Draft Complete Streets Policy- Comments wanted!
A group from the KATS Policy Committee has been working on a Complete Streets Policy for the metropolitan area. In Michigan, Complete Streets are defined in statute (PA 135 of 2010) as “Roadways planned, designed, and constructed to provide appropriate access to all legal users in a manner that promotes safe and efficient movement of people and goods whether by car, truck, transit, assistive device, foot or bicycle.”Building complete streets provides many benefits to residents, business owners, developers, and the community as a whole. First and foremost, embracing the complete streets concept will help create balanced transportation systems by providing accessible, safe, and efficient connections between destinations. It will bolster economic growth and stability while increasing property values. It will enhance job growth, improve safety, improve public health and fitness, reduce harmful emissions, and reduce the overall demand on our roadways by allowing people to replace motor vehicle trips with active transportation options. Secondly, integrating sidewalks, bike facilities, transit amenities, and safe crossings into the initial design of a project spares the expense and complications of retrofits implemented at a later date. Thirdly, proactively planning for a multimodal transportation system can promote its integration with land use policies to encourage sustainable development.The Draft Complete Streets Policy can be found here: Kalamazoo Area Transportation Study CS Draft 5-7-14 Please submit any comments to KATS or voice your opinion at the upcoming Technical and Policy Committee meetings.