Cincinnati
City Councilmember and chair of the Vibrant Neighborhoods Committee,
Roxanne Qualls introduced a resolution supporting the federal
Complete Streets Act of 2009, a piece of legislation meant to encourage streets that are safe for all forms of human transportation.
Sponsored
by Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and introduced
earlier this month, the legislation promotes the design of streets that
are safe for motorists, bus and transit riders, pedestrians,
bicyclists, and people with disabilities by directing state departments
of transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to adopt and
implement complete streets policies for federally-funded transportation
projects.
It
would also update the current federal code on pedestrian and bicycle
accommodation and authorize research, data collection, technical
assistance and dissemination of best practices.
Qualls' resolution is currently in council's Economic Development Committee, which next meets on April 7.
"We
actually put funds in the biennial budget to develop a complete streets
program," Qualls says. "So the city has already recognized the need to
design streets for people, not just cars. Ultimately, the goal is to
make our streets multi-modal."
According to the National
Complete Streets Coalition, more than 5,000 annual fatalities and
70,000 injuries occur to pedestrians and bicyclists because of
inadequate sidewalks and crosswalks, space for bicyclists, and room for
transit riders.
Locally, the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering has been working with the
Mount Washington Community Council to
retrofit a portion of Beechmont Avenue that has seen an increase in
speeding and accidents since a road widening project in 2004.
Residents
of Westwood have also requested traffic calming measures for a mostly
residential – but busy – section of Montana Avenue.
"Our
competitive advantage is in our neighborhoods, and our quality of life
is dependent on our streets," Qualls says. "If we look at our streets
as our largest public spaces, then the quality of those spaces is
critical to economic development."
Qualls says that complete
streets is one of many strategies that cities are using to become more
walkable and mixed-use, pointing out that more than 80 state and local
governments already have passed complete streets policies.
"It's
a matter of changing how we think about streets," Qualls says. "What
we recognize is that if you design streets for cars, you get cars. If
you design streets for people and alternative modes of transportation,
that's what you'll get."
Writer:
Kevin LeMasterSources: Roxanne Qualls, Cincinnati City Council; Jennifer O'Donnell, assistant to Councilmember Qualls