Chapter 13.26
COMPLETE STREETS
Sections:
13.26.050 Performance measures.
13.26.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this policy is to establish guiding goals, principles, and practices that will empower and direct Pacific residents, elected officials, planners, and engineers to use an interdisciplinary approach in the creation of a connected network of completed streets that will result in access, mobility and healthier choices of travel for users of all ages and abilities. (Ord. 2030 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020).
13.26.020 Definitions.
“Complete street” means a thoroughfare that is designed to safely accommodate a context-sensitive modal choice for the movement of all travelers regardless of age or ability. (Ord. 2030 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020).
13.26.030 Objectives.
A. Transportation Projects. Transportation projects within the city of Pacific shall be designed, prioritized, constructed, retrofitted, operated, and maintained in a manner that advances the following complete streets network objectives:
1. Involves local citizens and stakeholders in the planning and design process;
2. Empowers citizens to choose a mode of travel best suited to their needs and capabilities;
3. Meets the safety and convenience needs of all transportation system users including, but not limited to:
a. Pedestrians;
b. Bicyclists;
c. Transit riders;
d. Motorists;
e. Commercial users;
f. Emergency responders; and
g. Adjacent land owners as well as those who require special accommodations such as people with disabilities, the elderly, and school-age children;
4. Establishes an integrated, efficient, and connected transportation network that supports compact, sustainable urban development;
5. Promotes a healthy community by encouraging walking, bicycling, and use of public transportation;
6. Integrates the provision of appropriate street trees in suitable planting conditions and locations as primary complete street design elements;
7. Provides for the physical comfort and enjoyment of all travelers through the provision of streetscape amenities where appropriate, such as:
a. Planting areas;
b. Furniture;
c. Dedicated travel and parking lanes; and
d. Medians;
Special attention should be given to the aesthetic details that enhance the traveler’s experience such as:
e. Decorative lighting;
f. Poles;
g. Decorative pavers;
h. Public art; and
i. The undergrounding of utilities;
8. Protects the environment by providing safe alternatives to single-occupancy driving, thereby reducing congestion, carbon dioxide emissions, and dependence on fossil fuels and other energy sources; and
9. Utilizes sustainable approaches that consider interrelated social, environmental, and economic benefits. (Ord. 2030 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020).
13.26.040 Procedures.
A. Transportation Projects. The planning and design of new construction and reconstruction/retrofit of thoroughfares should be consistent with the complete streets approach. This approach should be supportive of the character and context of local neighborhoods, commercial and recreational centers, land use, and safe routes to school. The approach should recognize that transportation needs vary and must be balanced in a flexible, safe, and cost-effective manner to create a connected network serving several modal choices. Maintenance and rehabilitation projects on transportation facilities shall be evaluated for opportunities to apply a complete streets approach and further connect city-wide networks. Consistent with a complete streets approach, modal choices shall be maintained during construction and rehabilitation projects to the maximum extent feasible.
B. Cooperation. Public, private, and nonprofit organizations should be encouraged by the city to cooperate and promote complete streets principles and practices as part of planning, design, education, and project implementation.
The city will seek to enhance cooperation and coordination with WSDOT, the Department of Health and local advocacy groups for active transportation in the design and implementation of complete streets projects to build the city’s network. A cross-departmental approach to complete streets projects, including public works, planning, and the mayor’s office, as well as outside state agencies involved with transportation projects, will be maintained to ensure that projects and initiatives to advance the network are coordinated.
C. Facilities. Transportation facilities that support the concept of complete streets include, but are not limited to:
1. Pavement markings and signs;
2. Street and sidewalk lighting;
3. Sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvements;
4. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements;
5. School-aged children accommodations;
6. Transit accommodations;
7. Bicycle accommodations, including appropriate signage and markings;
8. Sustainability and environmental improvement;
9. Streetscapes that appeal to and promote safe multimodal use.
Complete street components, which can often be implemented as low-cost project additions (such as bicycle channelization), should be considered as part of public infrastructure and roadway planning and construction, maintenance and rehabilitation projects.
D. Development Plans, Code, and Standards. Complete streets designs shall follow the guidelines and standards of documents such as the FHWA Street Small Town and Rural Multimodal Network guide, NACTO’s Urban Design Guide and Bikeway Design Guide, WSDOT (including Practical Design) and AASHTO design manuals, in addition to best practices for multimodal transportation engineering. Design flexibility shall be part of the approach to complete streets to ensure context sensitive projects.
Comprehensive plan, Pacific Municipal Code, and public works development design standard updates will be updated to address complete streets implementation as it relates to private and public development. Future updates to these standards will include the latest best practices for complete streets implementation.
E. Public Works Manager. Exceptions to this policy may be determined by the public works manager under the circumstances listed below:
1. Street projects may exclude those elements of this policy that would require the accommodation of street requirements prohibited by law or waived by judicial or quasi-judicial review;
2. Ordinary maintenance activities such as mowing, snowplowing, sweeping, spot repair, joint or crack sealing, or pothole filling do not require that elements of this policy be applied beyond the scope of that maintenance activity;
3. Bicycle lane installation may be omitted in locations not identified on the adopted bicycle route map; and
4. Trail installation may be omitted in locations not identified on the adopted trail system map.
F. City Administration. Exceptions to this policy may be determined by city administration upon recommendation by the public works manager under the circumstances listed below:
1. Street reconstruction projects and maintenance paving projects which involve widening pavement may exclude elements of this policy when the accommodation of a specific use is expected to:
a. Require more space than is physically available; or
b. Be located where both current and future demand is proven absent; or
c. Substantially increase project costs, and equivalent alternatives exist within close proximity; or
d. Have adverse impacts on environmental resources such as streams, wetlands, steep slopes, or floodplains, or on historic structures or sites above and beyond the impacts of currently existing infrastructure. (Ord. 2030 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020).
13.26.050 Performance measures.
The public works department shall evaluate the success of this complete streets policy through yearly public reports to the city council, including the following elements:
A. Identifying the projects, public and private, which have expanded the city’s network and documenting the linear footage increase of pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and the comfort level of those facilities, added in the previous year.
B. Working with the Department of Health to identify public health statistics which relate to the presence of active transportation networks and include trends in those measures in this report to track the impact of complete streets on public health.
C. Identifying the number of documented exceptions to the policy in the previous year.
(AASHTO) – American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
(FHWA) – Federal Highway Administration.
(NACTO) – National Association of City Transportation Officials.
(WSDOT) – Washington State Department of Transportation. (Ord. 2030 § 1 (Exh. A), 2020).