Cities of DeSoto and Ferguson Adopt Complete Streets Policy

Adopting Complete Streets policies in every Missouri city, county, and metro area--as well as statewide--is one of the goals in MoBikeFed's Vision of Active Transportation in Missouri.

Our first progress this year is thanks to the work of TrailNet working together with the cities of DeSoto and Ferguson:

Trailnet, the not-for-profit organization promoting Active Living, worked with the cities of DeSoto and Ferguson, Missouri to develop Complete Streets ordinances, and now these communities are the first in the state to adopt Complete Streets ordinances. Complete Streets is an innovative solution to the obesity epidemic, a problem these communities are taking a stand against at the policy level. The policy also supports increased independence of the aging population and safe routes for children walking or biking to school. The policy adopted states that each community will design, build, and maintain streets in a manner that accommodates safe and contiguous travel for all users – seniors, persons with disabilities, children, pedestrians, cyclists, transit-users, and cars.

“Complete Streets legislation has been popping up across the country at various levels of government and is often cited as the beginning of a more comprehensive commitment to building healthier communities,” said Phil Valko, Trailnet Active Living Program Manager. “Complete Streets means more walkers and bikers, therefore healthier individuals; more walkers and bikers means more neighbor-to-neighbor interaction, resulting in stronger communities; and less driving means less pollution, resulting in a healthier environment.”

“I heard Phil Valko talk about complete streets and its implications for the community, but until I went to the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference in Seattle and attended several breakout sessions on the topic I did not REALLY hear him,” said Dwayne James, Ferguson City Councilman. “What I brought back from the conference is that Complete Streets puts policy in place to consider everyone in the planning and design of capital improvement projects.”

The City of DeSoto received one of the Healthy Living Awards presented by Trailnet and was recently recognized with an OLGA (Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Award) presented by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments for the Get Healthy DeSoto Program.

The City of Ferguson has a similar initiative called Live Well Ferguson! This community-based group is working to get Ferguson residents moving more and eating healthier. “The ordinance goes hand in hand, with what the City is doing with Live-Well Ferguson to make sure that all residents and all visitors can actually go from route to route safely and enjoy their travels through Ferguson,” added James.

Trailnet received funding from the Missouri Foundation for Health for its work on the Healthy & Active Communities (HAC) Initiative. The initiative focuses on creating model healthy and active communities that support resident’s health “from cradle to cane” through policy implementation. The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.

For more information on the Healthy & Active Communities initiative, go to www.trailnet.org/p_healthyactive.php#completestreets or contact Phil Valko at phil@trailnet.org or 314/436-1324 #119.

Believe it or not, there is some real momentum in Missouri around Complete Streets--the St. Louis and St. Joseph metro areas (MPOs) have adopted Complete Streets policies as part of their planning processes, and Columbia's Model Street Design Standards, adopted in 2004, also put a "Complete Streets" policy in place there.

Now we need to move forward with more Complete Streets policies in Missouri cities and metro areas, as well as at the state and national level--and those goals are part of MoBikeFed's Vision of Active Transportation in Missouri.