Being able to safely get from home to work, school, shopping centers, and health appointments provides opportunities for us to thrive economically, socially and physically. Transit cuts and high transportation costs limit our access to healthy food, employment, education and recreation options, especially in low income and rural communities.
But thoughtful infrastructure and built environment design can improve pedestrian, bicycle and drivers’ safety and help increase access. Since 2011, Transportation Choices has worked on the Community Transformation Partnership with the Coalition for Active Transportation and Tacoma Pierce County Health Departmentin Pierce County. The project has worked towards making communities safer places for everyone to get where they need to go, and encouraging active transportation through education programs.
Over the last two and a half years, we have had many small victories, but in the last two months we have seen major movement toward policies that will benefit Pierce County residents for generations. In August, the Pierce County Council adopted a complete streets ordinance, and this month planners gathered together to learn about cutting-edge street design that will make it easier for people to bike, walk and take transit.
On September 18th, forty city planners and engineers (and a few community activists) representing jurisdictions from all corners of Pierce County gathered to learn more about the newest NACTO Guidelines. The National Association of City Transportation Officials, or NACTO, is committed to raising the state of the practice for street design and transportation by building a common vision, sharing data, peer-to-peer exchange in workshops in conferences. NACTO believes by working together, cities can save time and money, while more effectively achieving their policy goals and objectives.
The workshop was led by Peter Koonce, P.E., the manager for the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Signals, Street Lighting, & ITS Division.
With the adoption of a Complete Streets Ordinance by Pierce County, and many other jurisdictions incorporating complete streets policies in their Comprehensive plan updates in 2015, the timing of this workshop could not be better. As TCC wraps up this important work in Pierce County, we’re hoping to see more of this:
(Photo credit: Downtown On the Go!)
And less of this on the streets of Tacoma and Pierce County.
