Virginia adopts "Complete Streets" policy--when will Missouri do the same?

Virginia's Department of Transportation has recently adopted sweeping policies designed to make accommodation of pedestrian and bicyclist needs routine. Now MoDOT needs to do the same! Details, from the Virginia Bicycling Federation:
On March 18, Virginia's Commonwealth Transportation Board adopted a new bicycle and pedestrian policy that commits the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to routinely accommodate bicycling and walking "as fundamental travel modes and integral components...in the planning, funding, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of Virginia's transportation network".

The policy statement broadly defines "accommodation" as "any facility, design feature, operational change, or maintenance activity that improves the environment in which bicyclists and pedestrians travel" and explains that "bicycling and walking are successfully accommodated when travel by these modes is efficient, safe, and comfortable for the public."

The Virginia Bicycling Federation largely instigated this new policy by repeatedly promoting its March 2001 position paper recommending six changes to VDOT's previous 1990 bicycle facility policy. The new VDOT policy, which fully achieves three of VBF's six recommended reforms and promises to address a fourth, departs significantly from the old policy in four key respects:

* Support for "Complete Streets": "VDOT will initiate all highway construction projects with the presumption that the projects shall accommodate bicycling and walking". By routinely building "complete streets" that adequately support bicycling and walking and not just motoring, the policy conforms to USDOT guidance issued in 2000 that "bicycling and walking facilities will be incorporated into all transportation projects unless exceptional circumstances exist". Under its old policy, VDOT generally required that any bicycling accommodation be clearly identified in an adopted local plan, specifically requested by the local governing body, and substantially funded with local tax dollars.

* Standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects and retrofits, independent of concurrent highway construction, are now broadly allowed under the same procedures as other highway construction projects. (This change first became effective in December 2002 in response to state legislation enacted earlier that year).

* Bicycle and pedestrian facilities will now be funded in the same manner as other highway features, ending VDOT's previous requirement that counties agree to pay 50% of the cost of construction.

* Accommodations are specifically promoted in conjunction with access-controlled highway projects, operation and maintenance activities, long-distance bicycle routes, and tourism and economic development initiatives.

The Virginia Bicycling Federation (VBF) significantly influenced the new policy by actively participating in a VDOT-appointed task force that met ten times between July 2003 and February 2004 to develop the six-page statement.

Allen Muchnick, VBF president, expressed strong approval of the new policy. "By clearly committing to build 'Complete Streets' in urbanized areas, VDOT has substantially elevated its consideration of bicycling and walking as legitimate transportation modes." "However", Muchnick continued, "the Virginia Bicycling Federation is not resting on its laurels. When it comes to effectively accommodating bicycling, the devil is usually in the details. VBF will be vigilant to ensure that VDOT promptly and properly implements and evaluates the new policy through appropriate highway design guidance and other mechanisms. We're already working on our 'top ten list' of follow-up recommendations to present to senior VDOT officials."

Muchnick also expressed his appreciation for Virginia Secretary of Transportation Whitt Clement's strong and clear April 2003 directive to VDOT for developing the new policy (see http://vabike.org/aa_clement.htm). "The firm and lucid top-down direction from the Warner administration was no doubt instrumental in ensuring that such a remarkable and comprehensive policy statement was developed and adopted so promptly."

For more information on the Web:

VDOT Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations

VTrans2025, Virginia's statewide, comprehensive multimodal long-range transportation policy framework and plan now under development:

VDOT Bicycle Program

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