HIKE AND BIKE SYSTEM MASTER PLAN
Recommended Complete Streets Text for a Resolution to City Council RESOLUTION NO . _______
A Resolution of the Arlington City Council Expressing Support for the Complete Streets Concept and Requesting that a Complete Streets Ordinance be drafted as a component of the Thoroughfare Development Plan , Street Design Criteria Manual , and the Hike & Bike Plan .
WHEREAS , the “ Complete Streets ” concept promotes streets that are safe and convenient for all users including pedestrians , bicyclists , and transit riders ;
WHEREAS , streets constitute a large portion of the public space and should be corridors for all modes of transportation including pedestrians , bicyclists , and transit riders ;
Streets that support and invite multiple uses that include safe , active and ample space for pedestrians , bicycles , and transit are more conducive to the efficient movement of people than streets designed primarily to move automobiles and trucks ;
WHEREAS , trends in public health , energy and transportation costs , and air quality necessitate a more comprehensive approach to mobility within communities to offer a greater variety of mobility choices that are not strictly automobile based ;
WHEREAS , there are practical limits to roadway expansion as a response to traffic congestion ;
WHEREAS , promoting pedestrian , bicycle and transit travel as an alternative to automobiles promotes healthy living , is less costly to the commuter , may delay the need to widen some streets , and reduces negative environmental impacts ;
WHEREAS , the development of a more complete transportation network or “ Complete Streets ” can improve pedestrian safety , facilitate improvements in public health , increase the transportation network ’ s capacity , and reduce climate change effects ;
WHEREAS , the Federal Highway Administration has confirmed that designing streets with pedestrians in mind significantly reduces pedestrian risk . About one-third of Americans do not drive , including low-wealth Americans who cannot afford cars , school-age children , and an increasing number of older adults . Whether they walk or bicycle directly to their destinations , or to public transportation , these individuals require safe access to get to work , school , shops and medical visits , and to take part in social , civic and volunteer activities . In 2008 , one fifth of pedestrian fatalities in Texas were children ( nine percent ) age 15 and under , and older adults ( eleven percent ) age 65 and older . More than ninety percent of all pedestrian fatalities in Texas in 2008 occurred away from intersections ;
WHEREAS , obesity threatens the healthy future of of one-third of all American children . For the first time in American history , our children ’ s life expectancy may be shorter than their parents ;
WHEREAS , forty percent of American adults age fifty and older reported inadequate sidewalks in their neighborhoods . Nearly fifty percent reported they cannot cross main roads close to their home safely . Half of those who reported such problems said they would walk , bicycle , or take the bus more according to a 2008 American Association of Retired Persons ( AARP ) study ;
WHEREAS , transportation expenses can be reduced if local infrastructure encourages active transportation , which helps families replace car trips with bicycling , walking , or
Appendix C : Hike & Bike Policies | C-23