Evansville is Primed for a Complete Streets Ordinance
We’re making steady progress, but we’re not finished yet.
A Complete Streets approach requires all types of users, ages, races, genders, incomes, abilities, and disabilities to be considered in the planning, design, operation, and maintenance of transportation networks. Having a complete street ordinance in place provides future equitable access and connects people to places and opportunities. This is inclusive in nature and serves all users and modes of transportation such as automobiles, transit, commercial drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, individuals, families, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
Adopting a complete streets ordinance in Evansville makes sense since Evansville has practiced general complete street policy improvements. Through partnership and collaboration, our city offices have made many improvements comprising of sidewalks, shared-use paths (multi-use trails), and bicycle lanes. Collectively, we have made strides by attaining small, incremental complete street improvements in the past several years and these improvements support all users and multimodal transportation. The feasibility of each improvement is at the discretion of the municipal offices responsible for the project and has the capacity to improve our current infrastructure by making inclusive and equitable decisions.
Complete Streets policies may apply to roadway construction, repair, and even routine maintenance (such as paving and painting), reconstruction, and collectively assist us with providing mobility options to community members. A complete street improvement does not always equal total reconstruction; however, improvements are often made by reorganizing a street and using paint to designate areas (see example below).
Franklin Street Bike Lane Addition
Several of Evansville’s latest projects include various complete street elements, making places safe, convenient, and easy to navigate. In the state of Indiana, eighteen (18) cities have adopted a complete streets policy, which includes, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, South Bend, Bloomington, Kokomo, Westfield, La Porte, Vincennes, Logansport, Frankfort, Bedford, Peru, Plymouth, Union City, Culver, Lacrosse, and Columbus. As the third-largest city in Indiana, Evansville should be included in this list.
Wonderful projects have been completed without having a complete streets ordinance in place. Some examples of complete streets projects are: Third and Vine Streets in front of the Post House, Walnut Street, Virginia Street, Lincoln Avenue, Oak Hill Road, North Main Street, Weinbach Avenue, Covert Avenue.
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