Complete Streets Roundup: MoDOT trustworthy? Lee's Summit moves ahead

MoDOT's behind the scenes shenanigans to stop the Missouri Complete Streets Bill (again) have made national headlines as the featured article at Streetsblog.net and in the Complete Streets national newsletter.

While MoDOT has been promising to accommodate bicycling and walking on the one hand, and lobbying behind the scenes to kill the Complete Streets Bill on the other--making some of us doubt their trustworthiness--Lee's Summit is moving towards adopting a Complete Streets policy and a goal of reaching Bicycle Friendly Community status in its Lee's Summit 360 Strategic Plan.

And AARP has released a study showing the importance of Complete Streets for older Americans and the country's future:

Streets, sidewalks and roadways designed to achieve “Complete Streets” can make getting around safer for everyone, the report suggests. Yet in a poll of adults age 50+ also conducted for the report, two in five said their neighborhood sidewalks were inadequate (although, by 2030, 20% of those age 65+ will not be drivers). Nearly half said they could not cross main roads close to their home safely, preventing many from walking, bicycling or taking the bus. But safer, more accessible streets won’t happen until federal, state and local authorities and planners wake up to the need for roads that address the challenges of the coming age wave, the report charges. . . .

Because of time required to plan and make these improvements, communities need to begin now in order to be ready for the age wave, the report states. “It takes time to plan, design, fund and build capital projects,” said LeaMond. “Federal officials, planners and traffic engineers need to focus now on adjusting roads to become safer and more user-friendly for everyone.”

Men outlive their driving years on average by 7 years and women by 10, the AARP report reiterates. “’Complete Streets’ make walking more appealing and crossing streets safer for everyone,” said AARP’s LeaMond. Complete Streets legislation was recently introduced in both the Senate and House of Representatives. AARP is a member of the Complete Streets Coalition (https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets).

See the full report by AARP here.

What you can do to support Complete Streets in Missouri:

• Sign on as a supporter of Complete Streets in Missouri here.
  
  
• Although MoDOT's work kept the Complete Streets bill out of the major transportation omnibus bill that passed earlier this week, there is always the possibility another transportation bill, which could include Complete Streets, will pass this year (there is only one day remaining in the legislative session--so yeah, it's a slim chance).
  
  For that reason, we are asking people to contact their Missouri senator to ask the senators to support of the Complete Streets Bill, HB 642, sponsored by Rep. Mike Sutherland.