Complete Streets:
Guide to Answering the Costs
Question
Companion Presentation, Part 2
1
Complete Streets can be
achieved within
existing budgets.
2
Use with: concerned or receptive transportation
professionals, engaged officials
Complete Streets can be
achieved within
existing budgets.
3
Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
Greater Greater Washington
4
Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
Greater Greater Washington
5
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
In almost all improved
areas, fatalities and
pedestrian crashes
decreased in by 9 60%.
New York City traffic
fatalities fell to an alltime record low.
6
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
Built many low-cost
facilities:
• 35 pedestrian refuge
islands
• 55 new left turn lanes
• 12 curb extensions
• 8 median tip extensions
• 4 pedestrian fences
• 600 re-timed
intersections
Flickr.com user bicyclesonly
7
Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
In 2011, the city DOT
spent $2 million dollars
to fill additional potholes.
That’s more than it spent
out of its own budget
over THREE years for its
bicycle program.
New York City DOT
8
Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
$20,000 provides
access to a low income
neighborhood’s only
park.
Andy Hamilton
Andy Hamilton
$4,500 enhances
safety and calms traffic
at an intersection.
9
Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
10
Lost-Cost, High-Impact: Redding, California
Recent reconstruction project:
6 curb extensions +
2 median islands =
$40,000
Friendlier and safer street,
only 13% of total budget
Sergio Ruiz
11
City of Milwaukee
"When we talk about ‘Complete Streets,’ we aren’t
necessarily talking about expensive widening
projects or major redesigns of our roadways. These
concepts can often be applied to existing streets by
simply re-thinking how we approach traffic flow and
how we accommodate all modes of transportation.”
– Phil Broyles, Director of Public Works, Springfield, Missouri
12
Think Ahead, Think Smart
Complete streets can save money.
• Narrower travel lanes require less land, less
pavement
• Provide more options = reduce need for
widening some intersections
• Do it right the first time, not when forced to
later—at a higher price
13
Colorado Springs, Colorado
City of Colorado Springs
Maintenance and operations activities:
Repave 3% of road network each year
Convert 4 auto lanes to 2 bike lanes + 3 auto lanes
14
Saving Money: Lee County, Florida
Re-examined 5 roadwidening projects
Found widenings
unnecessary
$58.5 million savings
Andy Callahan
15
Saving Money: Richfield, Minnesota
• Needed to replace road after necessary sewer
work
• Priced at $6 million to replace road as is
• Mn/DOT re-evaluated transportation needs and
found no need for wide roadway
• Reallocated road space for all users, saved $2
million
16
Saving Money: Charlotte, North Carolina
Changing roadway striping
during restriping ≈ just 15% of
total project.
Safely narrowing width of
travel lanes saves about 2%
of project costs.
Charlotte DOT
17
Saving Money: Washington State
500 miles of the state
highway system are
‘main streets.’
Over ten years, 47% of
projects on these
streets had scope,
schedule, or budget
changes resulting in
delay.
Washington DOT
18
Saving Money: Washington State
Pilot project consulted
community ahead of time.
Washington DOT
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/733.1.pdf
Complete Streets
planning could have
saved an average of $9
million per Main Street
project – about 30% – in
reduced scope, schedule,
and budget changes over
the last 10 years.
19
Saving Money: Brown County, Wisconsin
• Re-evaluated needs on four-lane road
• Instead created three-lane street with two bike
lanes
• Replaced traffic signals with roundabouts
• Savings: $347,515, 16.5% below the original
project estimate.
20
“Implementation of Complete Streets goals
can actually keep costs at acceptable levels
and save money, while adding more public
benefits and return on investment.”
– Scott Bradley, Director of Context Sensitive Solutions,
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Flickr.com user Mamichan
21
"The [Complete Streets] processes that we are
going through now in project development
should lead to fewer changes in construction
by addressing the issues upfront. If you are
properly going through the project
development process, you should have lower
costs, fewer change orders, and fewer delays
because people are not coming out during the
construction phase to demand changes.”
– Thomas DiPaolo, assistant chief engineer for
MassDOT
22
Flickr.com user Zol87
“This [Complete Streets policy] puts the framework in place
that allows the city to start with a project in the design
phase and include these multi-modal recommendations. It
will be at a much lower cost than tearing up something
that’s already in place.”
– Michael Leaf, Transportation Commission, Highland Park, Illinois
23
Incremental Changes, Big Impact
• Road diets
• Combining projects to lower costs
• Incremental approach: make it better each time
you touch it
• Simply thinking about small improvements
24
Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
20%
15%
10%
5%
0%
-5%
-10%
-15%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
25
Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
20%
Bike Lanes
Sidewalks
15%
12 -> 11’ Lanes
10%
5%
0%
-5%
-10%
Source: NCDOT
-15%
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
26
Variable Costs: Charlotte, North Carolina
Costs vary:
• Terrain
• Adjoining land use
• Scope
Sidewalks, bike
lanes, etc. are
small %age of
total cost
27
“[Protected bike lanes] are dirt cheap
to build compared to road projects.”
– Gabe Klein, Commissioner, Chicago DOT
Steven Vance
28
“The advantage of inserting
a dialogue about all users at
the earliest stages of project
development is that it
provides the designers and
engineers the best
opportunity to create
solutions at the best price.”
- James Simpson, Commissioner,
NJDOT
29
Smart Growth America is the only national organization dedicated to researching,
advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities
nationwide.
www.smartgrowthamerica.org
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