active transportation and complete streets in rural counties: from advocacy to implementation
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Ulster County, NY
Ulster County, New York
Population (2010)
182,483
1,161 square miles
3 villages, 20 towns and
1 city
1 hour to drive from
southernmost point to
northernmost point
Our Story
How we built and strengthened
advocacy for active transportation over
four years in a mostly rural county where
little existed before.
How that advocacy is now seeing the
fruits of its labor.
The Players
Prior to 2010
County updates non-motorized
transportation plan (2008)
County established Ulster County Trail
Advisory Committee (2008)
County passes Complete Streets policy
(2009)
Active bike-ped advocacy group exists
in New Paltz, NY
Inklings of a Movement Begin
2007 - Bike-Friendly Kingston group forms
2010 – Complete Streets and Safe Routes to
Schools and Parks committees forms with
funding from Robert Wood Johnson
Foundation to Cornell Cooperative Extension
of Ulster County
2010 – Kingston Land Trust forms Kingston
Rail Trail committee
The Momentum Gains
By the end of 2010
Kingston’s Common Council adopts a Complete Streets policy establishing a Complete Streets Advisory Council.
City of Kingston School District celebrates first Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day.
Bike-Friendly Kingston begins meeting more regularly.
Kingston Land Trust is awarded several grants to study feasibility of an urban rail trail.
The Momentum Gains
Mid-2010 - Cornell Cooperative
Extension of Ulster County is awarded a
5-year grant from the NYS Department
of Health called Creating Healthy Places
to Live, Work, and Play
Deliverables of this grant include
passing Complete Streets policies in 3
small towns/rural villages in Ulster
County
The Momentum Gains – Kingston
Complete Streets Advisory Council
2011 – With help from Gilmour Planning, the CSAC completes:
SWOT analysis
Code audit
A benefit-cost analysis and case study of Broadway as a Complete Street
Complete Streets Forum
A draft 3-year strategic plan
The Momentum Gains – Safe Routes to
Schools and Parks Committee
2011 – 2012 Audit of sidewalks with GPS
A National Safe Routes to School course
A Safe Routes Action Plan
Safe Routes maps for parents and engineers
Development of WBR Day and a Walking School Bus
The Momentum Gains – Bike-
Friendly Kingston
2012 – develops proposal for sharrow
installation in Kingston
BFK maps
desired
bike routes
and locations
of bike racks
in Kingston.
The Momentum Gains – Kingston
Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline Vision emerges for a regional
“hub” for the county’s rail trail system
Land Trust Alliance funds development of a Conceptual Plan for the Greenline
Concept identifies off- street trails, linear parks, complete streets, and connections to other active transportation infrastructure
Completed feasibility study for initial 3-mile section: the Kingston Point Rail Trail
The Momentum Gains – Kingston
Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline
Public/private partnership
evolves, with KLT playing
lead role in community
outreach and engagement
Volunteer groups recruited
to begin
maintenance
of the
Greenline
You guys
need help?
Are we
pushing?
No, we’re
pulling!
Advocacy Successes – Complete
Streets Advisory Council
Common Council passes resolution approving the I-587 study placing the project on the TIP for 2016.
Sidewalk/Tree Root Conflict Workshop and Complete Streets Workshop with Alta Planning
Advocacy Successes – Kingston
Complete Streets Advisory Council
Sidewalk Taskforce begins to collect information and meet.
Complete Streets
concepts are a key part of
the draft Comprehensive
Plan for Kingston.
Advocacy Successes – Safe
Routes to Schools and Parks
One Walking School Bus celebrates 3 years of walking.
City of Kingston Schools celebrate Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day for 4 years.
Advocacy Successes – Safe Routes
to Schools and
Parks City of Kingston wins
$489,000 Safe Routes
to School grant from
NYSDOT for sidewalk,
pedheads, and flashing
speed signs
Advocacy Successes – Bike-
Friendly Kingston
Successful Feast on Two Wheels fundraiser raising $2000 for the bike sharrow effort.
Working with City of Kingston to paint the first bike sharrows in Ulster County.
Advocacy Successes – Kingston
Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline
Construction
of KPRT set to
begin in fall!
Expanding partnerships, including
National Assoc. of Realtors
Neighborhood
door-to-door
outreach
campaign to
build support
and identify
challenges
Advocacy Successes – The
Kingston Connectivity Project $4.3 million in funding
Builds on the various group efforts and
ties us all together
For extending rail trails
from a hub in
Kingston and
Complete Streets
upgrades to
Broadway
Advocacy Successes – The
Kingston Connectivity Project
Ulster County Planning funded
Broadway study to supplement the
funding
Advocacy Successes –
Creating Healthy Places
Advocacy Successes – Creating
Healthy Places
Saugerties A new Saugerties
Transportation Advisory
Council is forming.
Saugerties will install
sharrows on a bike route
this fall.
Advocacy Successes – Creating
Healthy Places Ellenville
A new Complete Streets Advisory Council is forming in Ellenville
Ellenville holds a Walkabout Scavenger Hunt and Celebration
Advocacy Successes –
Creating Healthy Places
Kingston Parks and Rec gets bike racks
to place in parks and a bike trailer with
13 bikes for programs!
Lessons Learned
Start small with advocacy building grants.
Build outreach tools that emphasize that Complete Streets can be for small communities as well.
Educate policy-makers first. Their support is key.
Be lucky and have or vote in policymakers/government officials who see the value of active transportation.
Lessons Learned
Find ways to integrate Complete Streets
concepts into other policy documents
and plans (i.e. Comprehensive Plan,
Parks Master Plan, etc.).
Fun events help build support.
Plan for long-term sustainability.