From our friends at Washington Bikes...
Every two years, Complete Streets Awards are awarded by the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) to cities and counties who work to make streets safe for people who bike, walk, drive, and use transit. This grant program was established (but unfunded) by state legislation in 2011. Then in 2015, the Washington State Legislature allocated $105 million over 16 years through the Washington State Transportation Package to support the grant program.
Momentum is growing for Complete Streets. Why? People across the nation are realizing that streets that are walkable, bikeable, and support strong retail and mixed uses are streets that are more economically vibrant, safer, and healthier for visitors and residents alike. Compared to the auto-focused street-road hybrids (or “Stroads”) that have dominated transportation engineering for the past few generations, complete streets transform our most valuable real estate into a high performing asset that gives back to cities and towns.
This movement to transform streets and roads into complete streets is growing across Washington state. Nearly 90 cities have adopted complete streets ordinances in the past decade.
As a part of the Complete Streets Grant Program, TIB looks for jurisdictions showing a strong commitment to complete streets ethics in policies and projects for their upcoming awards. Nominating partners include board approved state agencies and non-profit organizations that have an interest in transportation or complete streets. Current approved nominators include Cascade Bicycle Club, Feet First, Community Transportation Association, and Futurewise, as well as several state agency partners.
Now is the time to get your Complete Streets Awards queued up. Learn more at Washington State Transportation Improvement Board webSIte.
The awards are only open to city and counties who have an adopted Complete Streets ordinance. The next awards are currently open, and nominations by nominating organizations will be due to TIB by December 14th, 2018. Nominating organizations (state agency partners and non-profit organizations) will set their own deadlines for local agencies to be considered, and early contact is strongly recommended. Awards will range between $100,000 and $1,000,000.
Don’t have a complete streets policy or ordinance in your city, county, town, or Metropolitan Planning organization (or Regional Transportation Planning Organization)? There are many resources to get started in adopting a model ordinance. Here are a few great places to start:
- Safe Routes Partnership Economic Benefits of Complete Streets: https://www.saferoutespartnership.org/resources/fact-sheet/economic-benefits-complete-streets
- MSRC backgrounder with model ordinances: http://mrsc.org/Home/Explore-Topics/Transportation/Integrating-Transportation-Modes/Complete-Streets-Ordinances.aspx
- Smart Growth America’s primer on Complete Streets Ordinances: https://smartgrowthamerica.org/program/national-complete-streets-coalition/policy-development/
- Change Lab Solutions: https://www.changelabsolutions.org/publications/laws-resolutions-cs
