Local Motion organizes grassroots campaign for more pedestrian-friendly streets - and an updated Complete Streets Policy - in Columbia | abc17news.com

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

CoMo Livable Streets is a grassroots campaign organized by a group called Local Motion to add more bike lanes, crosswalks and paved sidewalks to Columbia roads.

The group plans to present a proposed policy to Columbia City Council this coming fall, but first, they're trying to gain support from at least 5,000 Columbia residents. After only a few weeks of campaigning, they have over 350 signatures. . . .

In 2004, Columbia was the first city in Missouri to adopt the Complete Streets program. The program focuses on bringing wheelchair, pedestrian and bicycle access into designs . . ..

However, Rikki Ascani, community engagement supervisor with CoMo Livable Streets, said Columbia's Complete Streets policy is now outdated.

"It was really progressive for its time, but it's of course been almost 20 years and it has not been updated," Ascani said. "And so now it is no longer progressive for its time and a lot of rural communities in Missouri have like surpassed us."

Como Livable Streets is asking the city to do more to create streets where people can not only get from one place to another but also use the streets as an extension of their neighborhood.

A section from the website describes the group's vision: "Kids play in the street. Neighbors pass by on the sidewalk, walking a dog, pushing a stroller, or rolling a wheelchair. A bus stops at the end of the street and drops off people coming home from work. A mom and kids bike by on their way to pick up a few groceries for dinner."

Link: 

Local Motion organizes grassroots campaign for more pedestrian-friendly streets - and an updated Complete Streets Policy - in Columbia | abc17news.com

MoBikeFed comment: Local Motion (previously known as PedNet) has been working hard to make Columbia a better place to walk and bicycle. You can find out more about the Como Livable Streets campaign here:

https://comostreets.org/our-vision/

Complete Streets is one of the primary focus areas of the upcoming Missouri Active Transportation Summit, Friday August 12th, 2022, in Jefferson City. Find out more or register for the Summit here:

http://MoBikeFed.org/Summit