HomeMy WebLinkAboutemail from Lewno on smart growth issueMalone, Walter
From: Lewno, Jeremy
Sent: Friday, February 14, 2014 2:24 PM
Subject: Complete Streets - Do we really want to be the next great southern city? Please read.
Hi Everyone,
This is a long email but extremely important if we truly want to be a great city and attract companies, millennials and baby -
boomers to our City. I have been learning a lot out here in Denver for the smart Growth conference. I hope next year
many of you will attend this great summit. While I won't go into everything to try and convert you into my way of thinking,
let me tell you trends I'm seeing and why Complete Streets should be championed and how important it is to our future as
a City. Please read this email if you would because it provides great insight.
Who are we? And who do we want to be?
The first trend is the obvious, if we want to truly be the next great city in the south, we need to surround ourselves with the
likes of other great Cities. All thriving Cities across the country have implemented a Complete Streets policy and have
champions who are rallying to implement it. The following Cities are well involved with most sustainable conferences I've
been to, and have a very strong Complete Streets policy. I find it no accident that millennials and baby boomers are
choosing to live in these Cities: Portland, Denver, San Diego, Seattle, Birmingham AL, Boulder, Madison WI,
Minneapolis, Nashville, and Austin.
You know who's not at these conferences and not interested in Complete Streets? Jackson MS, Mobile AL, Lubbock TX,
Des Moines IA, Gary IN, Cleveland, and Detroit.
So which group do we want to affiliate with as a City? I've been fortunate to have success both personally and
professionally. I attribute much of that success to always associating myself with people better then me. I gravitate
towards success. And that breeds success. I don't think its any different for the value system of our City.
So if we all agree on which camp we want to join, this is what I've learned at this conference from those Cities:
• This is a very data -driven conference so all of this information can be backed up with Data. There have been
studies done all over the country and they found that there is not one City or County in the country that currently
has the money to keep up with their current infrastructure. Yet most cities, when faced with discretionary
spending choose to expand their systems rather than focusing on improving existing infrastructure.
• Another point that keeps coming up from the thriving cities listed above is that "You Can't Build your way out of
Congestion." Everyone of these Cities has tried and everyone has failed. So they are all looking at changes in
mode share as the solution..... AND ITS WORKING!
• All of these thriving Cities listed above explain over and over with proof, that their ideas are working. And every
City had extreme pushback. They all sited strong leadership along with the right partnerships to create
success. And of course, implementation. They've all proven that if you build it, they will come.
• The biggest obstacle in creating more users of Active Transportation is the infrastructure itself. People will
choose walking and biking if given a safe opportunity to do it. And that takes planning, implementation, and
strong leadership!
Big Question regarding Developers:
During a Complete Streets seminar I posed the question explaining how our developers are in charge of building new
roads. What challenges has anyone in similar situations faced inputting the added costs and responsibilities to the
developer? Here was the feedback from representatives from Austin, Honolulu, Portland, and Denver.
• Be clear in what we're discussing with the developers. They need to have a clear picture of what they will be
responsible for.
• Set goals to reduce VMT (vehicle miles traveled). While every City listed above has seen a rise in VMT, they
realize they can't continue to try and build their way out of it. They just don't have the money (and it should be
noted that many of these Cities have a lot more money then LR). Most of these Cities have set goals to reduce
VMT by increasing Mode Share and Active Transportation throughout their Cities. They want to flat line VMT over
long run.
• If you focus your attention on Mode Share (Active transportation, transit) then the developer likes it as they
won't have to increase roadway down the line. Which saves them money.
• Some Cities have allowed developers to get around putting in Complete Streets measures as long as they pay
a fee per mile. That way they know the base amount they are working with.
■ Focus on the PROVEN benefits of Complete Streets - Healthy Communities, Safe Communities, Vibrant
Communities. These are attractive for companies, jobs, and people. This will increase the interest in Little Rock
and development will grow long term.
• So with the above information, it should be stated that many times developers are using the same amount of
asphalt to build their roads. We're just going to change the configuration of the lanes to include mode share.
• They put people first, not cars. This is why they attribute to their success. Nothing attracts a crowd like a
crowd is how Denver put it. We've taken people out of their cars and into the streets creating thriving
communities.
• They also said that we need to focus on infill development and less on expansion. Expansion just causes more
long term costs for Cities in the way of water, sewer, roads, schools, and police. Unless Little Rock has more
money then the other thriving Cities above, it might be time to take a different approach to development like the
other thriving cities have. Check out this link to measure sprawl in Little Rock
htt Jlwww.smaLi rowthamerica.or /docutneritsl/ittlerocics rawi, df
Do we really want to be a GREAT CITY? If so, I think it would be good to bring one of these workshops to Little
Rock for City Staff and board members:
htt :/Iwww.srnart rowthamerica.or /technical-assistance/how-we-can-hel 1
We need an "Aha Moment" when our staff/board truly get it.
Jeremy Lewno, Bike/Ped Coordinator
City of Little Rock
501-371-4688
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