The Main Point: We want people to be healthy and to be able to travel safely and conveniently in our community.
Complete Streets:
- is a concept that affects the way transportation agencies and communities approach every street project to assure safe access for all users.
- provide people of all ages and abilities options for moving safely around their community.
- safe, convenient and fun for non-motorized users.
- are good for your health
- are good for your wallet
- are good for the environment
Lewis & Clark County Earth Day Survey (May, 2010),
- 63% of the Helena residents surveyed stated they wanted more bike paths/lanes
- 34% stated that they would walk more often if there were more sidewalks
- 57% indicated support for a Public Transportation District.
Why do we need to have Complete Streets ordinance?
- To make the needs of all users the default for everyday transportation planning.
- To ensure consistent standards for addressing street design and improvements
Community Partners include:
- Non-Motorized Travel Advisory Council (NMTAC), created in 2008 to enhance walking and biking opportunities in Helena. (Bike-Walk Helena map, Centennial Trail Project)
- Safe Routes to Schools, a coalition of citizens, planners and school officials to encourage kids to walk or ride their bikes to school
- Try Another Way State Employees (TAWSE), a group of state employees working to reduce vehicle miles traveled (Bike to Work Day)
- Helena Climate Change Task Force, whose work is now complete, endorses reduced vehicle miles traveled and improved non-motorized connectivity.
- Lewis & Clark City-County Health Department, with seed money from MSU’s Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity Program (MT-NAPA), has identified community partners to strategize ways to improve Helena’s built environment.
- Lewis & Clark City-County Board of Health which in 2009 adopted a resolution of support of Local, Statewide, and Federal Initiatives that Promote Transportation and Land-use Policies and Practices that Promote Good Health.
Complete streets mean that an eight-year-old and an 80-year-old can move around our community as easily and safely as anyone else. Complete streets allow everyone to make healthier choices.
