policy ensures that people traveling by all modes of transportation have a safe way to get where they are going. There is no one specific design for a Complete Street, because each Complete Street responds to the needs of the local community. According to the National Complete Streets Coalition, Complete Streets may include: “sidewalks, bike lanes (or wide paved shoulders), special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible public transportation stops, frequent and safe crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, narrower travel lanes, roundabouts, and more.”
The City updated the Policy in May of 2016 and added a checklist to clarify the application of the Policy elements. The updated Policy also provides opportunity for public comment for projects on arterial and collector roadways at the 30% design phase.
This report is a tool for the evaluation and tracking of the impact of Complete Streets elements on the city’s transportation system. The first report was presented to the City Council in 2013 as the Complete Streets Benchmark Report. The 2013 report established the baseline data for future reports. The Benchmark Report also specified that progress reports would be published every three years. The first progress report was published in 2017.
The City of Billings, along with its partners Healthy By Design, Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, and RiverStone Health worked together to produce the 2020 report. The report covers Complete Streets related milestones, data-based performance measures, and takes a specific look at how streets can be inclusive of people with disabilities.
The City updated the Policy in May of 2016 and added a checklist to clarify the application of the Policy elements. The updated Policy also provides opportunity for public comment for projects on arterial and collector roadways at the 30% design phase.
This report is a tool for the evaluation and tracking of the impact of Complete Streets elements on the city’s transportation system. The first report was presented to the City Council in 2013 as the Complete Streets Benchmark Report. The 2013 report established the baseline data for future reports. The Benchmark Report also specified that progress reports would be published every three years. The first progress report was published in 2017.
The City of Billings, along with its partners Healthy By Design, Living Independently for Today and Tomorrow, and RiverStone Health worked together to produce the 2020 report. The report covers Complete Streets related milestones, data-based performance measures, and takes a specific look at how streets can be inclusive of people with disabilities.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There is no financial impact to this agenda item. It is a presentation only.
RECOMMENDATION
No action is required, therefore there is no recommendation.