Originally posted by Healthy Monadnock
In Swanzey, NH (population: 7,300) town officials recently adopted a Complete Streets policy — a guide for its town planners, public works department and developers to follow when planning street renovations, changes and improvements.
Read post: Swanzey to Make Roadways Safe for Walking and Biking
Keene city staff presented a draft Complete Streets Policy to the Municipal Services, Facilities and Infrastructure Committee on July 22, 2015. Once adopted, hopefully this fall, the policy will help our city approach any transportation work as an, “opportunity to create safer, more accessible streets for all users.”
The Keene Complete Streets Planning & Design Guidelines document provides implementation details. City streets are divided into 6 different types with design recommendations for each type.
Learn more about Complete Streets and stay updated on adoption progress in Keene: Monadnock Alliance for Sustainable Transportation.
Despite the rain and sleet at April’s Monadnock Earth Festival we had 20 more folks sign on as supporters of the Complete Streets in Keene Resolution (we have 50 supporters so far). We made new connections with individuals from Pathways for Keene & MRTMA.
KeeneYPN’s Chair Jessica O’Connor has been asked to give a short overview of KYPN at the May 4th Vision 2020 Complete Streets Event before the keynote speaker, Mark Fenton, speaks. Keene YPN has also been asked to facilitate a discussion at this event regarding the next steps for the Complete the Streets in Keene Project.
Instead of designing roads with the sole intention of getting a vehicle from place A to place B, why not consider each road as part of a larger system – a system that impacts our safety, economic development, quality of life, the environment and public health? (AKA: Our Local Living Economy.) A Complete Streets Policy can help communities consider all the impacts roads have on our lives and promote the design and maintenance of roads to maximize benefits.
Who wants a Complete Streets Policy in Keene? We do! A Complete Streets Policy was identified as a priority in the 2010 Keene Comprehensive Master Plan: “Members of the community expressed a desire, as part of creating Keene’s walkable community, to strive for ‘complete streets.’ Keene should make it a consistent policy to design streets with all users in mind, including drivers, public transport riders, pedestrians, and bicyclists as well as older people, children, and those with disabilities.”
Who will make a Complete Streets Policy happen in Keene? We will! The Keene Young Professionals Network is organizing a community service project to support the adoption of a Complete Streets Policy in Keene. Get involved by contacting jen@hannahgrimes.com.
Have questions and concerns about a Complete Streets Policy? Review some frequently asked questions at http://www.completestreets.org. Find out more about Complete Streets at the Monadnock Earth Festival on April 23, 11 a.m. – 4p.m. and at the Council for a Healthier Community Vision 2020 How and Why to Have Complete Streets Event with built environment expert and consultant, Mark Fenton May 4, 2011 from 7:30 am – 10 am.
The Keene Young Professionals Network (KeeneYPN) is collaborating with Vision 2020 to help bring a Complete Streets Policy to our city. Inspired by the Keene Community Master Plan Process and the community’s vision for Keene in 2028*, we chose this as the first KeeneYPN community service project.
Our goals are to increase the public’s awareness of why Keene needs a Complete Street Policy and promote an upcoming community event with Complete Streets Member and Transportation Consultant Mark Fenton.
You can get involved with this project in any or all of the following ways:
Contact the KeeneYPN Community Committee to learn more.
* Adoption of this policy is listed as a priority in the Keene Community Master Plan.
Keene, in 2028, is the best community in America. Our city is vibrant, dynamic, beautiful, and functional.
Our built environment consists of mixed-use development and appropriate density within the city limits; public gathering spaces that allow for interaction between people; well-designed, safe, and maintained neighborhoods with affordable housing and neighborhood amenities; clean and efficient public transportation that connects us to our community, the region, and beyond; pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that is present throughout our community and that places import on people rather than automobiles; and a well-developed trail system that provides connections between neighborhoods, open spaces, and other communities while simultaneously supporting a healthy lifestyle. Full Keene 2008 Community Vision.
Monadnock Complete Economy Project 