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Complete Streets:Guide to Answering the Costs Question
Companion Presentation, Part 2
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Complete Streets can be achieved within
existing budgets.
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Use with: concerned or receptive transportation professionals, engaged officials
Complete Streets can be achieved within
existing budgets.
Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
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Greater Greater Washington
Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
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Greater Greater Washington
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
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In almost all improved areas, fatalities and pedestrian crashes decreased in by 9 - 60%.
New York City traffic fatalities fell to an all-time record low.
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
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Built many low-cost facilities:• 35 pedestrian refuge
islands• 55 new left turn lanes• 12 curb extensions• 8 median tip extensions• 4 pedestrian fences• 600 re-timed
intersections Flickr.com user bicyclesonly
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
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New York City DOT
In 2011, the city DOT spent $2 million dollars to fill additional potholes.
That’s more than it spent out of its own budget over THREE years for its bicycle program.
Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
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$20,000 provides access to a low income neighborhood’s only park.
$4,500 enhances safety and calms traffic at an intersection.
Andy Hamilton Andy Hamilton
Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
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Lost-Cost, High-Impact: Redding, California
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Recent reconstruction project:
6 curb extensions +2 median islands =$40,000
Friendlier and safer street, only 13% of total budget
Sergio Ruiz
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"When we talk about ‘Complete Streets,’ we aren’t necessarily talking about expensive widening
projects or major redesigns of our roadways. These concepts can often be applied to existing streets by simply re-thinking how we approach traffic flow and how we accommodate all modes of transportation.”
– Phil Broyles, Director of Public Works, Springfield, Missouri
City of Milwaukee
Think Ahead, Think Smart
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Complete streets can save money.
• Narrower travel lanes require less land, less pavement
• Provide more options = reduce need for widening some intersections
• Do it right the first time, not when forced to later—at a higher price
Colorado Springs, Colorado
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Maintenance and operations activities:Repave 3% of road network each yearConvert 4 auto lanes to 2 bike lanes + 3 auto lanes
City of Colorado Springs
Saving Money: Lee County, Florida
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Re-examined 5 road-widening projects
Found widenings unnecessary
$58.5 million savings
Andy Callahan
Saving Money: Richfield, Minnesota
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• Needed to replace road after necessary sewer work
• Priced at $6 million to replace road as is
• Mn/DOT re-evaluated transportation needs and found no need for wide roadway
• Reallocated road space for all users, saved $2 million
Saving Money: Charlotte, North Carolina
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Changing roadway striping during restriping ≈ just 15% of total project.
Safely narrowing width of travel lanes saves about 2% of project costs.
Charlotte DOT
Saving Money: Washington State
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500 miles of the state highway system are ‘main streets.’
Over ten years, 47% of projects on these streets had scope, schedule, or budget changes resulting in delay.
Washington DOT
Saving Money: Washington State
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Pilot project consulted community ahead of time.
Complete Streets planning could have saved an average of $9 million per Main Street project – about 30% – in reduced scope, schedule, and budget changes over the last 10 years.http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/733.1.pdf
Washington DOT
Saving Money: Brown County, Wisconsin
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• Re-evaluated needs on four-lane road
• Instead created three-lane street with two bike lanes
• Replaced traffic signals with roundabouts
• Savings: $347,515, 16.5% below the original project estimate.
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“Implementation of Complete Streets goals can actually keep costs at acceptable levels and save money, while adding more public
benefits and return on investment.”– Scott Bradley, Director of Context Sensitive Solutions,
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Flickr.com user Mamichan
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"The [Complete Streets] processes that we are going through now in project development
should lead to fewer changes in construction by addressing the issues upfront. If you are
properly going through the project development process, you should have lower costs, fewer change orders, and fewer delays because people are not coming out during the
construction phase to demand changes.” – Thomas DiPaolo, assistant chief engineer for
MassDOT
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“This [Complete Streets policy] puts the framework in place that allows the city to start with a project in the design
phase and include these multi-modal recommendations. It will be at a much lower cost than tearing up something
that’s already in place.” – Michael Leaf, Transportation Commission, Highland Park, Illinois
Flickr.com user Zol87
Incremental Changes, Big Impact
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• Road diets
• Combining projects to lower costs
• Incremental approach: make it better each time you touch it
• Simply thinking about small improvements
Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
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-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
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-15%
-10%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Bike Lanes
Sidewalks
12 -> 11’ Lanes
Source: NCDOT
Variable Costs: Charlotte, North Carolina
Costs vary:• Terrain• Adjoining land use• Scope
Sidewalks, bike lanes, etc. are small %age of total cost
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“[Protected bike lanes] are dirt cheap to build compared to road projects.”
– Gabe Klein, Commissioner, Chicago DOT
Steven Vance
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“The advantage of inserting a dialogue about all users at the earliest stages of project development is that it provides the designers and engineers the best opportunity to create solutions at the best price.”- James Simpson, Commissioner,
NJDOT
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