from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership newsletter, via Jakob Helmboldt and Barbara Duerk
On Monday, March 3, 2008, Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) introduced Senate bill S. 2686, The Complete Streets Act of 2008. The Complete Streets Act of 2008 was introduced to ensure that all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users as well as children, older individuals, and individuals with disabilities, are able to travel safely and conveniently on streets and highways. The bill would require that state DOTs and MPOs develop complete streets policies for the use of federal funds.
Co-sponsors and supporters of S. 2686 are essential - please call or write to your Senator today to gain their support. Visit the Complete Streets website for talking points, fact sheets and updated information. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is supporting this bill, as complete streets help to make our roadways safer for everyone, including children, the most vulnerable users.
The National Complete Streets Coalition is a diverse coalition of groups working in support of complete streets. The Safe Routes to School National Partnership was recently approved as a new member of the National Complete Streets Coalition Steering Committee. Other members include Active Living by Design, Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, the Institute of Transportation Engineers, Smart Growth America, the Thunderhead Alliance and many other vibrant non-profits and associations. Click here for more information on how to get involved with the Coalition.
From Barbara Duerk: Please call your local office for Senator Webb and Senator Warner, and/or e-mail them to ask them to sign on as sponsors for Senate Bill SB 2686. The Commonwealth Transportation Board passed in Spring 2004 requirements that complete streets guidelines be considered in all new transportation projects. On March 17, 2008, Roanoke unanimously adopted complete streets guidelines for the city’s comprehensive plan.
While it never uses the term ‘complete streets,’ the VDOT Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations is a good complete streets policy statement for a state transportation agency.
Update from Allen & Matt: The League of American Bicyclists has set up an email action alert to directly ask U.S. Senators to co-sponsor S. 2686. Unfortunately, however, the message portion of this action alert is still blank, so there is no sample letter or talking points such as those already posted on the Complete Streets website. Let’s all email Andy & Co. to bug them to finish the job. This article here is getting a lot of traffic, which could result in a lot of those support emails being sent if the Bikeleague would get their act together. They could let everyone know when they’ve done this by leaving a comment here!
1 response so far ↓
1 Allen Muchnick // Apr 8, 2008 at 8:34 am
Matt,
This article needs the following corrections and comments:
1) Senate is misspelled in the headline.
2) The material that Jake Helmboldt had forwarded to the VBF discussion list [http://lists.topica.com/lists/vbf/read/message.html?mid=813067587&sort=d&start=1304] was merely a cut and paste of the third article in the April 2008 electronic newsletter of the Safe Routes to School National Partnership [http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/mediacenter/6621/129955]. Thus, this text should be attributed to the SRTSNP newsletter, not Jake Helmboldt. In addition, the second and third sentences of the third paragraph above are irrelevant for our purposes.
3) The reference to a “Commonwealth of Virginia Transportation Safety Board” should read to “Commonweath Transportation Board”. The Virginia Transportation Safety Board is a separate body with *no* VDOT oversight. Moreover, the referenced March 2004 VDOT “Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations” [http://www.virginiadot.org/programs/resources/bike_ped_policy.pdf] never uses the term “complete streets” although it’s considered a good complete streets policy statement for a state transportation agency..
4) Your link above to the “Safe Routes to School National Partnership” is incorrect and in fact points to the National Center for Safe Routes to School at the University of North Carolina which is funded by the Federal Highway Administration. The correct link to the Safe Routes to School National Partnership (a project of Bikes Belong) is [http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/ ].
5) Most importantly, the League of American Bicyclists has an email action alert to directly ask U.S. Senators to co-sponsor S. 2686 posted on its website at [http://capwiz.com/lab/issues/bills/?billtype=S.&billnumb=2686&congress=110]. Unfortunately, however, the message portion of this action alert is still blank, so there is no sample letter or talking points such as those already posted on the Complete Streets website at[http://www.completestreets.org/federal.html]. If LAB ever gets its act together and properly completes its action alert, we should direct Virginia bicyclists there.
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