Complete Streets for Canada
Keagan Gartz, TCAT Steering Committee
2012 ACT Canada Sustainable Mobility Summit
What are Complete Streets?
 Complete streets
provide safe access for
all road users including
pedestrians, cyclists,
public transit users, and
motorists of all ages
and abilities.
Complete Streets …
Increase capacity
Improve safety
Better health
Economic growth
Lower emissions
Reduce costs
Smarter growth
Provide choices
Courtesy of Barbara McCann, Complete Streets Coalition
3
What is a Complete Streets Policy?
 To ensure that
transportation
agencies routinely
plan, design,
maintain, and
operate the entire
right of way to
enable safe access
for all users.
Why a Complete Streets Policy?
1. The planning default (unless proven
otherwise)
2. A right-of-way for all users
3. Diverse use of existing funds
4. Opportunistic - planning, construction,
operation, and maintenance
The Potential is there for Change
In the Greater Toronto
Hamilton Area (GTHA):
 17 % of trips are walkable
 40% are bikeable
 79% of GTHA transit users
and 50% of drivers want
to take transit more
Dundurn Street in Hamilton
Photo: Darryl Bender
Complete Streets: We know how to do it
Sterling Street, City of Hamilton
Photo courtesy of Darryl Bender
Paris Street, Greater Sudbury
Photo courtesy of Carol Craig
Complete Streets Canada
Complete Streets by Design
“Healthy cities don't just
happen. They result from
creative vision, strategic
decision-making and
thoughtful implementation
that respects the needs and
challenges of all residents.
They happen by design ... “
Healthy Toronto By Design
Report, Toronto Public Health,
2011
Downtown Arterial – Existing
Downtown Arterial - Complete
Urban Residential – Before
Urban Residential – After
Complete Streets Gap Analysis
York Blvd,
City of Hamilton
Photo: Darryl
Bender
10 Elements: Policy Analysis
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
Language and Intent
Users and Modes
Applies to all road projects
Exceptions
Encourages Connectivity
Jurisdictions
Design
Community Context
Performance Measures
Implementation
Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa
Photo: Ryan Anders Whitney
1 Language and Intent
“The development of the City’s Transportation System
shall be directed towards the following objectives:
iii) Plan for a more balanced transportation system to
accommodate increased use of public transit, cycling and
pedestrian facilities;”
Peterborough Official Plan - Section 5.2 Transportation Objectives
2 Users and Modes: Waterloo
“Roads under the City’s jurisdiction will be planned as
‘complete streets’, enabling users of all ages and abilities
– pedestrians, bicycles, transit riders and motorists – to
interact and move more safely along and across City
streets”
Section 5.4 The Road Network: Policies
Results: Policy Analysis
• 8 of 10 found in majority of OPs
• Weakest:
Language and Intent
Exceptions
• All have opportunities to
improve language
King Street, Kitchener
Photo: Cory Bluhm
Calgary
• Complete Streets
identified as a key
policy direction
• 2009: Adopted
in the Municipal
Development Plan
and Calgary
Transportation Plan
Calgary
•Second of three guides
Waterloo adopted Complete Streets
Policy in 2011
MTO
•Released in 2012
as part of the
Transit-Supportive
Guidelines
Implementation Analysis: Details
“I think the adoption of a complete streets
policy helps to broaden our thinking with respect
to transportation planning, and can serve to
establish a set of planning priorities based on new
values (such as the vulnerability of users, rather
than traffic flow indicators) - it is important that
these values be formalized as guidelines for
planners and engineers within municipalities”.
–Advocate, Peterborough
Results: Implementation Analysis
Steps towards Complete Streets:
1. Learning from others
2. Updating policy language
3. Departmental training
4. Financing
Photo: City of Edmonton
Results: Case Studies
“When the rubber hits the
road and when we design,
we fall short; but, we’re
getting better”.
-Anne Ostrom , Take Heart
Coordinator at the Thunder
Bay district Health Unit
Court Street South, Thunder Bay
Photo: Ryan Anders Whitney
Growing Across Canada
 Conferences
 Provincial
 Regional
 Municipal Level
 Workshops
Canada’s Complete Streets Policies
Approved Policy
Prospective Policy
Grande Prairie
Edmonton
Victoria
Calgary
Charlottetown
Thunder Bay
Moncton
Toronto
Mississauga
Sudbury
Oakville
Waterloo
Hamilton
London
St. Catharines
Winnipeg
Thank You
Toronto Centre for Active Transportation
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