Weymouth will plan for Complete Streets to support walking and bicycling
Weymouth, MA – December 29, 2015 – Mayor Susan Kay has signed a resolution endorsing the Town of Weymouth’s Complete Streets policy, which aims to reduce physical barriers to walking, bicycling, and other forms of physically active travel in the community. The Complete Streets policy was adopted by the Planning Board in November and by the Board of Zoning Appeals in December of 2015. It represents a new way of designing streets to support a more active and healthier community.
Traditionally, road design focuses on moving the greatest number of cars at the quickest possible speed. This often means building more traffic lanes, making them wider, and discounting the importance of sidewalks, bus stops, and bicycle lanes. Complete Streets, by contrast, describes roadways that are safe, comfortable, and accessible for every person regardless of age, ability, income, or how they choose to travel. Bicycling and smart growth advocates developed the concept in 2003 as a pathway to improving municipal transportation networks and making them more conducive to physical activity. Under a Complete Streets policy, local officials, planners, and transportation specialists are asked to step back and examine how road design can best serve all users.
“Complete Streets are streets for everyone, not just thoroughfares for vehicles,” explains Mayor Susan Kay. “They improve travel options for people who are elderly, disabled, or unable to drive, and they are great for local business because they support foot traffic and street shopping. With this policy in place, we can make our streets safer and more attractive over time, and the Town will have an opportunity to compete for new grants in 2016.”
A Complete Streets policy is one of several criteria required for cities and towns in Massachusetts to access funding under the state’s new Complete Streets Funding Program, scheduled to roll out in 2016. Competitive grants will be awarded by the MassDOT to help eligible communities undertake local street projects which incorporate Complete Streets elements.
Research has shown that designing roadways based on Complete Streets can increase safety, improve public health and well-being, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and advance economic development in a community. A local policy, such as the one adopted by the Town’s Planning and Zoning Boards, helps ensure that Complete Streets are considered in all development, reconstruction, and street repair projects in a community.