- The St. Petersburg, FL City Council approved its Complete Streets Implementation Plan, a guide for how the city’s streets will be designed and function over the next 20 years.
- The plan aims to help make streets safer and more accessible for users for all modes of transportation, including pedestrians, cyclists and motorists. It updates the 2015 plan, and leaders intend to make additional updates every five years.
- “With the passage of our Complete Streets Implementation Plan, we will continue to make our streets safer for bicyclists, pedestrians, and yes, even drivers,” Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. “This plan has wide-ranging support across our city and is bolstered by national data showing that Complete Streets equal safe streets.”
The complete streets concept means people of all ages, abilities and economic backgrounds can safely and easily move throughout a city. Many cities have these plans to guide their planning and boost community sustainability. While cities’ complete streets plans collectively have some common threads, they are locally focused to reflect each community’s unique elements and needs.
St. Petersburg’s plan addresses needs in the city’s motor vehicle, transit, trail, sidewalk and bicycle infrastructure networks. It includes key steps such as adding bike lanes, crosswalks and a bus rapid transit line, as well as increasing the use of data to improve traffic safety.
Those elements also play into St. Petersburg’s overall smart city efforts. This spring the city was named the latest Smart Gigabit Community, through which it receives access to a low-latency, ultra-fast network with local cloud computing and storage capabilities. A strong internet backbone helps cities implement technology innovations, including transportation and mobility improvements such as smart traffic signals, digital crosswalk signs and systems for tracking and analyzing transportation data.
City of St. Petersburg City of St. Petersburg’s Complete Streets Implementation Plan Adopted by City Council
Excerpt:
Strategic Approaches ______________________________________________________________ 48
Placemaking _____________________________________________________________________________ 48
Land Use Context Zones____________________________________________________________________ 49
Street Types _____________________________________________________________________________ 52
Modal Priority____________________________________________________________________________ 55
Maximum Desired Operating Speeds _________________________________________________________ 57
Flexible Street Design Guidance _____________________________________________________________ 63
Level of Traffic Stress for People Bicycling _____________________________________________________ 64
Neighborhood Greenways __________________________________________________________________ 66
Transit Oriented Development ______________________________________________________________ 67
Sustainability and Smart Growth_____________________________________________________________ 67
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN ____________________________________________ 69
Process Improvements_____________________________________________________________ 69
Administrative Policy Changes_______________________________________________________________ 69
Comprehensive Plan Changes _______________________________________________________________ 70
Project Delivery Changes ___________________________________________________________________ 71
Land Development Regulation & Process Changes ______________________________________________ 73
Demonstration and Pilot Projects ____________________________________________________________ 76
Funding Sources and Strategies______________________________________________________________ 76
Capital Projects___________________________________________________________________ 76
The Complete Streets Network ______________________________________________________________ 77
Capital Project Phasing_____________________________________________________________________ 85
Implementation Considerations _____________________________________________________________ 88
Location-Specific Narratives ________________________________________________________________ 89
Program Enhancements____________________________________________________________ 91
Education _______________________________________________________________________________ 91
Encouragement __________________________________________________________________________ 92
Enforcement_____________________________________________________________________________ 94
Strategic Partnerships _____________________________________________________________________ 94
PERFORMANCE MEASURES & EVALUATION _____________________________ 95
Metrics _________________________________________________________________________ 95
Traffic Data Collection Program______________________________________________________________ 97
Network Connectivity _____________________________________________________________________ 98
St Pete Stat & OpenGov ____________________________________________________________________ 98
Mode Split ____
Performance Measures and Complexity
Bike share usage by location/citywide Low
Miles of bicycle facilities which are up to a standard of 5ft or greater Low
Miles of pedestrian facilities meeting context zone design standards Low
Number of crashes involving people bicycling Low
Number of fatalities involving people bicycling Low
Number of fatalities involving people driving a motor vehicle Low
Number of fatalities involving people walking Low
Number of crashes related to people walking Low
Number of severe injuries involving people bicycling Low
Number of severe injuries involving people driving a motor vehicle Low
Number of severe injuries involving people walking Low
Percent increase of bicycle facility gaps filled Low
Percentage of people using transit facilities (BRT or transit routes) as compared to other modes Low
Provides access to community destinations such as parks, civic buildings, stadiums, etc. Low
Provides access to major industries/employers Low
Provides access to transit stop Low
Miles of pedestrian facilities meeting ADA standards Medium
Mode split Medium
Number of complete street projects that include green streets measures Medium
Number of crossings that meet design guidance Medium
Number of street trees per complete street projects Medium
Number of trash receptacles and recyclables placed along pedestrian facilities Medium
Percentage of transportation disadvantaged population within 1/4 mile of a transit facility Medium
Potential to access future growth within St. Petersburg Medium
Reduction in Level of Traffic Stress for people bicycling Medium
Community outreach to identify improvements High
Number of people bicycling on selected facilities High
Percent reduction in average miles traveled in a personal vehicle High
Percent reduction in citywide greenhouse gas emissions High
Population served by alternate modes of transportation High
Transit on-time reliability High