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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Active Transportation and Complete Streets in
British Columbia
Challenges, Progress and Best Practices
January 2017
bccc.bc.ca/complete_streets
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Richard Campbell, Jennifer Vallee, Stuart Dow, Gabriel Lord
Complete Streets and Active Transportation best practices are evolving rapidly and we expect that we
also missed some recent advances and good examples. Through our Moving Active Transportation
Forward in B.C. initiative, also funded by the Real Estate Foundation of BC, this report will be updated
periodically to reflect recent developments in complete street and active transportation policies,
plans and project.
Please go to bccc.bc.ca/complete_streets for the latest edition.
Please send comments, feedback and information that would be useful to include in future editions
Thank You
Thank you to everyone who contributed to this report and help advanced active transportation in B.C.
and Canada and to the Planning Institute of BC (PIBC) and the UBCM who distributed the survey
through their email lists.
Thank you the Real Estate Foundation of BC and Vancity for their generous support. Support for this
project does not necessarily imply Vancity’s or the Real Estate Foundation endorsement of the
findings or contents of this report.
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 1
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Table of Contents
Executive Summary 4
Cycling and Walking Cost Estimates 10
Addressing Challenges 12
Increasing Investment 12
Metro Vancouver 12
Squamish 12
Ontario 12
Cost and Space Saving Measures 12
Space Saving Measures 13
Routine Accommodation - Integration into Utility, Maintenance and Upgrade Projects 13
Interim Design Strategies 14
Interim Protected Bike Lanes or Sidewalks 14
Typical Implementation Considerations 14
New Roads/Development 14
Narrow Traffic Lanes - New Roads 15
Cycle Tracks - New Construction 15
Technical Resources 15
Public Realm Design Standards for Town Centre Streets, City of Burnaby 15
Intersections 15
Guidelines and Toolkits 16
TAC Guidelines 16
B.C. Community Road Safety Toolkit 16
Active Transportation Plans 18
Kelowna Active Transportation Plan 18
Squamish Active Transportation Plan 18
Complete Street Projects 19
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Saanich - Shellboure Road Complete Street 19
Courtenay - 5th Street Complete Street Pilot Project 20
Toronto - Bloor Bike Lanes 21
Bloor Loves Bikes! - Cycle Toronto 22
Vancouver - Commercial Drive 23
Streets For Everyone - Commercial Drive 24
Complete Streets - New Developments 26
Burnaby 26
Cycling Network Rapid Implementation Initiatives 28
Big Jump Project - PeopleForBikes 28
Victoria - Biketoria Network 28
Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition Advocacy Efforts 29
Calgary - Downtown Cycle Track Pilot 30
Calgarians for Cycle Tracks 31
Edmonton Downtown Bike Network 31
Business and Complete Streets 33
Business Outreach 34
Review of Complete Streets Policies and Implementation 35
Edmonton 35
United States 36
Ogdensburg, New York 37
Troy, New York 38
Austin, Texas 39
Complete Streets Policy Summary and Critique 40
Exceptions 41
Cost of Accommodation is Very Expensive, Absence of Current or Future Need 42
Projects Along the Same Corridor 42
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 3
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Limited Access Freeways 42
Pedestrian Malls 43
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Executive Summary
Over the past year, the BC Cycling Coalition has been engaging municipal officials, transportation and
planning professionals, our member organizations and members of the public to determine active
transportation best practices, the barriers and challenges to the implementation of complete streets
and active transportation networks.
It has proven to be both an exciting and challenging time to undertake this work. In 2016, there has
been significant progress in active transportation planning and implementation in a few key
communities in BC and across Canada.
While these efforts have certainly not been exhaustive, we have a clearer perspective on the
measures and policies that are required to move active transportation forward in B.C. communities.
However, much more work is still needed. As safe accommodation of active transportation is
relatively new in North America, best practices will continue to evolve as more experience is gained in
facilitating cycling and walking.
Three BC communities, Whistler, Vancouver and Victoria have cycling mode shares of 8% or above.
With both Vancouver and Victoria having significant plans to further improve cycling, it is not difficult
to imagine mode shares in the 20% to 30% range within a decade or two. With walking levels already
relatively high in these communities, cycling and walking are proving to be mass transportation
solutions requiring significant investment and policy support.
Other communities are also poised for significant increases in active transportation use. Squamish and
Kelowna, with cycling mode shares of around 4%, just approved ambitious active transportation plans.
Saanich, with a cycling mode share of 5%, just approved a complete street including facilities for all
ages and abilities on Shellboure Street and is developing a new active transportation plan.
As cycling is still a growing mode of transportation throughout North America, complete street and
other transportation policies understandably tend not to consider the impact, benefits and measures
needed to accommodate higher levels of cycling traffic. Thus transportation policies and plans need to
be adjusted accordingly
While progress is being made in several communities in Canada, high quality cycling and walking
improvements are not yet the norm. Advancements typically are the result of strong political
leadership; extensive consultation by municipalities and resource intensive public, business, and
organizational engagement campaigns by advocacy groups. These campaigns include Bloor Loves
Bikes by Cycle Toronto, Commercial Drive Pilot by Streets For Everyone, the Downtown Cycle Track
Pilot by Calgarians for Cycle Tracks and the downtown cycling network campaign by the Greater
Victoria Cycling Coalition.
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Complete Streets Policies
A large number of communities in North America have adopted complete streets policies. However, in
reviewing the progress of these communities, it proved challenging to find examples where the
complete street policies alone have resulted in significantly increased levels of cycling and walking. It
became clear that complete streets policies, while necessary especially for cost-effective longer term
improvements, needed to be complemented by comprehensive active transportation plans and rapid
network implementation.
Especially for communities that do not have extensive cycling networks, a broader approach to
improving active transportation is needed including the best practices from complete street policies
combined with other policies and practices that have proven to be successful in encouraging more
people to walk and cycle while improving safety.
As highlighted by efforts in Edmonton and Clearwater, the implementation of complete streets
policies requires significant effort to ensure that other organizational policies and procedures are
updated to reflect the new priorities introduced in complete street policies. This should include asset
management strategies, official community plans, development bylaws and capital and operational
budgeting processes.
Building upon complete streets policies, the following measures seem to be effective at improving
safety and enabling the use of active transportation:
- Pilot complete street projects on priority streets
- Regulations requiring complete streets to be included in new developments
- Policies requiring complete street upgrades to be integrated with other projects including
road maintenance, utility work, and transit projects
- Prompt addressing of network gaps and safety issues
- Community plans that encourage compact walking orientated development
- Sufficient capital and staff resources to ensure that complete street upgrades can be
integrated with other projects
- Integration of active transportation facilities and complete streets into asset management
strategies
- Focused promotional and educational initiatives to complement and help build ridership on
cycling and walking networks
Rapid Network Implementation
Calgary has led the way with their Downtown Cycle Track Network implemented in 2015. Victoria’s
Biketoria cycling network plan was approved in 2016. Edmonton approved its complete streets plan in
2013 and has worked over the last several years to integrate complete streets in other plans and
practices. In 2016, community members grew concerned that improvements to the downtown cycling
network were not scheduled to be implemented for several years prompting the City to adopt a
downtown bike network in the fall of 2016 to be implemented in 2017.
PeopleForBikes recently unveiled their Big Jump project that provides funding and other support for
10 communities in the United States to rapidly implement cycling networks. A similar program would
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 6
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
be a good idea for Canadian communities.
All Ages and Abilities Cycling
As All Ages and Abilities (AAA) cycling facilities (protected bike lanes) and protected intersections have
only recently been accepted as best practices, many complete streets policies and active
transportation plans in B.C. do not yet include or prioritize them. As these both have proven to
increase cycling and improve the safety of people cycling, walking and driving, plans need to be
updated to include AAA cycling facilities and protected intersections.
The active transportation plans adopted by Kelowna and Squamish in 2016 are examples of plans that
do include AAA cycling facilities. Chilliwack is working on a new AAA cycling plan to build upon their
last one completed in 2014.
Challenges
Not surprising, the main barriers to complete streets that have been identified are the same as those
to cycling improvements in general that we and our member groups have observed. In surveys that
were sent to PIBC and UBCM email lists, the loss of parking, general resistance to change and loss of
traffic lanes were identified as top concerns regarding complete streets. The top challenges in
implementing complete streets with protected bike lanes were the cost of infrastructure; general
resistance to change, the cost of planning, design and consultation; and lack of right-of-way width.
Cost
We estimate that around $2 billion is required to complete cycling networks in B.C. communities. Our 1
rough estimate for walking networks is $2.6 billion. If the cost for other communities is similar to that 2
of Kelowna and Squamish, the cost could be almost $10 billion.
The BC Communities Road Safety Survey identified pedestrian and cyclist safety as top issues. For the
the 81 municipalities that responded, “The most commonly reported challenges to implementing road
safety activities were funding and staff with expertise.” In addition to capital funding, some 3
communities have also identified funding for planning, design, consultation and maintenance to be
barriers to active transportation.
Parking
For both residents and businesses, the loss of parking is often the biggest concern. However, it is hard
to determine ahead of time what level of opposition there will be. While the majority of cycling and
complete streets projects have proven in general to be good for businesses, for whatever reason, this
does not resonate as much as one would hope. For both municipalities and advocacy groups, the most
successful approach has proven to be one-on-one engagement with businesses. This is time
consuming and costly so it is important to plan and allocate resources for this engagement. Even in
1 Appendix A 2 Ibid. 3 Safe Roads & Communities Working Committee of the BC Road Safety Strategy, BC Communities Road Safety Survey, page 2. http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/driving-and-transportation/driving/publications/bc-communities-road-safety-survey-report.pdf
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 7
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
cities where the majority of people cycle like Copenhagen and Utrecht, significant engagement with
businesses is still required to address concerns.
Provincial Government
Support for complete streets varies within the Provincial Government. Road Safety BC and Health
Agencies are typically very supportive. Road Safety BC has featured cycling and walking within the BC
Road Safety Strategy. Support within the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MoTI) is
mixed.
Provincial cost shared Bike BC funding for cycling has been increasing in recent years and is now $9.25
for 2017. MoTI has also streamlined the application process and started the process earilier in
response to feedback from municipalities. Cycling and walking are typically accommodated on new
and upgraded roads and bridges although protected bike lanes still are not standard. Of concern
though, is the lack of support for cycling and walking improvements on Ministry roads through
communities. Only one of the 35 respondents to the complete streets survey indicated that MoTI was
supportive of complete streets. As these are often main streets with important destinations along
them, it is important that people cycling and walking be safely and conveniently accommodated.
Examples from Smaller Communities
Around 80% of survey respondents indicated that examples from smaller communities would be
helpful. While around Canada and North America, there are many larger cities that are successfully
implementing protected bike lanes and complete streets, there have been few smaller communities
that have done the same making it difficult to find examples. The good news is that there are several
smaller communities including Squamish, Saanich and Courtenay that made significant progress in
active transportation in 2016. The District of Clearwater has a road network plan and bylaws that
include significant support for active transportation.
Guidelines
TAC (Transportation Association of Canada) guidelines allow new measures such as protected bike
lanes to be used. However, they require significant reporting and monitoring work to be done that
increases the cost of and time of implementation. While larger communities have the resources to do
this additional work, this has been a significant barrier to smaller communities. New TAC guidelines
are expected soon that better accommodate active transportation and allow for narrower lane
widths, which would enable more opportunities for protected bike lanes and wider sidewalks.
Road Safety BC has just released the B.C. Community Road Safety Toolkit Module 1 - Protecting people
who walk and cycle” to assist communities in designing active transportation facilities.
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 8
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Challenges
To better understand the challenges and barriers to complete streets in BC, a survey developed by the
BC Cycling Coalition was emailed to the PIBC and UBCM email lists in 2016. A total of 50 responses
were received. Highlights of survey results are below.
What have you observed as the top concerns, or reasons for resisting complete streets?
Survey sent to PIBC email list
Survey sent to UBCM email list
Loss of parking 72% 73%
General resistance to change 79% 60%
Loss of traffic lanes 66% 53%
Loss of passenger drop-off zones 28% 20%
Congestion/increased travel times 28% 27%
Loss of commercial loading zones 17% 20%
Other concerns mentioned include:
➔ Knee-jerk reactions ➔ Deemed unnecessary for the area. 'Overkill' ➔ Concerns that improvements made that increase the desirability of an area will lead to increased
housing prices that will displace those with modest incomes.
What challenges to implementing complete streets with protected bike lanes have you experienced, or observed?
Survey sent to PIBC email list
Survey sent to UBCM email list
Cost of infrastructure 73% 60%
General resistance to change 60% 53%
Cost of planning, design and consultation 47%
Lack of right-of-way width 50% 27%
Traffic lanes required to be wider than needed 43% 27%
Government policies that inhibit innovation 33% 47%
Lack of expertise 33% 20%
Lack of examples in comparable communities 23% 33%
Lack of design guidelines 23% 27%
Insufficient resources for design and outreach 20% 20%
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Other challenges mentioned in surveys and interviews include:
➔ No resources for maintaining bike paths due to governance issues in a regional district ➔ In the electoral areas where the Ministry runs the roads, they do not accept a mandate for the
provision of infrastructure aimed at non-vehicular users. ➔ Insufficient level of funding and/or lack of willingness to align with Bike BC's funding criteria. ➔ Almost total emphasis on motor vehicles ➔ General lack of knowledge
In your experience, who has not supported complete streets? Check all that apply.
Survey sent to PIBC email list
Survey sent to UBCM email list
Businesses 53% 47%
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 47% 53%
Developers 43% 47%
Local politicians 37% 27%
Residents 23% 40%
Emergency services 20% 13%
Community groups 13% 0%
Municipal staff 13% 20%
In your experience, who has been supportive of complete streets?
Survey sent to PIBC email list
Survey sent to UBCM email list
Residents 63% 53%
Municipal staff 63% 53%
Community groups 50% 47%
Local politicians 37% 33%
Emergency services 10% 0%
Developers 7% 7%
Businesses 3% 13%
Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure 3% 0%
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 10
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Cycling and Walking Cost Estimates To the best of our knowledge, the Government of B.C. has not produced estimates of the cost of building out cycling and walking networks in communities or of upgrading walking and cycling facilities on provincial roads and bridges. In previous years, we have attempted to estimate the cost of building out cycling networks based on regional and community plans covering around 60% of the population of B.C. assuming the cost per capita is the same for the remainder of the the province. Note that many of these plans do not include the cost of higher quality all ages and abilities cycling facilities so the cost may be higher if such facilities are built. We encourage municipalities to update their plans to include ages and abilities cycling facilities. This year, our estimate for cycling networks is $1.89 billion. This does not include many provincial roads and bridges. If these were included, we expect the cost to easily exceed $2 billion. Fewer communities and no regional districts that we are aware of have estimates for their walking networks. The four estimates that we have found average per capita being $530. If this average holds for other communities, the cost of building out walking networks would be around $2.6 billion. Added to the $2 billion we have estimated for cycling, the total cost of building out cycling and walking networks would be $4.6 billion. In 2016, the City of Kelowna and the District of Squamish approved new active transportation plans with implementation costs of around $2,000 per capita. If the cost of new active transportation plans in other communities around the Province proves to be similar, the total cost for all of B.C. would be over $9 billion. Note that the Kelowna plan includes active transportation corridors that often entail the rebuilding of streets with high-quality materials in addition to greatly improving them for cycling and walking. While more costly than required for simply making walking and cycling safer and more comfortable, these street improvements also have many other community, social and business benefits.
Cycling Network Estimates
Jurisdiction Population Cost (millions) Total $/capita
Metro Vancouver 2,300,000 $850 $370
CRD 360,000 $275 $764
City of Chilliwack 78,000 $27 $346
City of Kamloops 86,000 $13 $153
City of Mission 36,426 $5 $140
Salt Spring Island 10,234 $9 $908
Total 2,870,660 $1,180 $411
Rest of Province Estimate 1,729,340 $711 $411
Total for BC 4,600,000 $1,890 $411
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 11
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Active Transportation Network Estimates
Jurisdiction Population Cost (millions) Total $/capita
City of Kelowna 123,500 $267 $2,162
District of Squamish 19,000 $36 $1,909
Total 142,500 $303 $2,128
Rest of Province Estimate 4,457,500 $9,486 $2,128
Total for BC 4,600,000 $9,790 $2,128 Walking Network Estimates
Jurisdiction Population Cost (millions) Total $/capita
City of Castlegar 7,259 $2 $272
City of Mission 36,426 $36 $988
District of North Vancouver 84,412 $37 $438
District of Squamish 19000 $8 $421
Total 147,097 $83 $564
Rest of Province Estimate 4,452,903 $2,511 $564
Total for BC 4,600,000 $2,594 $564 Sources
Page URL
Metro Vancouver 4 http://www.translink.ca/~/media/Documents/cycling/regional_cycling_strategy/rcs_implementation_plan_june_2013.ashx
CRD 9 https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/regional-planning-pdf/Pedestrian-Cycling-Master-Plan/appendix_h_funding_and_implementation.pdf?sfvrsn=2
City of Kelowna 43 http://apps.kelowna.ca/CityPage/Docs/PDFs//Policy%20and%20Planning/PBMP%20Final%20Draft.pdf?t=020717692
City of Castlegar ES 5 http://www.castlegar.ca/pdfs/Pedestrian_Bicycling_Master_Plan.pdf
City of Chilliwack 34 http://www.chilliwack.ca/main/attachments/Files/2192/Bicycle_Transportation_Plan_March_21_2014.pdf
City of Kamloops http://www.kamloops.ca/transportation/pdfs/bikeplan/10-05-31-BMP.pdf
City of Mission 7-10 http://www.mission.ca/wp-content/uploads/Transportation-Master-Plan.pdf
Salt Spring Island 41 https://www.crd.bc.ca/docs/default-source/regional-planning-pdf/Pedestrian-Cycling-Master-Plan/pcmp-ssi-edition.pdf?sfvrsn=0
District of North Vancouver ES 10 https://www.dnv.org/sites/default/files/edocs/pedestrian-master-plan.pdf
District of Squamish 85-86
http://squamish.ca/assets/Active-transportation-plan/2016-09-19-Squamish-ATP-FINAL.pdf
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 12
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Addressing Challenges
Increasing Investment Government of BC
The Government of BC increased its cost shared Bike BC funding from $6 million per year to $9.25
million per year in 2017. While this increase is most welcome, significantly more is needed to help
communities complete their cycling networks in a timely manner.
Metro Vancouver TransLink’s Three Year Plan approved in November 2016 includes a 300% increase in funding for
cycling . Specifically: 4
● $12.5 million of new funding over 3 years for municipalities to improve pathways around
transit, like sidewalks, crosswalks, and pedestrian traffic signals
● $29.8 million of new funding over 3 years for municipalities to encourage and improve cycling
through projects like building bike lanes and multi-use paths
● $11.5 million of new funding over 3 years to improve regionally-owned cycling facilities
around major transit stations and exchanges
Squamish Squamish is allocating $700,000 per year for implementation of its active transportation. With a
population of 19,000, that amounts to $37 per person per year almost equal to the $40 per person
per year invested in the Netherlands.
Ontario As part of its Climate Change Action Plan, the Province of Ontario is investing $200 million over 4
years in cycling infrastructure. 5
4 http://tenyearvision.translink.ca/downloads/Phase%20One%20Summary.pdf page 2. 5 https://www.ontario.ca/page/climate-change-action-plan?_ga=1.173480480.249610815.1377923278
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 13
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Cost and Space Saving Measures There are a variety of cost saving measures that can enable more safety improvements to be
implemented sooner. In addition to improving safety, many of these measures also have other
community benefits.
These measures are broadly covered by one or more of the following policies:
- Space saving through road diets, lane diets and shared parking/moving lanes
- Interim Designs
- Routine Accommodation - Integration (“Piggybacking”) with other projects including road and
bridge expansion, upgrades and maintenance; utility work; and transit projects
- Developer Requirements and Incentives
- Land use policies that encourage compact, walkable, mixed use communities
It is important that the above policies be implemented in an integrated manner. Relying only on
Routine Accommodation, Developer Requirements and land use policies could delay needed safety
improvements and cycling and walking network connections by many years. For critical safety
improvements, Interim Designs can enable improvements to be implemented sooner and if that is not
possible, communities should use capital funding and funding from senior governments for safety
improvements.
To ensure issues and opportunities are not missed, policy development and planning should involve
Engineering, Planning, Finance and Operations staff with expertise in Road Safety, Urban Planning,
Traffic, Active Transportation, Utilities, Development, Public Realm, Stormwater Management and
Landscaping and consider full life cycle capital and operational costs.
Some communities may include some of these measures in Complete Street policies. Many Complete
Street policies have not yet included measures such as cycle tracks and protected intersections.
Space Saving Measures On existing roads, space saving measures including Road Diets, Lane Diets and Parking Reductions can
enable safety improvements including turn lanes, Protected Bike Lanes and Sidewalks without the
expense of rebuilding the road, moving curbs and land acquisition. On new roads, space saving
measures reduce the cost of construction, land acquisition and stormwater management.
Routine Accommodation - Integration into Utility, Maintenance and Upgrade Projects Safety improvements including sidewalks, cycle tracks and traffic calming can be integrated into all
utility, maintenance, and upgrade projects that involve road work. It is important to adopt policies to
ensure that this strategy is integrated with longer range planning and budget processes to ensure that
staff resources and funding is available to make these improvements without delaying roadwork
projects.
● Contact all provincial and regional agencies, and local public and private utilities that do work
in public rights-of-way. Secure their five-year project plans as well as their long-range plans.
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 14
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Then, work with them to make sure that the streets are restored in the way that works for
your city.
● Look internally at all capital projects. Make sure that every opportunity to make
improvements is taken advantage of at the time of construction.
● Consider combining small projects with larger capital projects as a way of saving money.
Generally, bid prices drop as quantities increase.
More Information
http://www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE/guide_implementation.cfm
Interim Design Strategies With limited funding streams, complex approval and regulatory processes, and lengthy construction
timetables, cities are often challenged to deliver the results that communities demand as quickly as
they would like. Interim design strategies are a set of tools and tactics that cities can use to improve
their roadways and public spaces in the near-term. They include low-cost, interim materials, new
public amenities, and creative partnerships with local stakeholders, which together enable faster
project delivery, and more flexible and responsive design.
Whether setting a parklet along a curb, pedestrianizing a narrow corridor, adding a protected bike
lane, implementing street closures, traffic diversion or redesigning a complex intersection, interim
design strategies can be a cost-effective solution. An interim design can also serve as a bridge to the
community, helping to build support for a project and test its functionality before going into
construction.
Interim Protected Bike Lanes or Sidewalks Protected bike lanes (cycle tracks) or sidewalks can be added to existing streets in the absence of major renovations. They can be buffered from traffic using a combination of paint, planters, parked cars, jersey barriers, temporary curbing and plastic posts (bollards). In suburban and rural areas with little potential cycling and walking traffic, separated paths can be shared by cyclists and pedestrians.
More Information
http://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/interim-design-strategies/
Typical Implementation Considerations ● As many interim measures are not as durable as longer term measures, on-going monitoring
and maintenance is required to ensure they remain effective and do not become hazards.
● Posts often break leaving only the base which can be a tripping hazard or a hazard to cyclists.
Bases should be white or yellow to increase their visibility at night.
● Planters or jersey barriers can be accidentally moved into the bike lane, sidewalk or traffic
lanes. They should be white or yellow and or have high visibility markings on them.
● Note that interim measures reduce near term capital costs, design, maintenance and
monitoring costs may be greater and some of this costs will also be incurred when the
permanent solution is implemented.
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● On streets where motor vehicle speeds are higher than 50km/h, sturdier measures such as
jersey barriers and curbing should be considered to provide more protection for people
walking and cycling.
New Roads/Development New roads should be built as Complete Streets with sidewalks, protected bike lanes and protected
intersections. To reduce costs, don’t build more lanes than are needed, make the lanes narrow and
eliminate street parking if possible.
Developers can be required to install safety improvements including sidewalks, paths, protected bike
lanes, crosswalks and protected intersections, or pay an in-lieu fee. In addition, zoning requirements
can be written to allow for, or require narrower streets.
Narrow Traffic Lanes - New Roads Narrow traffic lanes (3m) on new roads not only decreases the construction cost of building the
roadway, but also the cost of managing runoff and associated land costs while increasing the space
available for sidewalks and cycle tracks. “Lane widths of 10 feet (3.05m) are appropriate in urban
areas and have a positive impact on a street’s safety without impacting traffic operations.” 6
Cycle Tracks - New Construction Cycle tracks or protected bike lanes separated from the roadway surface can be less expensive to
build than painted or buffered bike lanes. They reduce the total roadway surface area and thus the
amount of stormwater generated. Runoff from the lanes can be treated via rain gardens. As a cycle
track separate from the roadway surface does not have to support the weight of motor vehicles, the
cost may be less than painted and buffered bike lanes that increase the total width of the roadway.
Technical Resources http://blog.mackaysposito.com/separated-bike-lanes-what-are-the-stormwater-implications
Public Realm Design Standards for Town Centre Streets, City of Burnaby https://www.burnaby.ca/Assets/city+services/policies+projects+and+initiatives/community+develop
ment/Town+Centre+Standards/A+Great+Public+Realm.pdf
https://burnaby.civicweb.net/document/15313
Intersections While some intersections will require expensive reconstruction and signal work to improve safety
through conversion to protected intersections or roundabouts, in many cases, lower cost
improvements can be made.
Road and Lane Diets can create space for left and right turn lanes as well as as protected bike lanes
and sidewalks. If turn volumes are low or if access can be provided by turning at other intersections,
right and or left turns can be banned to improve safety and create space for protected bike lanes and
6 http://nacto.org/publication/urban-street-design-guide/street-design-elements/lane-width/
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 16
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
sidewalks. Banning Right on Red can also be another low cost measure to improve walking and cycling
safety.
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Guidelines and Toolkits
TAC Guidelines The new Transportation Association of Canada (TAC) Geometric Design Guide are expected to be
approved soon. They will address the accommodation of active transportation and likely include
protected bike lanes and protected intersections. In addition, they likely include guidance allowing
narrower travel lanes thus leaving more right-of-way space for cycling and walking facilities.
More Information
http://www.tac-atc.ca/en/projects/production/geometric-design-guide-canadian-roads-new-edition
B.C. Community Road Safety Toolkit
The origin of the B.C. Community Road Safety Toolkit was a 2015 survey of British Columbia
municipalities by the Safe Roads and Communities Working Committee, one of the five working
committees of the B.C. Road Safety Strategy. The survey gathered information about road safety from
British Columbia’s communities. It found that many municipalities wanted more knowledge on road
safety planning, safety designs, and strategies.
The B.C. Community Road Safety Toolkit is an easily-accessible and electronically-searchable
knowledge source about road safety designs and strategies that local governments can implement to
improve road safety outcomes. At the same time, the knowledge in the toolkit is intended for all
agencies with a mandate related to road safety.
Module 1 - Protecting people who walk and cycle and the accompanying resource kit was released in
December 2016. Module one includes protected bike lanes, protected intersections and safer
pedestrian crossings.
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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
A module on reducing motor vehicle speeds in communities to make them safer for people walking
and cycling is planned for 2017.
More Information
Please note that important updates to the graphics and other content in the toolkit will be released
soon at the link below soon.
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/driving-and-cycling/road-safety-rules-and-conseq
uences/publications-legislation-and-data/bc-community-road-safety-toolkit
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 19
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Active Transportation Plans
Kelowna Active Transportation Plan Kelowna adopted a new Active Transportation Plan that includes all ages and abilities cycling facilities
in April 2016. The goal is to increase year-round walking and cycling so that within the next 20 years
25 per cent of all trips less than five kilometres in length are made by walking or cycling. It is
estimated that the primary network will cost $267 million.
More Information
https://www.kelowna.ca/sites/files/1/docs/related/pbmp_final_draft.pdf
Squamish Active Transportation Plan Squamish adopted a new active transportation plan in September 2016. The cost of network buildout
is estimated to be $36 million. Squamish is currently investing $700,000 per year in the
implementation of the Plan. At $38 per person per year, this is a significant level of investment.
Matching funding from senior levels of government would significantly accelerate network
completion.
More Information
https://squamish.ca/yourgovernment/projects-and-initiatives/2016-completed-projects/active-transp
ortation-plan/
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 20
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Complete Street Projects
Saanich - Shellboure Road Complete Street
A Shelbourne Valley Action Plan is being developed to guide land use and transportation decisions in
the Shelbourne Valley over the next 30 years.
For a year, public feedback was received on options for short-term mobility improvements on
Shellbourne Road. An Option 3 design concept was presented for public feedback. This Option was
developed based on public feedback on Options 1 and 2 earlier in the year.
Options 3 responds to key public concerns expressed during the review of Options 1 and 2. It includes
significant pedestrian improvements, adds a continuous bike facility on Shelbourne Street (with 50%
physically separated) and retains four travel lanes for 65% of Shelbourne Street. In the public survey:
➔ 60% indicated they supported Option 3
➔ 24% indicated they supported Option 3 in part
➔ 16% indicated they did not support Option 3
On December 5, 2016 Saanich Council endorsed in principle Option 3. This option includes a new
continuous bike facility along Shelbourne Street and numerous pedestrian improvements. The cost
estimate for Option 3 is $12.5 million.
More Information
http://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/community/community-planning/centre-corridor-plans/shelbourne-
valley-action-plan.html
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 21
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Courtenay - 5th Street Complete Street Pilot Project
Courtenay, population 24,000, represents a different approach to the implementation of complete
streets in small communities. The approach the City of Courtenay took was to construct a complete
street pilot project to meet its strategic priorities. This pilot project is funded through a Federal Gas
Tax Grant under the Strategic Priorities Fund - Local Roads, Bridges and Active Transportation
category, and covers all expenses related to the construction and implementation of the complete
street. The City first identified 15 potential corridors that could be upgraded into complete streets as
a part of its “community-wide transportation plan”. 5th Street was chosen as the optimal corridor for
the pilot project due to its downtown location, which can be used to revitalize the downtown and
promote economic growth as well as an attraction for residents and visitors.
The 5th Street Complete Street Pilot Project will include a substantial overhaul of above-ground and
below-ground infrastructure. Along with new trees and other landscaping, other proposed
improvements include innovative stormwater management through the installation of rain gardens
throughout the corridor.
The project is currently underway and the City has engaged in extensive public consultation. The City
began its consultation process by informing the public about complete streets and the benefits that
these could bring to the community. This step ensured an informed discourse, which was a primary
motivation for the City. Next, the City produced a survey which examined how people currently use
5th Street, which participants at information and planning sessions were able to fill out, as well as an
online version. The next steps in the consultation process were to identify community members’
visions and ideas for the 5th street pilot project as well as to present different options for the
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 22
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
configuration of the pilot. This process occurred through several stages of consultation involving
meetings with stakeholders, information sessions for the public and online surveys and
questionnaires.
In December 2016 Courtenay City Council voted for a design with bike lanes physically separated from
vehicle traffic, same elevation as sidewalk provided between Fitzgerald and Harmston, and alternating
parking and rain gardens throughout the remainder of the corridor. Plans are now underway for the
detailed design phase.
Source and More Information http://www.courtenay.ca/EN/main/city-hall/projects-gallery/5th-street-complete-street-pilot-project.
html
Toronto - Bloor Bike Lanes
Image: City of Toronto
In August 2016, following Cycle Toronto's Bloor Loves Bikes! campaign, the City of Toronto installed
pilot protected bike lanes on a 2.6km section of Bloor St. Cycling is up dramatically and there has been
little impact on business. Cycle Toronto has noted a marked increase in bike lane usage, at least
compared to three years ago. A random morning sample in September 2016 showed a 300 per cent
increase over the same month in 2013. The pilot will be monitored for 1 year. For some sections, a 7
traffic lane in each direction was reallocated. In other sections, parking was reallocated on one side of
the street leaving parking on the other side.
Fifty-six percent of those polled approved of the Bloor bike lanes. The poll revealed that more women
surveyed approved of the Bloor bike lanes (62%) than men (49%). People aged 18 to 34 approved of
the bike lanes the most, at 67%. 8
7 http://www.insidetoronto.com/news-story/6907720-bloor-bike-lane-advocates-celebrate-pilot-project-s-three-month-anniversary/ 8 https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2016/10/05/majority-of-torontonians-favour-bike-lanes-new-survey-suggests.html
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 23
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Bloor Loves Bikes! - Cycle Toronto
Photo: Cycle Toronto, Pop-up bike lane on Bloor St during Open Streets TO (2015)
Bloor Loves Bikes! is the multi-year campaign by Cycle Toronto that successfully built support for Bike
Lanes on Bloor. The campaign included rides, pop-up bike lane during Open Streets TO, a pledge
campaign with over 11,000 signatures, business outreach with stickers for supportive businesses,
research and surveying.
More Information
https://www.cycleto.ca/bloor-loves-bikes
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 24
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Vancouver - Commercial Drive
Image: Mike Feaver, Streets For Everyone
The Commercial Drive Complete Street project aims to increase the safety and comfort for people
who walk, bike, take transit and drive. It's a popular destination street for both local residents and
visitors to stroll and enjoy the rich variety of independent shops and services. Commercial from
Adanac to 12th had the second highest rate of cycling collisions per kilometre . 9
Public consultation started in October 2016 with open houses and a survey. Draft plans are expected
in February 2017 and implementation could happen in Fall 2017.
The City's intercept survey found that most people did not drive to the Drive: 44% walked, 27% used
transit and 11% cycled. Only 17% of people arrived on the Drive via motor vehicle. Of those, 33% used
the parking on the Drive meaning that only 5.6% of people arriving on the Drive use the on-street
parking. Two-thirds of people surveyed have never cycled on Commercial Drive, but only 16% say it’s 10
because they are not interested. Over 50% are interested with 41% feeling unsafe/uncomfortable
cycling on the Drive.
More Information
http://vancouver.ca/streets-transportation/commercial-drive-complete-street.aspx
9 Cycling Safety Study, City of Vancouver, 2012, http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/cycling-safety-study-final-report.pdf 10 http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/commercial-drive-complete-street-display-boards-oct2016.pdf
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 25
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Streets For Everyone - Commercial Drive
Streets For Everyone (SFE) is a grassroots initiative that engages government, individuals, businesses
and organizations to build support for complete streets that include all-ages-and-abilities cycling
facilities.
Streets For Everyone was formed after founder Sarah FioRito learned street improvements on
Commercial Drive would not move forward as planned due to controversy over other community
developments and backlash over other cycling projects. FioRito initiated a research process in an
effort to determine what efforts would best enable progress for cycling infrastructure in Vancouver.
After dozens of interviews and consultations with leading advocates from major bicycle advocacy
organizations from across North America FioRito determined that there was major gap in the cycling
advocacy efforts in Vancouver. Since no existing organization had plans to conduct on-the-ground
community organizing, business outreach, and high-profile campaigning for the purpose of building
support for bike lanes on commercial streets, a new initiative would be essential to play this role.
The high-profile pilot campaign on Commercial Drive is intended to set a precedent for main streets in
BC, showcasing how better cycling, walking and transit enhances the streetscape and bolsters
businesses. This campaign highlights the environmental, social, economic and safety benefits of
designing streets with all users in mind. A key part of the campaign has been the preparation of design
options with renderings that help illustration potential walking, cycling, transit and public space
improvements (see image above). The BC Cycling Coalition has assisted with Streets For Everyone
activities supported by grants from Mountain Equipment Coop and the Real Estate Foundation of BC.
The campaign has included:
➔ Over 1500 petition signatures
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 26
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
➔ Public outreach on streets with a cargo bike and at events
➔ Keeping supporters engaged and informed through a 1,000 person email list and social media
➔ Social events to help build community
➔ Complete street demonstration at Commercial Drive Car Free Day
➔ One-on-one business outreach with over 20 indicating support
➔ A sticker for businesses to show support
➔ Media coverage
➔ Ensuring decision makers are informed on the rationale for complete streets
➔ Participation in Grandview Woodland’s Citizens Assembly process resulting in inclusion of a
complete street on Commercial Drive in the community plan
➔ A seat on the City’s stakeholder committee
➔ Preparing a toolkit to assist in kickstarting similar groups.
More Information https://streetsforeveryone.org/commercial-drive/ Campaign toolkits and advice available upon request.
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 27
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Complete Streets - New Developments
Burnaby
Photo: Richard Campbell Burnaby in their Town Centre plans show an example of how complete streets (separated bike lanes,
wide sidewalks, fully separated uses, rain gardens) can be built in large redevelopment projects. Their
approach takes a long term holistic view of the entire lifecycle of the street. Short initial segments
along Kingsway by Station Square (photo above) and Lougheed, east of Willingdon were completed in
2016.
However, so far, they are only upgrading streets as development occurs meaning it could be decades
before contiguous bike lanes are completed along a street. Interim measures as part of a rapid
implementation plan would help complete their cycling network sooner. As well, their designs do not
yet include protected intersections.
More Information Town Centre Streets Design Guidelines:
https://eagenda.burnaby.ca/sirepub/cache/2/uqi1qb3hdyr3zvutebt4mahz/61180422201611091951.PDF A Great Public Realm - Presentation to the Planning Institute of BC
https://www.pibc.bc.ca/sites/default/files/1%262%20Stu%20%26%20Ian%20-%20A%20Great%20Public%20Realm%20%28reduced%29.pdf
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 28
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Clearwater, BC The District of Clearwater is a rural community of 2400 residents. Highway 5 running through the
middle of the community has proven to be a barrier to active transportation and economic
development. To address these issues, the District developed a long-term road network plan. Partners
in this process including OPUS International, MoTI, Interior Health Authority (IHA) and the Canadian
Heart and Stroke Foundation (HSF).
There was strong support for active transportation in the community. Pedestrian and Cyclist
Connectivity and All Users Safety Benefits ranked highest of all issues following following the future
road network plan workshop attended by District Councillors, staff and residents. Participants in the
Mobile Public Open House were given a survey at the last station:
➔ All survey respondents indicated that providing more active transportation connections is very
important
➔ Half of respondents indicated that they would be willing to give up on-street parking for a
separated active transportation facility
The Road-Cross Section Bylaw, adopted in December 2013 included accommodation of active
transportation when new roads are built. The Bylaw document states that "for active transportation
modes, as good or better connections must be provided compared to motor vehicle travel, such that
distances for active transportation modes must be equal or less than distances for motor vehicle
traffic between the same two points". Paving improvements also now help facilitate active
transportation improvements.
More Information Clearwater Paves the Way for New Road-Cross Section Bylaw
http://planh.ca/success-stories/clearwater-paves-way-new-road-cross-section-bylaw Project Report
http://planh.ca/sites/default/files/project_report_-_road_cross_section_final_october_8_2013.pdf Bylaws http://planh.ca/sites/default/files/bylaw_no._1112013_subdivision_and_development_highway_standards.pdf Complete Streets for Canada http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/approach/clearwater-bc
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 29
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Cycling Network Rapid Implementation Initiatives
Big Jump Project - PeopleForBikes PeopleForBikes, an American coalition of bicycle suppliers and retailers, is helping 10 cities radically
reimagine their bicycling infrastructure. The initiative, Big Jump Project initiative aims to double or
triple bike ridership in specific neighborhoods over the course three years—proving that when cities
make smart changes, more people ride bikes, and communities become better places to live, work
and play.
These cities will be laboratories for innovation, ultimately illustrating the ways in which communities
can tap into cycling to improve the health and vitality of their communities. Each city will annually
receive the equivalent of $200,000 in technical support from PeopleForBikes for the development of
bike infrastructure and programs that encourage cycling.
Source and More Information
http://www.peopleforbikes.org/placesforbikes/landing/the-big-jump-project
http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/peopleforbikes-launches-the-big-jump-project
Victoria - Biketoria Network
Image: City of Victoria
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 30
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
The City of Victoria is embarking on #BIKETORIA, an ambitious project to create an All Ages and
Abilities (AAA) cycling network. The network will be implemented over four phases which, when
completed, will provide over 24 kilometers of enhanced bicycle infrastructure and a minimum grid of
5.4 km of protected bike lanes in the downtown core by the end of 2018. The Pandora bike lane is
currently under construction and will be finished in Spring 2017. The entire network is estimated to
cost $27 million.
More Information
http://www.victoria.ca/EN/main/community/cycling.html
Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition Advocacy Efforts The City of Victoria has been a leader in cycling in North America with almost 12% of residents cycling
to work. However, in 2012, members of the cycling community noticed that other cities such as
Vancouver were having success increasing cycling with protected bike lanes and were eager to see
similar improvements in Victoria.
In November 2013, to build interest in City of Victoria’s Bicycle Master Plan Update, the Greater
Victoria Cycling Coalition (GVCC) held a bike planning workshop that was attended by 50 people. 11
Participants discussed network connections and designs that would make cycling safer and more
comfortable
The GVCC produced the Bikes Means Business (2014) report funded by a small grant from the City of
Victoria and significant volunteer efforts. The report detailed results of a customer intercept survey, 12
best practices from elsewhere and the success of bike lanes increasing business. Copies of the report
were sent to councillors and the media. The report helped create discussion within the community
and the City regarding protected bike lanes.
In 2014 and 2015, the GVCC with support from the Capital Regional District organized a speakers
series featuring experts including Gil Penalosa, Dr. Kay Teschke, Chris Bruntlett, Dr. Larry Frank and
Charles Montgomery drew audiences of between 50 and 300 people including several city councillors.
The series helped create awareness of and build support for all ages and abilities cycling facilities
within the cycling community and the City.
Bike investments were central to the 2014 municipal election campaign with several candidates
promising more support for cycling included Lisa Helps, who was elected Mayor and Jeremy Loveday,
who was elected to Council. For the first budget under the new council, the GVCC rallied support for
increased funding through a letter writing campaign and encouraged supporters to address council.
As a result, cycling investment was increased from $4 million to $7 million. This came from
unallocated federal gas tax funds.
When some Cook Street businesses campaigned against bike lanes, the GVCC rallied support through
11 http://gvcc.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/03-03-14-Workshop-report-final-draft.pdf 12 http://gvcc.bc.ca/bikes-mean-business/
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 31
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
a petition campaign and business outreach.
More Information
http://gvcc.bc.ca/advocacy/
Calgary - Downtown Cycle Track Pilot
Image: City of Calgary
On December 19, 2016, Calgary City Council voted to make the cycle tracks pilot network in the
Centre City permanent. The pilot network consists of cycle tracks on 12th Avenue South, 5th Street
SW and a portion of 9th Avenue SE. The Stephen Avenue Mall will become a two-way bicycle and
pedestrian shared space. Extensive public consultation focusing on local residents and businesses
helped shape the network. Walking, cycling, transit and driving were monitored with specific
performance target for each.
More Information
http://calgary.ca/cycletracks
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 32
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Calgarians for Cycle Tracks
A grassroots group, Calgarians for Cycle Tracks, successfully built public, business, organizational and
government support for the cycle track pilot network. The campaign including business and
organizational outreach including large signs (above) that could be placed in windows, the YYC Bike
Pledge signed by over 70 businesses, letter writing campaigns and social media efforts with over 2000
Facebook likes.
More Information
http://www.yyccycletrack.ca
Edmonton Downtown Bike Network As detailed in the Complete Street section of this document, Edmonton adopted a complete street
policy in 2012. While they had identified cycling routes downtown, none were scheduled to proceed
in the immediate future.
At the People for Paths City for Life event in April 2016, Gil Penalosa inspired them to “Do something.
Now.” They asked themselves “What is Edmonton’s most urgent, fixable bike problem?”. There 13
answer was “downtown”.
The downtown core is a hostile place for bikes. About 19 people on bikes get hit every year within a
5-block radius in the core. However, within these bike-unfriendly streets lies opportunity: they are
overbuilt. Many streets in downtown Edmonton have travel lanes that are much wider than required,
and many of those are underutilized. 14
13 http://pathsforpeople.org/a-downtown-bike-grid-for-edmonton/ 14 Ibid.
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 33
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Photo: Paths for People
Paths for People started to shop around the idea of getting a report written on how Edmonton could
emulate Calgary’s success. Stantec, whose head office is in downtown Edmonton, offered to subsidize
half of the cost of writing the report. Paths for People approached several councillors and in July 2016,
they approved to accept Stantec’s offer.
In October 2016, upon completion of the report, Edmonton City Council unanimously approved
building a network of protected bike lanes through downtown Edmonton, to open summer 2017. 15
More Information
Paths for People
http://pathsforpeople.org/a-downtown-bike-grid-for-edmonton/ Edmonton Bikes
http://edmontonbikes.ca/downtown-bike-grid-look-like-july-2017/
15 http://edmontonbikes.ca/edmonton-approves-downtown-bike-network-for-summer-2017/
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 34
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Business and Complete Streets
While there is often concern and in some cases vocal opposition to complete streets and bike lane
projects from some businesses, typically these projects have resulted in increased business especially
over the long term. Increased people-traffic from cycling, walking, and transit users enhances the
business environment by providing more opportunities for commerce. In particular, people who are
cycling, walking, skateboarding, etc., move more slowly and are more flexible than people in cars and
so are more easily able to stop and buy something from local businesses while travelling.
Successes
➔ A 2009 study of Bloor Street, a commercial street in Toronto, showed that people who walked
or biked to the area spent more per month than those who drove. 16
➔ After the New York City department of Transportation added protected bike lanes to 9th
Avenue, businesses saw a 49% increase in retail sales. This is particularly dramatic when
compared to local businesses throughout the whole of Manhattan which only saw a 3%
increase in retail sales. 17
➔ In San Francisco, two-thirds of business owners on Valencia Street thought bike lanes had a
positive impact on sales four years after the city had installed them. 40% believed that the
lanes helped attract new customers to the neighbourhood. 18
➔ In Portland, OR, people who traveled to a shopping area by bike spent 24% more per month
16 http://www.bikeleague.org/sites/default/files/bikeleague/bikeleague.org/programs/bicyclefriendlyamerica/bicyclefriendlybusiness/pdfs/toronto_study_bike_lanes_parking.pdf 17 http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/2012-10-measuring-the-street.pdf 18 http://www.sfbike.org/download/bikeplan/bikelanes.pdf
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 35
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
than those who traveled by car. Studies found similar trends in Toronto and three cities in
New Zealand. 19
➔ After a complete street including protected bike lanes was installed on Oakland's Telegraph Avenue, retail sales in a district that has sometimes struggled were up 9%, thanks in part to 5 new businesses. 20
➔ After removing parking, installing protected bike lanes and making streetscape improvements along Broadway in Salt Lake City, retail sales rose 8.8%, compared to 7% citywide. 21
More Information
Bikes Mean Business | BC Cycling Coalition
http://www.bccc.bc.ca/business
Protected Bike Lanes Mean Business | People for Bikes
https://b.3cdn.net/bikes/123e6305136c85cf56_0tm6vjeuo.pdf
Bikes Mean Business | Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition
http://gvcc.bc.ca/advocacy/bikes-mean-business/
Business Outreach One-on-one outreach to businesses by both municipalities and advocacy groups have proven to be
most successful in building business support for complete streets and bike lanes, and addressing
concerns. Business people are typically very busy and often don’t have time to keep informed of city
processes, attend meetings or research the impact of complete streets. Just dropping off or mailing
information and notices often is often not sufficient. It is hard to predict if there will be business
opposition or at what point in the project cycle that opposition will occur in.
Timely information and updates are important. In some cases, business concerns have been
addressed or there is opposition to options that are not still being considered.
Both municipalities and advocacy groups have undertaken customer intercept surveys and surveys of
business owners regarding complete streets and cycling. Typically these surveys have found that the
majority of customers arrive by walking, transit and cycling while business owners think that the
majority arrive by private motor vehicle.
Offering businesses that support projects recognition and publicity via media coverage, social media,
email and on websites is also a good idea. Stickers or signs to be displayed in windows can also be
effective.
Examples of projects that have included significant business outreach efforts include Calgary’s
Downtown Cycle Track Pilot, Victoria’s Biketoria Network, Toronto’s Bloor Bike Lanes and the
19 https://b.3cdn.net/bikes/123e6305136c85cf56_0tm6vjeuo.pdf 20 http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/biking-walking-soar-collisions-plummet-along-oaklands-protected-bike-lanes 21 http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/salt-lake-city-street-removes-parking-adds-bike-lanes-and-sales-go-up
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 36
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
Commercial Drive Complete Street detailed in elsewhere in this document.
Review of Complete Streets Policies and Implementation
Edmonton 22
Since Complete Streets was approved in 2013 the City has worked on three pilot projects: Westmount
Neighbourhood Renewal , 142 Street Renewal and 112 Avenue Reconstruction . 23 24 25
In order to encourage Complete Streets application in greenfield development we developed 21 cross
sections that allow developers to pick "off the shelf" Complete Streets according to the context of the
area they are developing. These cross sections have since been added as an addendum in Chapter
8000 of the Roadways Design and Construction Standards. 26 27
To ensure that Complete Streets elements are not missed by budget constraints of roadway renewal
and reconstruction, a funding pot was developed as an interim measure before Complete Streets was
fully implemented. Since funds are limited, projects go through an application process that identifies
which elements are to be added as part of the project. 28
Complete Streets represents a significant change in roadway design as it shifts from a standards based
approach to a flexible, context sensitive approach. As pilot projects were in development we noticed
that Administration was struggling with the concept of Complete Streets. In order to address
concerns, a workshop called "Putting Complete Streets in Practice" was developed. The workshop was
rolled out to the designers and facilitators of Complete Streets (Transportation Services - Engineers
and Sustainable Development - Planners). The workshop provided an overview of the policy with a tie
to larger city goals, walked through the guidelines and reviewed an example that indicated how
participants would apply Complete Streets in their work. In the future, the workshop is intended to be
rolled out to Consultants, Developers and other educational institutions.
In November 2014, Council moved to revise the Complete Streets policy to designate the City’s “Main
Streets”, which will be designed and reconstructed to a higher standard, better balancing the needs of
all users, with pedestrians given priority. Main Streets are enhanced Complete Streets. Edmonton’s
Complete Streets Guidelines state that all streets are designed to be Complete Streets, but it doesn’t
list any high-profile Main Streets or provide detailed guidelines for enhanced streetscaping. The Main
Streets Guideline addresses this gap and is an addition to the Complete Streets Guidelines. 29
The Complete Streets Guidelines and the Roadway Design Standards are currently being scoped for an
update. We've heard from stakeholders that to insure implementation there must be integration of
22 Anika Muhammad, City of Edmonton via email 23 http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/on_your_streets/westmount-neighbourhood-renewal.aspx 24 http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/road_projects/142-street-planning-study.aspx 25 http://www.edmonton.ca/transportation/road_projects/112-avenue-reconstruction.aspx 26 http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/complete-streets-greenfield.aspx 27 http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/documents/Volume_2_-_Roadways.pdf 28 http://sirepub.edmonton.ca/sirepub/agdocs.aspx?doctype=agenda&itemid=40093 29 http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_vision_and_strategic_plan/main-streets.aspx
Complete Streets and Active Transportation - January 2017 37
THE BRITISH COLUMBIA CYCLING COALITION
the two documents. The project is in the early stages and scoping is still underway.
United States National Complete Streets Coalition (NCSC) reviewed the complete streets policies implemented in
2014 across the United States and ranked them, according to the NCSC’s ideal complete streets policy.
The ideal complete streets policy, according to the NCSC considers the following 10 aspects:
1. Vision: The policy establishes a motivating vision for why the community wants Complete
Streets: to improve safety, promote better health, increase efficiency, improve the
convenience of choices, or for other reasons.
2. All users and modes: The policy specifies that “all modes” includes walking, bicycling, riding
public transportation, driving trucks, buses and automobiles and “all users” includes people of
all ages and abilities.
3. All projects and phases: All types of transportation projects are subject to the policy, including
design, planning, construction, maintenance, and operations of new and existing streets and
facilities.
4. Clear, accountable exceptions: Any exceptions to the policy are specified and approved by a
high-level official.
5. Network: The policy recognizes the need to create a comprehensive, integrated and
connected network for all modes and encourages street connectivity.
6. Jurisdiction: All other agencies that govern transportation activities can clearly understand
the policy’s application and may be involved in the process as appropriate.
7. Design: The policy recommends use of the latest and best design criteria and guidelines, while
recognizing the need for design flexibility to balance user needs in context.
8. Context sensitivity: The current and planned context (buildings, land use, and transportation
needs) is considered when planning and designing transportation solutions.
9. Performance measures: The policy includes performance standards with measurable
outcomes.
10. Implementation steps: Specific next steps for implementing the policy are described.
In addition, the NCSC notes that more 70 jurisdictions across the United States developed complete
streets policies in 2014, bringing the overall number to a total of 712 jurisdictions throughout the
country.
Ogdensburg, New York was ranked number 1 for its 2014 complete street policy with a score of 92.8.
Troy, New York was ranked second with a score of 91.2. Also of note was Austin Texas , which the 30
NCSC ranked as a tie for 3rd place with a score of 88.8. Austin provides an interesting case study, as it
is scored very high and is a large urban municipality, which differs from most of the other examples in
this respect. As such, it will be useful to explore this as a case study, when considering complete
streets policy for larger urban areas. The previous two municipalities mentioned, can serve as case
studies for smaller or less urban municipalities, and which approaches may be appropriate in this
30 https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/2014_Austin_Bicycle_Master_Plan__Reduced_Size_.pdf
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context.
The following sections will examine each of these three case studies (Ogdensburg, Troy and Austin) in
some detail, reviewing their respective complete streets policies, with a specific focus on their
implementation strategies.
Ogdensburg, New York
Ogdensburg, New York is located along the St Lawrence River in St Lawrence County, New York.
According to 2010 Census data, the population of Ogdensburg was 11,128 in that year, making it an
ideal case study for smaller municipalities.
Ogdensburg amended the City of Ogdensburg municipal code in February 2014, adding “article 3”,
complete streets.
Definition As defined by the City of Ogdensburg, complete streets are:
“streets that are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, in that pedestrians,
bicyclists, motorists and public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to safely
move along and across a street.”
Policy “The City shall develop a safe, reliable, efficient, integrated and connected multimodal transportation
system that will promote access, mobility and health for all users, and will ensure that the safety and
convenience of all users of the Public transit, people of all ages and abilities, motorists, emergency
responders, freight providers and adjacent land users.”
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Applicability Under the scope of applicability, the City of Ogdensburg outlines that this policy shall apply to all City
owned public right of ways (streets, bridges etc.) as well as privately owned or developed streets or
sections of roadway. Additionally, the City seeks to form partnerships with adjacent jurisdictions to
ensure that complete street efforts extend beyond the City’s limits. The City is also mandated to view
every transportation improvement project as an opportunity to implement the complete streets
policy, ensuring that roadwork, construction and neighbourhood planning efforts consider all road
users.
Exceptions Exceptions can be granted in several circumstances but must be approved by the Directors of Public
Works and Planning and Development with significant documentation required.
Design standards: The City of Ogdensburg states that it will use the best practices or standards when it comes to the
design of complete streets. It cites the Institute of Transportation Professionals’ publication on
designing walkable streets (2010), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation
Officials guide for pedestrian design (2004) as the standards of design that the city seeks to meet.
Implementation: According to the City of Ogdensburg the new complete streets policy is to be added to all existing
plans, such as official community plans and development plans as well as development guidelines,
manuals, and checklists. In addition, the new complete streets policy is to be considered and
implemented where possible in any construction of new roadway, including redevelopment and
subdivisions of existing lands.
Troy, New York Troy, New York’s definition of complete streets is virtually the same as that provided by Ogdensburg,
and as such it is not necessary to repeat it.
Policy “The city shall design, build, operate and maintain a safe, reliable, efficient, integrated and connected
multimodal transportation network that will provide access, mobility, safety and connectivity for all
users. In addition, the city will appoint a citizen run Complete Streets Advisory Board to whom
quarterly reports on upcoming projects, and previously awarded exceptions, will be furnished.”
The complete streets policy was created in part through a citizen volunteer group that was appointed
by the mayor at the time, to review the local transportation network, and advise on the complete
streets policy. The final report that the citizen group created included a draft ordinance, which the city
later adopted in a form very close to the original wording.
Applicability All city-owned and privately owned transportation facilities and right of ways shall adhere to this
policy. In addition, the city shall seek to form partnerships with neighbouring communities and
jurisdictions to help these complete streets extend beyond the city’s boundaries and every
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transportation project shall be viewed as an opportunity to implement this policy.
Exceptions http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/cs/policy/cs-ny-troy-ordinance.pdf Citizen Volunteer group final report:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/192930/TroyNY%20Complete%20Streets%202014.pdf
Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas is a medium sized American city. Austin adopted a complete streets policy in the
summer of 2014, as a way of addressing the goals and vision laid out by the City’s Comprehensive
Plan. The complete streets policy is intended to help increase the city’s quality of life by enhancing
factors such as mobility, compact urban development, environmentally responsible development, and
attractive urban design.
The policy acknowledges a shift in how streets are viewed by the City, with a new focus on streets
representing a public space that should serve the people first and foremost. As such streets should be
designed to serve all modes of transportation regardless of the road user’s age or ability.
Outlined in the complete streets policy are 8 principles that are intended to frame the development
and implementation of these streets in the city. The principles are as follows:
1) Complete Streets serve all users and modes
2) Complete Streets require connected travel networks
3) Complete Streets are beautiful, interesting and comfortable places for people
4) Complete Streets require best-practice design criteria and context-sensitive approaches
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5) Complete Streets protect Austin's sustainability and environment
6) Complete Streets are the work of all City departments
7) Complete Streets include all roadways and all projects and phases 8) Complete Streets require appropriate performance measures.
Applicability This policy is intended to guide all public and private development that affects streets, the public
realm and the transportation system. All new roadways that are constructed must consider this
policy, and any roadworks or street upgrades will implement this policy as they progress. In addition,
the City will seek to provide funding for strategic complete streets interventions along corridors or
streets with high pedestrian activity, in line with their Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan. For
regional transportation projects or development that occurs within the city but outside of its
jurisdiction, the City will encourage compliance with the complete streets policy.
Implementation As mentioned briefly above, the City will integrate the complete streets policy into all of its normal
transportation planning initiatives, and will amend various codes to comply with the policy where
necessary. It also will actively search for funding sources to implement the policy.
Progress https://austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Transportation/Complete_Streets_News_-_Summer_2016.pdf
Complete Streets Policy Summary and Critique A multi-tiered approach, as used in Austin, seems to be much more effective at producing complete
streets, rather than simply relying on one method or another for implementation. If a city relies solely
on new developments or scheduled roadwork to initiate complete street upgrades, the resulting
infrastructure will not resemble a cohesive and functional network for people to use.
A connected and integrated network is crucial to the success of complete streets efforts and as such,
an implementation strategy must also provide funding options for key corridors identified in the
potential network. Without the municipality committing funding sources to these efforts, the building
of a network will likely proceed at a slow pace, and in a piecemeal manner with no real attempt to
build a functional transportation network. It is clear from analyzing these communities with highly
regarded complete streets policies that adopting the policies on their own is simply not enough. Cities
must also commit to creating a strategic vision for a complete street network, that is integrated within
the broader transportation plans or cycling master plans.
Effectiveness In addition to the specific policies reviewed above, the National Complete Streets Coalition (NCSC)
appears to be not very effective at determining the best policies that result in on the ground
transformations in their respective communities. Perhaps their focus is merely on policy alone in
which case the results are not necessarily misleading. They are however, misleading if one interprets
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their findings as meaning policies that result in best practice complete streets on the ground. At the
time of writing this report, roughly 1.5 years after the NCSC’s report was released, no information was
available on whether or not Ogdensburg or Troy had actually completed any successful complete
streets. Due to the lack of hard evidence, it appears that their policies did not yet achieve the desired
or predicted outcome, despite gaining such high recognition.
If this is indeed the case, it points to a key piece that is missing from the criteria upon which the
complete streets policies are judged. This missing piece is an emphasis on integrating complete
streets policies into a broader strategic vision for the given community, whether that is represented in
a transportation plan, or a cycling master plan. General complete streets policies alone therefore
appear to have little short-term correlation with on the ground success for increasing cycling, or
implementing successful cycling networks.
All Ages and Abilities Cycling Facilities While complete street policies typically state that they include all users and modes, many examples
highed in complete streets reports either do not have cycling facilities requiring people cycling to
share a lane with motor vehicles or have painted bike lanes which, in general, have proven not to
attract people of all ages and abilities.
As well, they do not provide guidance as to what type of facilities are needed to attract cyclists of all
ages and abilities in what circumstances. While not part of a complete street policy, the City of
Vancouver’s guidelines for all ages and abilities bike routes calls for separation when vehicle volume
>= 500 per day or >= 50 peak hour and vehicle Speed >= 30 km /hr median or 40 km/hr 95th%. This 31
would be a good guideline for other communities to adopt.
Exceptions Another problematic area of complete streets policies are exceptions. The following are the
exceptions typically recommended in complete streets policies : 32
1. Accommodation is not required on corridors where specific users are prohibited, such as
pedestrian malls or limited access freeways.
2. Cost of accommodation is very expensive compared to the need or potential use.
3. An absence of current or future need based on research and other documentation.
4. Where a project along the same corridor is already programmed to provide facilities
exempted from the project at hand.
5. Transit accommodations are not required where there is no existing or planned transit service
based on existing planning documentation (e.g., official plan, transportation master plan).
6. Routine maintenance of the transportation network that does not create any opportunities to
change the roadway geometry or operations, such as mowing, sweeping and spot repair.
With the exception of routine maintenance, without very specific guidance, these exceptions could
31 https://www.chilliwack.com/main/attachments/Files/2676/Vision%20chilliwack%2Epdf 32 Adapted from http://completestreetsforcanada.ca/element-4-exceptions
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prove to be problematic. While perhaps in specific cases, exceptions may be warranted, these cases
should be well defined backed by evidence that they will not negatively impact safety nor decrease
the total number of cycling or walking trips upon network completion. A better approach perhaps
would be to not have exceptions realizing that municipalities always have the authority to not include
cycling and walking facilities should they really prove to be that difficult or expensive.
Cost of Accommodation is Very Expensive, Absence of Current or Future Need When properly accommodated with complete networks that make walking and cycling safe,
convenient and comfortable, many people will chose to cycling and walk for many trips. Indeed, many
communities have mode share targets between 20 and 30 percent. At these levels, it is hard to
envision roads were there would not be demand or need for cycling and walking facilities. As the cost
of accommodation of cycling and walking is typically much less less expensive than motor vehicles, it
is hard to see the need for these exclusions.
As is the case for motor vehicles, cycling and walking routes along a street typically fulfil three
functions; local access, local connections, and community wide connections. It is really difficult to
envision a street where at least local access to destinations along that street is not needed.
If cycling and walking volumes are expected to be really low even upon network buildout, one option
is to include a cycle track that is separated from traffic which can also be used safely by the few
pedestrians per day that need to use it. Needed space can likely be created by narrowing traffic lanes
or reducing the number of traffic lanes.
Projects Along the Same Corridor Requiring people walking and cycling to travel perhaps hundreds of meters out of their way and
crossing more busy streets increases travel times and likely makes trips less safe. Instead of simply
comparing different corridor options against each other, if one route is to be excluded, it should be
compared against the trips generated if all the routes along the corridor have cycling and walking
routes along them. Only if there will be no negative impact on total trips or safety should a road be
considered for exclusion.
Limited Access Freeways While motor vehicle speeds are too high for safe cycling or walking on the roadway, limited access
freeways are often ideal corridors for cycling paths as they are grade separated on cross streets.
Cycling and walking paths can be grade separated from access ramps by underpasses and overpasses
making them safe, efficient routes.
In the US, the Federal transportation policy states that “Bicyclists and pedestrians should be
accommodated in new construction in corridors where there is current or potential demand.” There 33
are several instances where cycling and walking paths have been successfully implemented along
highways.
33 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/guidance/freeways.cfm
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Pedestrian Malls While during exceptionally busy times such as during special events , cycling can be not practical or
safe in pedestrian areas, for the large portion of time, pedestrian volumes will not be great enough to
justify banning cycling. Overly restrictive regulations are more likely to be ignored creating conflicts
between users. An outright ban also prevents the use of signage encouraging safe behavior (Cycle
Slowly, Yield to Pedestrians). Such signage will help make it clear that cycling in the mall is to access
destinations and for leisurely cycling along the street and not for high speed commuting or exercise.
Allowing cycling can also increase the number of people using the street and shopping at businesses.
This can help address business concerns regarding the loss of motor vehicle access. In either case,
nearby cycling routes need to be provided anyway that can accommodate those who want to cycle
faster. In Japan, cycling is even allowed in covered pedestrian areas.
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