Crosswalk OrdinanceMAY 2014

Post Street, Spokane

Authority: Title 17G Administration and Procedures Chapter 17G.020 Comprehensive Plan Amendment Procedure

Section 17G.020.040 Amendment Exceptions

The following types of amendments may be considered more frequently than once a year, provided that all of the amendment criteria have been met, and appropriate steps have been taken to ensure public participation.

(G) Changes to development regulations that are consistent with the comprehensive plan or are necessary to implement the comprehensive plan.

Crosswalk Ordinance

To codify Comprehensive Plan Policies: TR 1.1, TR 2.1, TR 2.6, TR 2.9, TR 3.3, TR 4.20, TR 4.25, TR 5.1, TR 7.1, TR, 7.2, TR 9.3

41% of all trips made in the United States are one mile or less. Fewer than 10% of all trips are made by walking and biking. [1]Among students living within 1 mile of school, the percentage of walkers fell from 90% to 31% between 1969 and 2001. [2]According to the CDC, only 13% of children walk to school today compared with 66% in 1970.[3]

Parents driving children to school comprise 20-30% of morning traffic congestion in urban areas.10,000 steps per day – about 5 miles – is a great way to walk your way to fitness![4]

Crosswalk OrdinanceAddressing pedestrian and economic vitality needs.

1. Ham, S., et al., 2005, Trends in Walking for Transportation in the United States, 1995 and 2001, Preventing Chronic Disease

2. Environmental Protection Agency, 2003, Travel and environmental implications of school siting, EPA 231-R-03-004

3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

4. The Walking Site0,000 steps per day

Each year 6,000 pedestrians are killed and 90,000 are injured. One in five is a child.[1]You are 36 times more likely to be killed walking than driving a car.For every pedestrian killed by a car, at least 14 more are injured.Almost 60% of pedestrian deaths occur in places where no crosswalk is available.

Crosswalk OrdinanceAddressing health and safety issues.

steps per day

1. Surface Transportation Policy Project, 2000, Mean Streets 2000

Creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter, according to a study co-authored by Marily Oppezzo, a Stanford doctoral graduate in educational psychology, and Daniel Schwartz, a professor at Stanford Graduate School of Education.

The study found that walking indoors or outdoors similarly boosted creative inspiration. The act of walking itself, and not the environment, was the main factor. Across the board, creativity levels were consistently and significantly higher for those walking compared to those sitting. (1)

Crosswalk OrdinanceFostering creative intelligence through walking.

steps per day

1. Oppezzo, M., & Schwartz, D. L. (2014, April 21). Give Your Ideas Some Legs: The Positive Effect of Walking on Creative Thinking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0036577Mean Streets 2000

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 1.1 Transportation Priorities ♦ Design transportation systems that protect and serve the pedestrian first.

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 1.1

These priorities recognize that we are all pedestrians.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 2.1 Physical Features ♦ Incorporate site design and other physical features into encourage alternatives to driving.

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 2.1

Development that is oriented toward driving leads to people driving. Development that includes physical features that encourage walking, bicycling, or taking the bus will foster use of those transportation alternatives.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 2.6 Viable Walking Alternative ♦ Promote and provide for walking as a viable alternative to driving.

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 2.6

People should be able to walk safely and conveniently, particularly within a city. Walking should be a viable option for those who desire or need to walk for transportation. At some point, everyone is a pedestrian since people must walk to get to their automobile, bicycle, or bus.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 2.9 Crosswalks ♦ Establish and maintain crosswalks at key locations used by pedestrians.

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 2.9

Key locations for crosswalks include heavily traveled street crossings, transit stops, parks, and school sites. Crosswalk types include the traditional crosswalk formed by painted lines or distinctive crosswalks, such as those surfaced with scoured or colored concrete or brick pavers.

Olympia

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 3.3 Crosswalks ♦Walking and Bicycling-Oriented Neighborhood Centers

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 3.3

Incorporate physical features in neighborhood centers to promote walking, bicycling, and other non-motorized modes of transportation to and within the centers.

Honolulu

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 4.20 Crosswalks ♦ Design and Maintenance of ROW Streetscape Elements

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 4.20

Design pedestrian buffer strips, medians, traffic circles and other right-of-way streetscape elements so that they enhance public safety and Spokane’s visual and environmental quality.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 4.25 Crosswalks ♦ Pedestrian and Bicyclist Access to Parks

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 4.25

Develop safe pedestrian access and bike ways/routes to city parks from surrounding neighborhoods.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 5.1 Crosswalks ♦Neighborhoods for Pedestrians

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 5.1

Orient, design, and maintain neighborhoods for pedestrians.

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 7.1 Crosswalks ♦Sense of Place: Character and Pride

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 7.1

Create transportation improvements that promote Spokane’s character, enhance the character of its neighborhoods and foster community pride.

Boise

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 7.2 Crosswalks ♦Street Life

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 7.2

Promote a healthy street life in commercial areas, especially downtown, through transportation facilities that are designed with care to enhance both their use and the surrounding street environment.

Perry District

Crosswalk Ordinance

TR 9.3 Crosswalks ♦Dedicated Funds for Retrofitting

Comprehensive Plan Policy TR 9.3

The City of Spokane shall dedicate some amount of its annual transportation capital budget to retrofitting the street system to meet the city’s pedestrian design standards

SpokaneOlympia

Best PracticesSafety is the number one priority for the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and it's the agency's policy to provide safe and effective pedestrian accommodation wherever possible. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) encourages the use of specific proven pedestrian safety countermeasures that can help achieve local, State and National safety goals.

One such countermeasure is raised medians. FHWA's Safety Office has encouraged the consideration of raised medians in curbed sections of multilane roadways in urban and suburban areas, particularly in areas with a combination of high volumes of traffic, a significant number of pedestrians, and intermediate or high travel speeds

In Centers and Corridors (CC zones) on new, resurfaced or reconstructed arterial intersections with three or more lanes and no traffic signal, marked crosswalks with a mid-point pedestrian refuge shall be constructed.

Section 17H.010.210 (D) Crosswalks

Crosswalk OrdinanceQUESTIONS?