These Complete Streets Projects Have Revitalized Their Cities
How a better street makes for a better city
My last year of grad school, I did a study on how Complete Streets projects changed the cities they were located in.
If you don’t know, a Complete Street is an “approach to planning, designing, building, operating, and maintaining streets that enables safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.”
In the spirit of celebrating streets that work well for everyone (not just cars), here’s little summary of an analysis I did on various complete streets projects around the U.S.
Iowa Complete Street Project
In Dubuque, Iowa, the area known as the Millwork District has changed for the better. Using complete streets principles, several streets in the district were renovated to include improved bicycle, car, pedestrian, and public transit facilities, changing how the city as a whole uses the area.
After the project was completed, the results started coming in. Compared with travel statistics before the project, bicycle trips increased by over 200%, showing how the improved bike facilities were encouraging people to choose cycling as a form of transportation through the area.
There were other positive results that impacted the economic situation in Dubuque. After the project was completed, more than $34 million in private investment has poured into the area. One of the historic warehouses in the area has been redeveloped, now leasing 72 residential units and providing 20,000 square feet for the arts and nonprofit organizations.
Complete Streets projects don’t necessarily see a reduction in car usage, though many do. Because of the increase in popularity of the Millwork district, the area saw a big increase in car traffic. This is likely due to the large investments being made in redeveloping the warehouse district for commercial and residential use.
Long Beach Downtown Safer Due To Complete Streets
In the downtown area of Long Beach, California, two mile-long cycling lanes were added on two different one-way streets: Broadway and Third Avenues. One protected bike lane was added by converting a former car travel lane and creating a buffer between cyclists and cars.
Both Broadway and Third Avenues now feature two lanes of car traffic, street parking on either side of the street, and a protected bike lane. The project also included installing 23 total signals for bike signals and left-turn signalization.
Like the project in Dubuque, the Long Beach downtown complete streets project saw positive results after completion. The number of cyclists using the facilities increased by 33 percent, along with a decrease in the number of cyclists using sidewalks (a dangerous activity for pedestrians).
Another benefit from the Long Beach project was the decrease in collisions by 27 percent, including a decrease in collisions involving pedestrians and cyclists. This change could be partially attributed to the 13 percent reduction in daily traffic volumes in the area; there was a contrasting INCREASE in pedestrian activity by 13 percent as well.
Washington DC Street Improvements Spur Bike Riding
A cycle track was put in on 15th Street NW in Washington DC as part of a complete streets projects, providing 1.8 miles of bike lanes that are separated from car traffic by on-street parking or a painted buffer and flex posts. Before this, bikes had to share the road with automobiles.
The cost of the improvements was $367,000, and led to a 229% increase in cycling at the two intersections. The concern with an increase in bike riders in any area of a city is that there will be more crashes between cars and cyclists. In DC the opposite happened.
Though there was an increase in automobile usage and driving speed in the area, crashes involving cyclists went down by 10 percent. As an added benefit, crashes involving pedestrians also went down by 14 percent, leading to a safer area overall for all types of street users.
Complete Streets and Gentrification
One concern with complete streets is that they can potentially intensify changes brought upon by gentrification. Street renovation and heavy investment often go hand in hand, and it is likely that complete streets changes impact where gentrification happens in cities.
There aren’t any studies I know of on complete streets projects and gentrification, though there probably will be in the future. Studies like this will help urban planners and communities strategically plan how complete streets projects will impact the people who live in city neighborhoods.
Gentrification left aside, complete streets projects tend to create better environments for all types of street users. That means that no matter if you’re walking, running, biking, or taking public transit, you have a safe and effective way to transport yourself around the city.