South Windsor passed a Complete Streets ordinance in 2016, demonstrating the community's commitment to multimodal transportation and recognizing that streets are for everyone. Read South Windsor's Complete Streets Ordinance here, and spread the word.

Hartford just passed a Complete Streets ordinance. Hartford's mayor and city council are seizing the opportunity to be a hub for Connecticut's best practices in active transportation.
See a nice summary of these accomplishments over at BiCi Co's blog http://www.bicico.org/…/hartford-just-passed-a-complete-st…/

Spread the word and share in your Connecticut towns and cities.

Download the ordinance or view it below. 

Mark Fenton gave an inspiring and thought-provoking keynote address at our 2016 Bike Walk Summit on June 3, 2016 at CCSU in New Britain. He built a public-health argument for making our communities more bike- and walk-friendly and had some helpful tips for how our Connecticut communities can get there. 

He encouraged us to think about the three P's of Programs, Projects and Policies and how each of these can play a role in changing the safety and accessibility of our cities and towns. Read more from Mark about the three P's here (PDF).

Some core principals he shared:

• It's not really about building sidewalks and community gardens
• It's about building the CAPACITY and the POLICIES to create these everywhere
• It's never really about the money
• It's about the long-term VISION and the political and community WILL to make it a reality

A big thank you to Mark Fenton for providing inspiration AND concrete suggestions for how to make Connecticut a better place to bike and walk!
​
Check out the full presentation PDF below and check out Mark's website for more. 

On March 7, 2016 Middletown's Common Council adopted a Complete Streets policy.  Read the text of the ordinance below (bolded text by BWCT), or view online via the Council minutes (page 34).

Learn more about Middletown's Complete Street's Committee and view their existing Complete Streets Master Plan.


Complete Streets 262-61
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MIDDLETOWN: That a new Article III (Complete Streets) be added in its entirety as set forth below to Chapter 262 (Streets, Sidewalks and Parking Areas) of the Middletown Code of Ordinances, and that all resolutions inconsistent herewith, including Resolution 75-12, are hereby repealed:

ARTICLE III (Complete Streets)
§ 262-61 Complete Streets.

A. This Article and Section shall be entitled the Complete Streets Ordinance.

B. As used in this Article and Section, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:

1. Complete Streets are roadways that are designed and operated to provide safe and convenient access to all Users.
2. Complete Streets Committee is a standing committee of no more than six persons, nominated by the Mayor, confirmed by the Council, and serving four-year terms. No more than two-thirds of the Committee may be of the same political party. Should a vacancy occur in a seat, it will be filled through Mayoral nomination and Council confirmation.
3. Complete Streets Master Plan is a comprehensive plan detailing the steps to be taken to implement this Ordinance, as approved and adopted by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
4. Users are all people that use roadways, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists and includes people of all ages and abilities, including children, seniors and individuals with disabilities.
5. Transportation Improvement Project is any public or private investment within the public right of way, regardless of funding source, including, but not limited to, new construction, reconstruction, alteration, and maintenance inclusive of road resurfacing, except that a Transportation Improvement Project shall not include routine upkeep such as cleaning, sweeping, plowing or spot repair.

C. This Article and Section shall require the implementation of Complete Streets in appropriate locations within the City of Middletown by the Public Works Department, Public Works and Facilities Commission in collaboration with the Police Chief/Traffic Authority and other transportation agencies as necessary for review, as follows:

1. The Public Works Department/Public Works and Facilities Commission, in collaboration with the Complete Streets Committee, will review all Transportation Improvement Projects being designed for implementation within the City limits and explore opportunities to meet the needs of all Users, including but not limited to motorists, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit vehicles, in a manner consistent with the Complete Streets Master Plan.
2. All Transportation Improvement Projects located within 1,000 feet of a school, commercial center, or bus stop will include infrastructure designed to accommodate pedestrians, as recommended by Complete Streets Committee and affirmed by the Public Works and Facilities Commission to be sent to the Common Council for consideration. 
3. The requirements of the Complete Streets Ordinance will not apply to Transportation Improvement Projects:
   1. a. Where specific users are prohibited by law (e.g. interstate highways or pedestrian-only pathways); or
   2. b. Where the cost of accommodations necessary to implement Complete Streets has been demonstrated and documented to be excessively disproportionate to the need or probable use. The Public Works Department must document the rationale for exemption from the Complete Streets Ordinance in such cases.
   3. c. When a Transportation Improvement Project is to be funded by a road bond passed prior to the date of passage of this ordinance, and when such road bond funding and scope is inadequate to include Complete Streets improvements in that specific project, consideration will be given by the Public Works Commission, the Complete Streets Committee, and Common Council in order to determine whether additional funding should be appropriated to include Complete Streets improvements in that project. 

Congratulations go out to West Hartford for becoming Connecticut's latest municipality to adopt its own complete streets policy.  The West Hartford Town Council voted unanimously on July 21, 2015 to adopt a “Complete Streets” policy to comprehensively address the town’s streets for all users.

Bike West Hartford prompted the town to adopt a complete streets policy, working with the Bicycle Advisory Committee and Town Council last fall to pass a resolution calling for a complete streets policy within 180 days.  (See Thumbs Up Awards, Oct. 2014). Since then, members of Bike West Hartford and the Bicycle Advisory Committee collaborated with town staff and town councilors on initial drafts. Town staff sought comments from relevant stakeholders, including Bike Walk Connecticut. 

Several drafts later, Town Council members Clare Kindall (and Bike Walk CT member) and Leon Davidoff, and Minority Leader Denise Hall, introduced the resolution to adopt the Complete Streets policy which they have been working on with Town Manager Ron Van Winkle and Community Services Director Mark McGovern since last summer. The policy was adopted unanimously. 

All transportation projects going forward, with limited exceptions, will follow the Complete Streets policy, Kindall said. 


The policy calls for a bicycle facilities plan to be developed by town staff with input from the Bicycle Advisory Committee,to be presented to the Council for adoption in the next nine months. The bicycle facilities plan will indicate the best routes for traveling through West Hartford by bicycle.

Significantly, the policy also lists performance measures to be included in the Annual Report from the Town Manager to the Town Council, including:

• Miles of bicycle lanes, routes, or trails built or dedicated, by width and type
  
• Number of bicycle parking facilities installed 
  
• Number of traffic calming facilities built or installed 
  
• Number of traffic control signs/signals installed or upgraded 
  
• Linear feet of pedestrian accommodations built or repaired 
  
• Number of crosswalks built or improved 
  
• Number of ADA accommodations built or installed 
  
• Number of transit accessibility improvements built 
  
• Number of street trees planted 
  
• Maintenance activities of existing complete streets facilities
  
• Number of exceptions approved 
  
• User data -bicycle, pedestrian, transit and traffic counts 
  
• Bicycle and pedestrian accident data 
  
• Total dollar amount spent on complete streets improvements
  

To its credit, West Hartford's policy lists reducing greenhouse gases as the first goal of the policy. With transportation creating 40% of our greenhouse gas emissions, Connecticut needs to fully embrace active transportation as a climate action tool.

Read West Hartford's full Complete Streets Policy and the accompanying resolution here.

ICF International, a contractor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, organized a webinar on "Implementing Comprehensive Healthy Community Design Plans" on June 17, 2015. 

Webinar Handouts

The purpose of this webinar was to advise CDC grant awardees on how to establish and implement equitable, comprehensive healthy community design plans that incorporate best practices in land use and development, multi-modal transportation networks, and site designs, with a goal of encouraging physically 
active travel and access to healthy food choices.   Presenters included Mark Fenton, Adjunct Associate Professor, Tufts University; Leslie Meehan,  Director of Healthy Communities, Nashville, TN; and Laura Garrett, Community Initiatives Lead, Columbus, IN.

Contact Info for ICF INTERNATIONAL | 3 Corporate Square NE, Suite 370, Atlanta, GA 30329 | DCH-Training@icfi.com

Our 2015 Summit featured Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator for Portland, Oregon. About Geller, People For Bikes says, "If anyone in the United States understands how policies can support biking, it's Roger Geller. As Portland's bicycle coordinator, he's overseen a 250 percent spike in bike commuting and helped the city top countless bike-lovers' lists."  Geller's excellent keynote presentation is available below.

Bike Walk CT organized a NACTO Bikeway Design Workshop, led by Roger Geller, in April 2015.  Below are links to Roger Geller's powerpoint files.  The workshop was co-sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Public Health, supported by
funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention under the State Public Health Actions grant.

Color ppts (very large files)
1 - Intro
2 - Bicycle Lanes
3 - Cycle Tracks
4 - Crossing Treatments
5 - Bike Box
6 - Bicycle Boulevards
7 - Markings, Legends & Signs

Black and White ppts
1 - Intro
2 - Bicycle Lanes
3 - Cycle Tracks
4 - Crossing Treatments
5 - Bike Box
6 - Bicycle Boulevards
7 - Markings, Legends & Signs