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HomeMy WebLinkAboutR-2022-037 Adopting Complete Streets Policy RESOLUTION NO. R-2022-037 A RESOLUTION ADOPTING A COMPLETE STREETS POLICY FOR THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE, MISSOURI WHEREAS, a "complete street" is designed to be a transportation corridor for all users: pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and motorists. Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe, continuous travel networks for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move from destination to destination along and across a network of complete streets; and WHEREAS, the purpose of a complete streets program is to create an equitable, balanced, and effective transportation system where every street user can travel safely and comfortably and where sustainable transportation options are available to everyone; and WHEREAS, transportation improvements, facilities and amenities that may contribute to complete streets and that are considered as elements of a "complete street" include: street and sidewalk lighting; pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements; access improvements, including compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; public transit facilities accommodation including, but not limited to, pedestrian access improvement to transit stops and stations; street trees and landscaping; drainage; and street amenities; and WHEREAS, the City of Riverside, Missouri, supports incorporating "complete streets" elements into its transportation projects, where economically and technically feasible, in order to provide appropriate accommodation for bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and persons of all abilities, while promoting safe operation for all users, in comprehensive and connected networks in a manner consistent with, and supportive of, the surrounding community; and WHEREAS, the City supports including complete streets principles in its planning documents, upon subsequent updates, and in other public works and engineering plans, manuals, rules, regulations, operational standards, and programs as appropriate; and WHEREAS, it is a goal of the City to foster partnerships with the State of Missouri and neighboring communities in consideration of functional facilities and accommodations in furtherance of the City's complete streets policy and the continuation of such facilities and accommodations beyond the city's borders; and WHEREAS, the City recognizes that complete streets may be achieved through single elements incorporated into a particular project or incrementally through a series of smaller improvements or maintenance activities over time; and WHEREAS, the City supports drawing upon possible funding sources to plan and implement this policy and investigating grants that may be available to make complete streets elements more economically feasible. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF RIVERSIDE MISSOURI AS FOLLOWS: THAT the City of Riverside, Missouri Complete Streets Policy, attached hereto as "Exhibit A", is hereby adopted, and the Board of Aldermen hereby restates its support for including complete streets principles in its planning documents, upon subsequent updates, and in other public works and engineering plans, manuals, rules, regulations, operational standards, and programs as appropriate. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the Board of Aldermen of the City of Riverside Missouri the 3`d day of May 2022. 12• • K leen L. Rose, Mayor ATTEST: Robin"Kincaid..city clerk EXHIBIT "A" Complete Streets Policy Riverside Complete Streets Policy Vision and Intent As envisioned, Complete Streets are designed and operated to provide safety and accessibility for all users of Riverside's roads and trails, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, drivers, emergency personnel, freight and commercial drivers, disabled users and people of all ages and abilities. The principles of Complete Streets will contribute to the safety. health, equity, economic viability, and quality of life in Riverside by providing accessible and efficient connections between homes and public spaces such as school, libraries, trailhead locations, nursing homes, the community center, and the business district. It is Riverside's intent to formalize the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of streets so they are safe for all ages and abilities and provide a multimodal transportation network. The purpose of Riverside's Complete Streets Policy is to accommodate all road users by creating a road and trail network that meets the needs of individuals with a variety of transportation needs. Furthermore, this Policy directs decision makers to consistently plan, design, construct and maintain streets to accommodate all road users, including, but not limited to pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, disabled users, drivers, emergency personnel, freight, and commercial drivers. Diverse Users Riverside recognizes that users of various modes of transportation, including, but not limited to, pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, disabled users, drivers, emergency responders, freight and commercial drivers, are legitimate users of the community's transportation network and deserve safe facilities. "All users" includes users of all ages and abilities. While this Policy applies throughout the community, Riverside shall work to prioritize the successful implementation of Complete Streets for elderly and young users, low-income earners, as well as households with limited or no access to a personal car. Full Commitment Riverside recognizes that all projects, new, maintenance, or reconstruction, are opportunities to apply Complete Streets design principles. Furthermore. Riverside will, to the maximum extent practical, design, construct, maintain and operate all streets to provide a comprehensive and integrated street network of facilities for people of all ages and abilities. While Complete Streets projects are being repaired, Riverside shall ensure that appropriate accommodations or detours are provided to support the safe, reliable movement of all road users within the project area. Clear Exceptions Transportation infrastructure may only be excluded, upon approval of the Riverside Mayor and Board of Aldermen, where documentation and data indicate that costs or impacts of accommodation are excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use or future use. Further, Riverside shall use existing public notification protocol, as well as social media and public open houses, to inform residents and community stakeholders of proposed exceptions to using the Policy in order to gather community input before a final determination is made. Jurisdiction Implementation of the Riverside Complete Streets Policy will be carried out cooperatively within all relative departments in Riverside, and, to the greatest extent possible, among private developers, and state, regional, and federal agencies. Riverside shall, when applicable, work to encourage collaboration across jurisdictions within its borders on appropriate projects. Riverside shall organize a "Complete Streets Committee"which shall advise the Mayor and Board of Aldermen on Complete Streets projects, community engagement, and additional ways to support multimodal transportation in the community. This committee shall be composed of the following members: • One elected official • An education official • A business owner or official from the chamber of commerce • A Park Board member • A Planning & Zoning Committee Member • Two community members (if possible, one of these members will have experience in a health-related field) The committee shall have advisory staff from the following departments: • Police Department • Fire Department • Public Works • Community Development • Engineering Additionally, the City Engineer shall serve as a liaison for the committee. The Complete Streets Committee, in collaboration with appropriate staff, shall collect and publicize the performance measures identified in this Policy. Riverside shall train pertinent staff and decision-makers on the content of Complete Streets principles and best practices for implementing the Policy through appropriate means. Design Complete Streets design recommendations shall be incorporated into all publicly and privately funded projects, as appropriate. All transportation infrastructure and street design projects requiring funding or approval by the City of Riverside as well as projects funded by the State and/or Federal government shall adhere to Riverside's Complete Streets Policy. The Complete Streets Policy will focus on developing a connected, integrated network that serves all road users. Complete Streets will be integrated into policies, planning, and design of all types of public and private projects, including new construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, repair, and maintenance of transportation facilities on streets and redevelopment projects. To the greatest extent possible, Riverside shall work to incorporate native plant species and sustainable landscaping elements into Complete Streets projects. The latest design guidance. standards, and recommendations available will be used in the implementation of Complete Streets, including: • American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials • The United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration's Manual of Uniform Traffic Design Controls • National Association of City Transportation Officials Design Guides • Small Town and Rural Design Guide, Federal Highway Administration • United States Access Board Guidelines and Standards • Public Rights of Way Access Guidelines • Americans with Disabilities Standards for Accessible Design • Urban Street Stormwater Guide • The Riverside Master Plan Additionally. the design guidance, standards, and recommendations listed above shall be updated as needed. Land Use and Context Sensitivity The endeavor to reorient Riverside towards the principles of Complete Streets also necessitates a greater consideration for how transportation intersects with broader land use decisions. As a result, all new or revised land use policies, plans, zoning ordinances, and other documents shall be required to specify how they will support Complete Streets. In order to ensure that full consideration is being given to Riverside's physical, economic, and social setting, Complete Streets principles, in both development and implementation, shall include community context as a factor in decision making. The context-sensitive approach will include a range of goals by giving significant consideration to stakeholder and community values. The overall goal of this approach is to preserve and enhance scenic, aesthetic, historic, and environmental resources while improving accessibility and promoting a sense of place. Such significant changes, while necessary, can impose a burden on vulnerable communities if care is not taken from the outset to discover and avoid such harms. Thus, to the greatest extent possible, when implementing this Policy, Riverside shall work to identify and mitigate unintended consequences, such as involuntary displacement due to the rising costs of living. Performance Measures In order to monitor and fully understand progress towards the implementation of Complete Streets, Riverside shall establish internal and external performance measures as part of the Complete Streets Policy. The following metrics shall be used to measure the internal implementation: Category Metrics Ordinance 1) Appropriate policies updated to comply with Complete Streets Policy 2) Number of exemptions granted Personnel 1) Has the Policy been shared with staff? 2) Number of community engagement activities* "Community engagement activities" should include, but not be limited to: town hall meetings, social media posts, website updates, and newsletters. The following metrics shall be used to measure the external implementation: Category Metrics Safety/Usage 1) Number of nonmotorized users 2) Number of crashes resulting in fatalities and/or serious injury 3) Crash location 4) Average traffic speeds Infrastructure 1) Amount of new sidewalks built 2) Amount of existing sidewalks repaired 3) Amount of new trails/bike lanes built Economic 1) Retail sales Development 2) Number of visitors The external data shall be gathered on a project-by-project basis, both before and after the project is completed. Data collected shall be made available to the public. Project Selection Criteria Riverside shall establish criteria to encourage funding prioritization for Complete Streets implementation with at least the following principles in mind: • Connectivity—connecting existing infrastructure to existing infrastructure and creating additional connections to community assets (including, but not limited to, businesses, schools, community centers, city halls, medical facilities, parks, voting locations, or libraries) • Multimodality— implementing projects that expand infrastructure for modes of transportation other than the car • Economic Development— proposed project supports broader efforts to enhance economic development In addition to these criteria, Riverside will work to gather community input on projects being considered to determine which projects should be developed first. Implementation Steps Riverside shall make Complete Streets practices a routine part of everyday operations when feasible, shall approach every transportation project and program as an opportunity to improve streets and the transportation network for all users, and shall work in coordination with other departments, agencies, and jurisdictions to achieve Complete Streets. Riverside shall work to revise all related procedures, plans, regulations and other necessary processes to adhere to the principles of this Policy within 10 years of its adoption. Further, Riverside will work to ensure that this Policy remains in accordance with the optimal standards of the latest policy elements as authored by the National Complete Streets Coalition. The Complete Streets Committee, in collaboration with appropriate staff, shall collect and publicize the performance measures identified in this Policy. In addition to this Policy, Riverside shall look for opportunities to curb dangerous driving behavior.