COMPLETE STREETS VISION
& POLICY STATEMENT
|
2014
A Road Forward for East Baton Rouge Parish
Table of Contents
Complete Streets Vision & Policy Statement
Introduction .......................................................................1
Chapter 1: Background .................................................... 2
What are Complete Streets? ............................................... 2
What is a Complete Streets Policy? ..................................... 3
Complete Streets is Endorsed by the FUTUREBR Plan ......... 3
Vision of Complete Streets in East Baton Rouge Parish ...... 4
Chapter 2: Anticipated Outcomes ...................................5
Benefits of Adopting a Complete Streets Policy ................ 5
Chapter 3: Implementation ..............................................10
Adopting a Complete Streets Policy Will Change
Transportation Planning ...................................................... 10
Complete Streets Are Cost Effective .................................. 10
Funding for Complete Streets ............................................. 12
Chapter 4: Complete Streets Policy Statement
For East Baton Rouge Parish ..........................13
Section I: Policy Statement ................................................. 13
Section II: Scope and Applicability .................................... 13
Section III: Policy Requirements Under
Complete Street Policy ....................................................... 14
Section IV: Establishment of Complete Streets
Procedures and Standards ................................................. 14
Section V: Complete Streets Advisory Committee ............ 15
Appendix: Resource Guide ..............................................18
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
1
Introduction
In cities and towns across the United States, forward-thinking transportation
planners and policy makers are transforming their communities with a simple
shift in design focus: complete the street by considering all potential users.
This simple shift in focus, this slight broadening of scope, has almost unlimited
capacity for improving the livability of a community. When all possible users
are considered, streets are safe for children to walk to school, parents can
bike and walk to neighborhood parks and neighbors of all ages and physical
ability can safely navigate sidewalks, public transit, bike lanes, and roadways
as they make their way around the community.
This concept is Complete Streets. It is an old concept made new again
as cities and towns turn their attention and resources to making their
communities more accessible places, beginning with the most basic of
public spaces—our streets and roadways.
Complete Streets is a profound policy change from how designers and
engineers typically approach the public roads in their communities. Adoption
of a Complete Streets policy does far more than just accommodate
additional users of a road or street. When transportation planners broaden
their design focus to include all potential users of the road, they begin
to view streets as places. Adoption of a Complete Streets policy is an
acknowledgment that the role of streets is to build communities, not simply
to move cars. In this manner, transportation policies become another tool for
Baton Rouge to create place and destination—to make our City and Parish
more livable. This Complete Streets Policy Statement is a blueprint for the
work ahead.
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
2
What are Complete Streets?
Complete Streets are designed with
consideration for users of all ages
and physical ability, and they allow
for multiple modes of transportation.
Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and
public transportation users are able
to safely move along and across a
complete street. Complete Streets
make it easy to cross the street, walk
to shops, or bicycle to work. They
allow buses to run on time and make
it safe for people to walk to and from
all transit stops.
A commitment to the Complete
Streets concept does not mean all
modes for all roads. Rather, each
street design is unique and responds
to the needs of the community and
destinations surrounding it.
Sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks,
medians, curb extensions, bus
shelters, transit accessibility and
landscaping are a few of the
hallmarks of Complete Streets.
These and other design elements
can be implemented in a variety
of combinations to develop a truly
balanced transportation system.
Complete Streets is not about taking
space away from automobiles—
it is about providing equal access to
roads and streets for all users, and
creating neighborhoods that are
safer and more inclusive.
SIMPLY PUT,
COMPLETE
STREETS ARE
STREETS FOR
EVERYONE
Chapter 1: Background
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
3
What is a Complete
Streets Policy?
A Complete Streets Policy is a
formal statement of a community’s
intent to plan, design, improve, and
maintain streets so they are safe for
all users. Complete Streets policies
direct transportation planners and
engineers to consistently design
and construct the right-of-way to
accommodate all anticipated users.
The aim of this Complete Streets
Policy Statement is to improve the
quality of life in Baton Rouge by
creating streets that are both great
public spaces and sustainable
transportation networks. This
Policy Statement is a blueprint
for integrating Complete Streets
design practices into the routine
development of streets and
roadways. After formal adoption,
City-Parish departments and
agencies will use this Policy
Statement to devise road and street
design manuals based on Complete
Streets concepts.
Complete Streets policies are being
adopted at a record pace. Across
the country, over 500 regional and
local jurisdictions had adopted a
Complete Streets policy. Currently,
27 states—including Louisiana--
along with the District of Columbia
and Puerto Rico, have adopted
Complete Streets policies at the
state level. In 2011, New Orleans
adopt a Complete Streets policy.
Complete Streets
is Endorsed by the
FUTUREBR Plan
With the adoption of the FUTUREBR
Plan in September 2011, the East
Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council
endorsed the adoption of Complete
Streets policies for the City-Parish.
The Strategic Implementation Plan
(October, 2011) directed that the
City:
• Adopt Complete Streets cross-
section standards
• Promote Complete Streets cross-
section revisions when corridor
occurs
• Work in partnership with DOTD to
leverage corridors and funding
mechanisms that would be of
Streets applications.
• Establish and fund a Great Streets
Program for Complete Streets
projects on existing and new
streets.
• Develop and adopt a Complete
Streets Design Manual to guide
public and private improvements
in both new street construction
At their public meeting in April,
2013, the FUTUREBR Implementation
Team (FIT) presented their
recommendations to Mayor
Holden for 2013. The adoption
of a Complete Streets Policy for
the Parish by the end of 2013 was
included as one of their priority
recommendations, as called for in
the FUTUREBR Comprehensive Plan.
CHAPTER 1: BACKGROUND
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
4
Vision of Complete Streets in East Baton Rouge Parish
In May 2013, Mayor Holden created
a committee to craft a Complete
Streets Policy Statement for East
Baton Rouge Parish. During the
work of the Complete Streets
Draft Committee, concerns about
impediments to a Complete Streets
issues related to cost, maintenance
and liability.
After extensive research and many
comprehensive discussions, we
Streets policy feasible in the Parish,
but if implemented properly, it will
alleviate these concerns.
It is this committee’s view that
drafting and adopting a Complete
Streets Policy Statement in East
Baton Rouge Parish will accomplish
the following:
• Improve travel times on Parish
roadways by increasing
transportation options and
increasing road connectivity.
• Improve mobility for all users,
including drivers and bicyclists,
with special attention paid to
the needs of non-drivers, youth,
older citizens and the mobility
challenged.
• Improve safety for drivers as well
as people walking and bicycling
to their destinations, thereby
providing alternative options to
safely get around the Parish.
• Improve access to public
transportation by making it safer,
easier, and more attractive for
all users, including older residents
and those with disabilities.
• Improve and provide additional
safe routes for children heading
to school and learning institutions.
• Improve access to employment
and educational opportunities in
all neighborhoods.
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
5
Complete Streets offer many
intangible. Although each
community is unique and seeks to
locale, with over 500 Complete
Streets policies on record to date,
practice has proven that there are
be anticipated from adopting a
Complete Streets policy.
Complete Streets Improve the
Local Economy
Making it easier for residents and
visitors to take transit, walk, or bike to
their destinations can help stimulate
the local economy by increasing
offering individuals and families low-
cost transportation alternatives.
The total savings from biking,
walking, or taking transit instead of
driving are well documented. For
example, people living in Dallas can
save an average of $9,086 this year
by switching from driving to taking
transit. Nationally, the average is a
monthly savings of $816.
1
This “green
dividend” means that residents can
spend that money in other ways—
such as housing, restaurants, and
entertainment—that keep money
circulating in the local economy.
1 Transit Savings Report, May 2013, American Public
Transportation Association, accessed September
2013, www.publictransportation.org/tools/
transitsavings/Pages/default.aspx
Complete Streets Spur Private
Investment
The investment that communities
make in implementing Complete
Streets policies can stimulate
far greater private investment,
especially in retail districts and
downtowns where pedestrians and
cyclists feel unwelcome.
For example, in Washington, D.C.,
design improvements along a three-
quarter mile corridor in Barracks Row,
including new patterned sidewalks
Chapter 2: Anticipated Outcomes
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
6
44 new businesses and 200 new jobs,
along with increases in sales and
part of a downtown revitalization
effort, Lancaster, California added
pedestrian safety features including
a pedestrian-only plaza, wider
calming. The project spurred $125
million in private investment, a 26
percent increase in sales tax revenue
and 800 new jobs. And in Mountain
View, California, a redesign of
the street for pedestrians and the
addition of sidewalk cafes were
followed by private investment of
$150 million, including residential,
vibrant downtown destination.
2
2 Benets of Complete Streets: Complete Streets
Stimulate the Local Economy, Smart Growth
America, accessed September 2013, www.
smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/cs/factsheets/
cs-economic.pdf
Complete Streets Make
Sound Fiscal Sense for Families
and Individuals
Transportation is the second largest
expense for American households,
costing more than food, clothing, or
health care. Americans spend an
average of 18 cents of every dollar
on transportation, with nearly 98
percent of that money going toward
the purchase, operation, and
maintenance of automobiles. This
high cost is unavoidable for those
living in areas that lack sidewalks,
bike lanes, and convenient public
transit. Complete streets boosts the
economy by raising property values,
including residential properties,
because homeowners are willing
to pay more to live in walkable
communities.
3
Complete Streets help families
save money by offering alternative
transportation options that are
both safe and accessible. In fact,
a two-person adult household that
3 www.epa.gov/smartgrowth/pdf/economic_success.
pdf
CHAPTER 2: ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
7
uses public transportation saves
an average of $6,251 annually
compared to a household with two
cars and no public transportation
accessibility.
4
Complete Streets Maintain
Property Values
Complete Streets policies lead to
networks of streets that are safe
and accessible for people on
foot or riding bikes, which in turn
raises property values by providing
equitable services through all
neighborhoods. In a survey of 15 real
estate markets from Jacksonville,
Florida to Stockton, California a
one-point increase in the walkability
of a neighborhood as measured
by WalkScore.com increased
home values as much as $700 to
$3,000. For neighborhoods in the
Washington, D.C. region, becoming
point scale added $9 per square
4 Benets of Complete Streets: Complete Streets
Lower Transportation Costs, Smart Growth
America, accessed September 2013, www.
smartgrowthamerica.org/documents/cs/factsheets/
cs-individuals.pdf
foot to retail rents and nearly $82
per square foot to home values. This
neighborhoods are near each other,
demonstrating the value of networks
of Complete Streets in a community.
The preference for walkable
neighborhoods is likely to increase
in coming decades, too, as today’s
downtowns and close-in suburbs.
The population of college-educated
25- to 34-year-olds in these walkable
neighborhoods has increased by 26
percent in the last decade, creating
a workforce that can further add to
economic growth.
5
And it’s not just sidewalks: bike
paths add value to neighboring
properties also. One North Carolina
neighborhood saw property values
rise $5,000 due to a nearby bikeway,
and bike paths in Delaware
are expected to add $8,800 to
neighboring home values. Even
design elements like street trees can
5 Ibid.
raise property values. Adding street
trees to homes in Portland, Oregon
added more than $7,000 to selling
prices.
6
Complete Streets Improve Safety
for All Users of the Road
Incomplete streets put the Parish’s
citizens at risk. Over 4,000 pedestrians
and bicyclists died on U.S. roads in
2011 and more than 70,000 were
injured. That means, on average,
one pedestrian was injured every
7
In the last decade Baton Rouge
experienced 163 bicycle and
pedestrian fatalities, comprising 10%
of overall Louisiana fatalities. In 2012
alone, Louisiana experienced 24
bicycle fatalities- the highest in the
years, 76 bicyclists were killed on
6 “Complete Streets raise property values.” Smart Growth
America. www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-
streets/complete-streets-fundamentals/factsheets/
economic-revitalization
7 Trac Safety Facts: 2011 Data, National Highway
Trac Safety Administration, accessed September
2013, www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811748.pdf
CHAPTER 2: ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
8
the state’s roadways. On average,
bike and pedestrian fatalities
fatalities in the state. In 2012, this
percentage jumped to 20%.
8
Complete Streets Enhance Public
Health and Reduce Medical Costs
Louisiana has the highest rate of adult
obesity in the nation, as well as high
rates of heart disease and diabetes.
9
A 2009 study estimated that Louisiana
would spend $1.9 billion in 2013 on
obesity-attributable health care.
10
Obesity takes a huge toll on a
person’s health and quality of
life, and leads to a host of related
problems like diabetes and heart
disease. That means higher health
care costs and lower satisfaction.
8 Louisisana Highway Safety Commission
9 Capital Region Planning Commission, www.crpc-la.
org/
10 The Future Costs of Obesity: National and State
Estimates of the Impact of Obesity on Direct Health
Care Expenses. Accessed September 2013. www.nccor.
org/downloads/CostofObesityReport-FINAL.pdf
Complete Streets provide opportunity
for physical activity by incorporating
features that promote regular
walking, cycling, and transit use.
Studies have found that when people
have the opportunity to walk in
their neighborhoods, they are far
more likely to meet recommended
activity levels than those who live
in neighborhoods with incomplete
streets.
1111
Complete Streets Improve
the Air Quality of Our Parish
A Complete Streets policy that results
in more walking and cycling will
reduce the number of automobiles
on the road, which, in turn, reduces
total exhaust emissions. As a result,
air quality in East Baton Rouge will
be improved, supporting the Parish’s
environmental policies and goals.
Poor air quality in urban areas is
linked to increases in asthma and
other illnesses. In 2015 East Baton
Rouge Parish will once again
11 Benets of Complete Streets: Complete Streets
Promote Good Health, Smart Growth America,
accessed September 2013, www.smartgrowthamerica.
org/documents/cs/factsheets/cs-health.pdf.
become a nonattainment area for
ozone emissions. This could potentially
have a drastic effect on existing
roadway projects and also become
a public health issue.
12
If each
resident replaced one car trip with
one bike or walking trip just once a
month, it would cut carbon dioxide
emissions by more than 3,764 tons per
year in the community.
13
Complete Streets Offer Solutions
to Lingering Infrastructure Issues
Decades of continual urbanization
have created vast, impervious
concrete landscapes that challenge
the environmental sustainability of the
Parish.
Wide roads of impervious concrete
not only contribute to the heat
island effect, they also create
major problems for drainage and
stormwater runoff management.
12 Capital Region Planning Commission, www.crpc-la.
org/
13 Benets of Complete Streets, Smart Growth
America, accessed September 2013, http://www.
smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets/
completestreets-fundamentals/benets-of-complete-
streets/
CHAPTER 2: ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
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When stormwater runoff is simply
redirected or removed as quickly
as possible, there can be serious
environmental consequences,
such as sedimentation, bank erosion,
and polluted runoff entering our
water system.
Complete Streets design elements
such as bioswales, planters, rain
gardens, and street trees act as
on-site stormwater runoff treatment
systems, improving water quality and
reducing soil erosion by
stormwater runoff.
14
Complete Streets Improve the
Quality of Life for Our Citizens
Better conditions for bicycling,
walking, and transit use have
life in cities and towns. Complete
streets increase opportunities for
cafes, areas to congregate and
socialize, and help create vibrant
14 Green Streets, Smart Growth America, accessed
September 2013, www.smartgrowthamerica.org/
complete-streets/implementation/factsheets/green-
streets/
communities. More than 7% of
households, or approximately 30,000
residents, in East Baton Rouge do not
have access to a motor vehicle.
15
Complete Streets will increase their
ability to meet with friends and
family, and commute to work. In
fact, the number of people using
non-motorized or public transit
can be a good indicator of a
community’s livability, a factor that
has a profound impact on attracting
businesses and workers as well as
tourism.
15 2008-2012 American Community Survey
5-Year Estimates
Complete Streets Create
Social Capital
Comfortable and connected
streets offer alternatives to personal
motor vehicles and increase
opportunities for social contact with
others. By providing appropriate
bicycle, pedestrian, transit facilities
and amenities, communities enable
interaction between neighbors and
other citizens that can strengthen
relationships and contribute to a
healthy sense of identity and place.
CHAPTER 2: ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
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Adopting a Complete
Streets Policy Will
Change
Transportation
Planning
Currently, most roads and streets
in East Baton Rouge Parish are
designed and built with only motor
vehicles in mind. For decades,
planning for streets and roads has
been solely focused on the speed
and movement of motorized
vehicles, and for decades we have
experienced problems related to
the streets—parents feeling that their
children cannot safely walk or bike
to school, older adults becoming
housebound and lonely when they
can no longer drive, and obesity
rates rising while people have
fewer places to walk. These are
all reasons to change the way we
make decisions about our roads and
streets.
By focusing primarily on motor
and more dangerous for all non-
motorized road users to access the
streets. Yet sidewalks, bike lanes, and
“amenities” to be cut during any
project planning or construction.
This Complete Streets Policy ensures
that transportation planners
and engineers consistently plan,
design, operate, and maintain
the entire roadway with all users in
mind—including bicyclists, public
transportation vehicles and riders,
and pedestrians of all ages and
abilities to the greatest extent
possible. Now is the time to change
transportation planning in East Baton
Rouge Parish.
Complete Streets
Are Cost Effective
The adoption of Complete Streets
may result in an increased cost
for some projects when additional
design elements such as bike
lanes, sidewalks, and crosswalks
are added into the design phase.
However, jurisdictions implementing
a Complete Streets policy within a
mixed use
buildings
street
lights
more
visible
crosswalks
parallel
parking
allows
space for
wider
sidewalks
Chapter 3: Implementation
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
11
to their transportation budgets, and
is cost effective over the long term.
The Florida Department of
Transportation estimated that
Complete Streets features (bicycle
and pedestrian accommodations)
could add from two and half to
However, it would be an error to
consider these costs as additional or
extra expenses.
Rather, when a transportation
project has been designed properly,
as one piece of a balanced and
the Complete Streets facilities are an
integral and complementary part
of the transportation project and
should not be treated as an add-on
expense.
In looking at the bigger picture,
Complete Streets are more
cost effective than the current
alternative—streets made only for
automobiles. Over the long term,
Complete Streets can help save
money for the Parish. Remember,
Complete Streets is an investment in
the overall health of the community
on several different levels.
As discussed earlier, Complete
Streets policies bring tangible
in many ways that must also be
considered when thinking about
transportation funding. These added
cost of adding pedestrian sidewalks,
bike paths, transit amenities, eco-
friendly landscaping and other
Complete Streets design elements.
CHAPTER 3: IMPLEMENTATION
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
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Funding for Complete Streets
There are several federal, state and
local funding sources for Complete
Streets projects. New federal
regulations require approaches
that include bicycling and walking
in roadway designs. The design
elements and facilities associated
with Complete Streets may be
funded from several existing
sources, including bond programs,
public-private partnerships and
ongoing maintenance resources.
Incorporating Complete Streets
design elements may be
accomplished by shifting resources,
leveraging new sources of funding or
both.
Implementing a Complete Streets
Policy requires a coordinated
effort between policy makers,the
development community, and
planning, public works and
transportation staff. Steps to
implement parishwide Complete
Streets policies include the following:
• Adopting a Complete Streets
Ordinance directing integrated
Complete Streets practices into
the development of public and
private roadways.
• Identifying lead agencies
responsible for implementation
• Updating local policies and
procedures to incorporate
Complete Streets.
• Building institutional capacity
through training, communication
and monitoring.
• Forming partnerships to help
advance the policy.
• Identifying pilot projects that build
support and provide experience
with the implementation process.
CHAPTER 3: IMPLEMENTATION
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
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COMPLETE STREETS POLICY STATEMENT
FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH
I. Policy Statement
The City of Baton Rouge and the Parish of East Baton
Rouge recognize that the full integration of all modes
of travel in the design of streets and highways will
mobility options, reduce greenhouse gas emissions,
and improve the general quality of life of all citizens by
providing them with additional choices of transportation
modes. Therefore, the City of Baton Rouge and the
Parish of East Baton Rouge will plan, design, construct,
operate, and maintain appropriate transportation
facilities and amenities that are safe, convenient and
fully integrated into a network for all users -- automobile
motorists, pedestrians of any age or ability, bicyclists,
transit vehicles and riders, freight providers, emergency
responders, children and the elderly -- in a balanced,
responsible and equitable manner consistent with and
supportive of the surrounding community.
The Mayor-President is responsible for implementing the
City-Parish Complete Streets Policy for the Parish.
II. Scope and Applicability
The East Baton Rouge Parish Complete Streets Policy shall
apply to all phases of design, development, and
implementation of all transportation projects within the
Parish.
This Complete Streets Policy applies to:
1.
construction, reconstruction, operation and
maintenance, including planning, design,
funding, right-of-way acquisition, engineering and
construction, as well as the restriping of resurfacing
projects on roadways with the capacity to
accommodate multiple transportation modes.
2. Local roadway projects where the Capital Region
Planning Commission has the programming authority
to allocate funding and agrees to incorporate
Complete Streets elements.
3. Local roadway projects where the State has the
programming authority to allocate funding and
agrees to incorporate Complete Streets elements.
4. Local roadway projects that are included in the
Transportation Improvement Plan after the adoption
of the Complete Streets Policy and that are not
ready-for-letting at the time this policy is adopted.
Chapter 4: Complete Streets Policy Statement
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
14
This Complete Streets Policy does NOT apply to:
1. Resurfacing activities that do not alter the current/
existing geometric designs of a roadway or street,
where the roadway capacity does not allow restriping
to include additional users. However, this exemption
does not include the need to improve and maintain
cross-walks, accommodate ADA requirements, and
provide signage and signalization as needed.
2. Emergency utility repair requiring roadway
reconstruction.
III. Policy Requirements under Complete Streets
Policy
1. Roadway projects shall be designed and planned,
to the greatest extent possible, to accommodate all
users of the transportation system, including motorists,
pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, truckers, and
emergency responders, while respecting the access
needs of adjacent land uses. Special attention in the
design and planning of a project shall be given to
addressing the needs of people with disabilities and
the elderly.
2. Roadway projects shall make use of best practice
design standards, policies, and guidelines while
respecting the character of the area within which the
so that they consider the needs of the users of the
corridor.
3. Roadway construction will incorporate sustainable
stormwater management techniques.
4. All roadway projects shall include performance
standards with measurable outcomes to determine
the effectiveness of corridor design.
5. Phases and key milestones of project development
6.
projects.
7. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and
Development shall retain design decision authority
over its projects, including the decision as to whether
to apply Complete Streets standards.
IV. Establishment of Complete Streets Procedures
and Standards
1.
Complete Streets Technical Committee to assist in
overseeing the implementation of the Complete
Streets Policy. The committee shall, at a minimum,
President, the Department of Public Works (DPW),
the City-Parish Planning Commission, the Police
the Capital Area Transit System (CATS), the Capital
Region Planning Commission, and the Parks and
Recreation Commission of East Baton Rouge Parish.
CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE STREETS POLICY STATEMENT
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
15
2. The Department of Public Works and the Planning
Commission shall review their policies, design criteria,
standards, and guidelines, as appropriate, to ensure
design, construction, complete streets and operation
Technical Committee.
3.
of the Department of Public Works and the Planning
Commission with regard to changes to ordinances,
policies, design criteria, standards, procedures, and
guidelines shall recommend changes that may be
needed to further the goal of implementing Complete
Streets in East Baton Rouge Parish.
4. After receiving the recommendations of the citizens’
Complete Streets Advisory Committee regarding the
proposed changes to ordinances, policies, design
criteria, standards, procedures and guidelines for
implementing Complete Streets, the Technical
the Mayor-President shall resolve disagreements, if
any, between the recommendations of the Technical
Committee and the Complete Streets Advisory
Committee.
5. The Technical Committee shall develop an inventory
of the pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure within
the parish, including the availability of the important
amenities that enhance the experience of pedestrians
and cyclists (e.g., street furniture, bicycle parking,
shade trees, shade pavilions) that shall be maintained
by the Planning Commission.
6.
segments as well as geographic areas within which
streets should be prioritized for development as
Complete Streets (including the elimination of barriers
to accessibility) and include these priority segments in
Capital Budget requests to the Mayor-President. The
initial review shall consider any street proposed for
improvement within two miles of a school, with a focus
on eliminating gaps in the network of pedestrian and
in FUTUREBR.
7. The Technical Committee shall recommend metrics
for evaluating the impact of efforts to improve
transportation choice in Baton Rouge and East Baton
Rouge Parish. Metrics may include such things as the
percentage of streets within two miles of schools that
provide for the full array of transportation options,
changes in modal split, and the linear extent of
interconnected pedestrian and bicycle facilities within
the community.
V. Complete Streets Advisory Committee
1. The Metro Council shall establish a thirteen-member
Complete Streets Advisory Committee to assist in
overseeing and evaluating the implementation of the
CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE STREETS POLICY STATEMENT
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
16
Complete Streets Policy. The committee will include
the following representation:
a. Planning Commission
b. Federation of Greater Baton Rouge Civic
Associations
c. Bike BR
d. Baton Rouge Area Chamber
e. AARP
f. The Advocacy Center
g. Center for Planning Excellence
h. Mayor's Healthy City Initiative
i. Louisiana State University
j. Southern University
k. Baton Rouge Sustainable Transportation Advisory
Committee
l. Two citizens at large
2. The Department of Public Works and the Planning
Commission shall provide staff support to the Advisory
Committee.
3. The Advisory Committee shall coordinate with the
Technical Committee in the following ways:
a. Review and comment on the recommended
Committee for development of complete
streets as well as the proposed changes to
ordinances, policies, design criteria, standards,
procedures and guidelines prior to any action by
the Technical Committee to implement them as
“Complete Streets;”
b. Approval of the metrics for evaluating the
effectiveness of the Complete Streets program;
and
c. Receive regular reports on the progress of the
parish with regard to implementation of Complete
Streets.
4.
the Mayor-President at least quarterly or as needed
to discuss Complete Streets implementation and will
provide an annual written report to the Metro Council
the City’s progress and providing recommendations
for improvement of the Complete Streets program,
including, no later than the second annual report,
recommendations for revisions to the Complete
Streets Policy.
CHAPTER 4: COMPLETE STREETS POLICY STATEMENT
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
17
Appendix: Resource Guide
American Association of State Highway Transportation
• A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets
(The Green Book)
• Guide for Planning, Designing, and Operating
Pedestrian Facilities
• Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities
• Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
• Designing Walkable Urban thoroughfares: A Context
Sensitive Approach
• Urban Bikeway Design Guide
• U.S. Access Board
• Public right-of-Way Accessibility guidelines
• Highway Capacity Manual
• Highway Safety Manual
The National Complete Streets Coalition
www.completestreets.org
• 10 Elements of a Comprehensive Policy
www.completestreets.org/webdocs/policy/cs-
policyelements.pdf
• Complete Streets Policy Analysis 2010: A Story of
Growing Strength
www.completestreets.org/webdocs/resources/cs-
policyanalysis.pdf
• Information on Complete Streets Interactive Workshops
www.completestreets.org/workshops
• Complete Streets Introductory Presentation
(downloadable)
www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-
fundamentals/#slideshow
• Complete Streets Topical Fact Sheets
www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-
fundamentals/factsheets/
• Partnership for Active Communities’ Model Complete
Streets Communications Plan
www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-
fundamentals/resources/
Alliance for Biking and Walking
www.peoplepoweredmovement.org
• Updated Guide to Complete Streets Campaigns (2010)
www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/images/
uploads/Updated_Guide_to_Complete_Streets_
Campaigns.pdf
• 2012 Benchmarking Report
www.peoplepoweredmovement.org/site/index.php/
site/memberservices/2012_benchmarking_report/
EAST BATON ROUGE COMPLETE STREETS VISION & POLICY STATEMENT – 2014
18
AARP
www.aarp.org
• Planning Complete Streets for An Aging America (2009)
www.aarp.org/home-garden/livable-communities/
info-08-2009/Planning_Complete_Streets_for_an_Aging_
America.html
• The Getting Around Guide. An AARP Guide to Walking,
Bicycling and Public Transportation
www.completestreets.org/webdocs/resources/aarp-
gettingaroundguide.pdf
• Sidewalks and Streets Survey Toolkit
www.chfwcny.org/Tools/BroadCaster/Upload/
Project13/Docs/AARP_Sidewalks_and_Streets_
Survey.pdf
American Planning Association
www.planning.org
• Complete Streets Best Policy and Implementation
Practices. American Planning Association Planning
Advisory Service Report Number 559. Edited by Barbara
McCann and Suzanne Rynne. Available for Purchase
www.planning.org/research/streets/index.htm
Federal Highway Administration
www.fhwa.dot.gov
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Guidance
www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bicycle_pedestrian/
guidance/index.cfm
Political Economy Research Institute
www.peri.umass.edu
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Infrastructure: A National Study
of Employment Impacts. (2011). By H. Barrett-Peltier.
PERI_ABikes_June2011.pdf
Pedestrian Bicycle Information Center
www.walkinginfo.org
• The Power of 25: Advocacy Strategies for Creating
Livable Communities (free webinar presentation by
Peter Lagerwey)
www.walkinginfo.org/training/pbic/lc_
webinar_11-12-2009.cfm?/training/pbic/
webinar_11-12-2009.cfm
Baton Rouge City-Parish
1100 Laurel Street
Suite 104
Baton Rouge, LA 70802
(225) 389-3144
