Chapter 12.02
COMPLETE STREETS
Sections:
12.02.030 Complete streets infrastructure.
12.02.040 Implementation of complete streets principles.
12.02.050 Intergovernmental cooperation and partnerships.
12.02.070 Best practice criteria.
12.02.010 Purpose.
The city of Bainbridge Island shall, to the maximum extent practicable, scope, plan, design, construct, operate and maintain appropriate facilities for the safe accommodation of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists, emergency responders, freight, and users of all ages and abilities in all new construction or reconstruction projects of public streets. Through ongoing operations and maintenance efforts, the city of Bainbridge Island shall identify cost-effective opportunities to include complete streets practices. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.020 Definitions.
A. “Complete street” means a road that is designed to be safe and accessible for drivers, bicyclists, transit vehicles and riders, freight, emergency service providers, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. The complete streets policy focuses not just on changing individual roads, but on changing the decision making process so that all users are routinely considered during the planning, designing, building, and operation of all roadways.
B. “Complete streets infrastructure” means design features that contribute to a safe, convenient, or comfortable travel experience for users, including but not limited to features such as sidewalks, shared use paths, bicycle lanes, automobile lanes, paved shoulders, street trees, and landscaping planting strips, curbs, accessible curb ramps, bulb outs, crosswalks, refuge islands, pedestrian and traffic signals, including countdown and accessible signals, signage, street furniture, and bicycle parking facilities. Also includes traffic calming devices such as rotary circles, traffic bumps, and surface treatments such as paving blocks, textured asphalt, and concrete, narrow vehicle lanes, and raised medians.
C. “Street,” for the purposes of this chapter, means any public right-of-way, including arterials, connectors, alleys, ways, lanes, and roadways by any other designation, as well as bridges, tunnels, and any other portions of the transportation network, that is open for use by the general traveling public.
D. “Street project” means the construction, reconstruction, retrofit, maintenance, alteration, or repair of any street, and includes the planning, design, approval, and implementation processes.
E. “Users” means individuals that use streets, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motor vehicle drivers, and public transportation riders and drivers. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.030 Complete streets infrastructure.
As feasible, the city of Bainbridge Island shall incorporate complete streets infrastructure into existing public streets to create a comprehensive, integrated, connected transportation network that balances access, mobility, health, economy, and safety needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, motorists, emergency responders, freight and users of all ages and abilities. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.040 Implementation of complete streets principles.
The city of Bainbridge Island will incorporate complete streets principles into the city’s comprehensive plan, public works standards, parks and recreation comprehensive plan, traffic circulation plan, and other plans, manuals, rules, regulations, and programs as feasible and appropriate. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.050 Intergovernmental cooperation and partnerships.
The city will cooperate with other transportation agencies including the Federal Highways Administration, the Washington State Department of Transportation, Kitsap County and Kitsap Transit to ensure the principles and practices of complete streets are embedded within their planning, design, construction, and maintenance activities. The city will cooperate to ensure to the maximum extent practicable the transportation network flows seamlessly between jurisdictions in accordance with local and regional road, transit, bicycle, and pedestrian plans.
Additionally, it is a goal of the city of Bainbridge Island to foster partnerships with other agencies and organizations such as the Bainbridge Island School District, the Bainbridge Island metropolitan parks and recreation district, city committees, residents, businesses, interest groups, and neighborhoods to procure grant funding and implement the complete streets ordinance. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.060 Exceptions.
Facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and/or people of all abilities are not required to be provided in new construct ion or reconstruction street projects when:
A. A documented absence of current or future need exists, as identified in city plans and future travel demand models; or
B. Nonmotorized uses are prohibited by law; or
C. Routine maintenance and repair of the transportation network is performed that does not change the roadway geometry or operations; or
D. The cost exceeds more than 20 percent of the total project cost for new construction; or
E. The public works director issues a documented exception concluding that application of complete streets principles is unnecessary or inappropriate because it would be contrary to public safety; or
F. Where there are significant adverse environmental impacts to streams, wetlands, steep slopes, or other critical areas; or
G. Where the establishment would be contrary to the transportation element of the comprehensive plan; or
H. Where their inclusion in a small, isolated project would create a very short section of improvements with problematic transitions on either end or that are in an isolated area unlikely to be followed by similar improvements at either end, resulting in little progress on implementing complete streets networks. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)
12.02.070 Best practice criteria.
The public works director shall modify, develop and adopt policies, design criteria, standards and guidelines based upon recognized best practices in street design, construction and operations including but not limited to the latest editions of American Association of State Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) guidelines and standards, while reflecting the context and character of the surrounding built and natural environment and enhancing the appearance of such. (Ord. 2021-20 § 1, 2021)