Complete Streets Initiative
Update2 on Complete Streets
Progress is being made with the implementation of Complete Streets in Connecticut. The newly appointed Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board (which has two CCBA representatives) had its first meeting in December. The Connecticut Department of Transportation has submitted its first annual report on spending for bicycle and pedestrian projects.
Update1 on Connecticut’s Complete Streets Law
PA 09-154 An Act Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Access (the Complete Streets Law) took effect July 1, 2009. The law requires that, after October 1, 2010, all transportation projects provide for all road users, including cyclists and walkers. It also established an 11 member Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Board to which Charlie Beristain and Deb Dauphinais, CCBA Vice President and Advocacy Committee Chair, respectively, have been appointed. The Board will have its first meeting in early December.
The Complete Streets Law requires that the DOT Commissioner provide an annual report that summarizes all transportation projects and indicates what percent of transportation funds have been spent on improving bicycle and pedestrian access. The first report shows that almost 2% of all funds was spent on bike and pedestrian facilities. More than 50% of the expenditures were for a single project in downtown Hartford (linking the Science Center to the Convention Center) which was an earmarked project. Click here to read the report.
Original Complete Streets Announcement (July, 2009):
The Complete Streets Bill is now law in Connecticut. Here is the text of a press release from State Rep. Tom Kehoe's office:
Governor Rell Signs Bill Aimed at Boosting Bicycle, Pedestrian Access
Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced she has signed into law a bill intended to improve access for pedestrians and bicyclists by
directing 1 percent of future highway and street funds to such purposes and establishing an advisory board to work with the Governor, the
Department of Transportation and the Legislature in the future.
Under the bill, beginning October 1, 2010, a minimum of 1 percent of the total funds received by the DOT or Connecticut
municipality in any fiscal year for street and highway construction, restoration, rehabilitation or relocation must be spent to provide
facilities for "all users" - including bikeways and sidewalks with curb cuts or ramps.
The law makes exceptions for resurfacing and for emergency repairs and other special situations, such as roads where non-motorized
use is prohibited or the costs of "all-user" accommodations would be prohibitive.
"Walking and bicycling are more than healthy lifestyle choices - for many Connecticut commuters, they are the way to get to
work," Governor Rell said. "We want to encourage that, not only because it's good for personal fitness but because it removes congestion from
our highways and pollutants - including greenhouse gases - from our skies. The bill also dovetails neatly with my Administration's emphasis
on smart growth and transit-oriented development, which calls for communities that make it easier for people to get to work, home and
shopping without having to drive. "In addition, this bill creates a new, 11-member panel to ensure that the focus on 'all-user' transportation options
continues to be a priority," the Governor said. "The panel will promote programs and
facilities that encourage alternatives to driving and help the state develop the best ways to promote this important option."
Under the bill, the DOT will also be required to report - once by October 1, 2009, and again by October 1, 2010 - on state- or
federally funded projects that have been undertaken that contain bicycle and pedestrian access.
The new law - Senate Bill 735, An Act Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Access - took effect July 1.