Title
Approval of Complete Streets Ordinance
Recommended Action Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Move to approve Complete Streets Ordinance on second reading.
Report
Issue:
Whether to approve a Complete Streets Ordinance which will allow the City to be eligible to apply for Washington State Transportation Improvement Board grant funding.
Staff Contact:
Sophie Stimson, Senior Planner, Public Works Transportation, 360.753.8497
Presenter(s):
None - Consent Calendar Item
Background and Analysis:
Background and analysis have not changed from first to second reading.
Complete streets are streets that serve all modes - walking, biking, transit, auto, and truck use. Increasingly, federal, state, and local governments are adopting policies and standards that emphasize complete streets. Many cities have adopted ordinances to ensure complete streets are considered in future policies and standards.
A new grant funding program offered by the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB) will fund complete street projects. Grant awards will range from $250,000 to $500,000. Only cities with adopted Complete Streets Ordinances are eligible. Although Olympia’s Comprehensive Plan and the City’s Engineering Design and Development Standards reflect complete streets principles, we do not have an adopted ordinance.
To be eligible for this grant program, the City needs to adopt an ordinance by the end of August 2016. Staff’s proposed Complete Streets Ordinance reflects current policy and standards and does not introduce new policy or standards.
Neighborhood/Community Interests:
The Transportation Chapter of the 2014 Olympia Comprehensive Plan includes complete streets goals, policies, and principles. The public provided input into the contents of this plan and supported the adoption of the plan. In July 2016, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) was briefed on the need for a Complete Streets Ordinance in order to apply for grant funds. The BPAC informally supported the adoption of an ordinance.
Options:
1. Approve Complete Streets Ordinance. This allows the City to apply for grant funds in the Complete Streets Award Program offered by the Washington State Transportation Improvement Board (TIB).
2. Modify the ordinance. Changes to the proposed ordinance may improve the scope and clarity of the ordinance. Modification may delay adoption and affect the City’s ability to apply for grant funds in the Complete Streets Award Program offered by TIB.
3. Do not approve ordinance. If an ordinance is not adopted, Olympia may not be eligible for grant funds in the Complete Streets Award Program offered by TIB.
Financial Impact:
None
Attachments:
Ordinance