Planning Needham’s Transportation Future
What do want transportation in Needham to be in 2020 compared to 2012?

The October 2011 Community Summit on Energy and the Environment asked the question, “What do we want our community to be over the next 10 years and how do we get there?”.  Transportation was one of the areas discussed by community participants.

Based on strong community interest – and work already being done by many organizations to address transportation needs and options – we now want to take the next steps. One step for consideration is adopting a Complete Streets policy for the Town of Needham.  This would follow what has been done at the Federal level, by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and by the City of Boston, as well as many other communities.

What Are Complete Streets?

Streets are public spaces designed for all users. Complete Streets is the concept that streets are designed, planned, and constructed with all users in mind … Increase quality of life to retain and draw citizens to their communities by providing safety and getting people out and moving.

Complete Streets are streets for everyone. They are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street. Complete Streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops, and bicycle to work. They allow buses to run on time and make it safe for people to walk to and from train stations.

Creating complete streets means transportation agencies must change their approach to community roads. By adopting a Complete Streets policy, communities direct their transportation planners and engineers to routinely design and operate the entire right of way to enable safe access for all users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. This means that every transportation project will make the street network better and safer for drivers, transit users, pedestrians, and bicyclists – making your town a better place to live.

Sample Policy for Needham (for discussion purposes)

It is important for the Town of Needham to adopt an overall set of goals to govern the transportation and related decision-making in Needham that puts pedestrians, bicyclists and public transit users on equal footing with motor-vehicle drivers. These goals will be referred to as a “Complete Streets” approach and will be designed to promote equity of mobility so that those who choose not to drive will have better options for accessibility. “Complete Streets” refers to considering streets as places for multiple modes of travel, whether it is by car, bus, bicycle, or as a pedestrian.

Needham’s Complete Streets initiatives will be driven by three primary goals:

1. Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

2. Promote the healthy transportation options of walking, bicycling, and public transit

3. Support smart growth development.

The objective of these goals is for Needham to have a balanced, well performing transportation network. Because the current system is so imbalanced in favor of cars, the goals focus on reducing driving and increasing the use of alternatives. Even a small reduction in driving in Needham should help improve traffic flow, so reducing the number of cars on the road is good for everyone in Needham, including drivers.

Complete Streets policies shall apply to all new constructions and reconstruction of Needham’s roadways.

Links to Resources

http://www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-fundamentals/complete-streets-faq/

http://link.backlight.tv/nutritiond/videos/what-are-complete-streets-13.html

http://livablestreets.info/facts-and-stats

http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/portals/0/docs/P-10-002.pdf

http://bostoncompletestreets.org/

 

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