The Metro Council is set to take a vote in the coming weeks on adoption of a new policy called Complete Streets that would apply to all roadway construction in the city-parish going forward. The item will be introduced at Wednesday’s meeting, with a public hearing and vote set to take place at the next following regular meeting on Nov. 25.
Complete Streets aims to help improve capacity and efficiency of the city-parish’s road network, increase transit options and reduce congestion and emissions. The policy would mandate that all new road construction and improvements adhere to a rough code that requires projects to be designed with not just cars in mind, but also pedestrians, bikes, public transportation, emergency responders and delivery vehicles, with special attention paid to needs of the disabled and elderly.
Across the U.S., more than 500 regional and local municipalities have adopted a Complete Streets policy, and 27 states—including Louisiana—have also implemented a policy. New Orleans became the first city in the state to adopt a Complete Streets policy in 2011.
If the policy wins approval here, two committees would be established, according to a Complete Streets vision and policy statement released by the city-parish. Daily Report has the full story.
