Answer: It passed a complete streets policy.
Two small cities, Hernando and Tupelo, in Mississippi have just passed complete streets policies to improve streets for cyclists, pedestrians and public transit users. They join a growing list of 124 jurisdictions who have adopted policies or have made written commitment
to do so.
It's interesting to note that a complete streets policy actually increases the number of people who can use a road, even if even if the number of cars or amount of surface remains the same.
These policies are often part of climate mitigation strategies. Portland, one of the first cities to adopt this kind of policy, has reduced its carbon footprint by 12.5 percent just from its transportation improvements. They also increased the amount of people who traveled on their roads at the same time.
“Passing local Complete Streets policies in the small cities of Mississippi shows that proper transportation accommodations for bicycling, walking and transit aren't just for big urban areas,” says Jeff Peel of the League of American Bicyclists. “Hernando and Tupelo understand the increased livability and access such a policy can have for their communities and that promoting active transportation they can slowly reverse the obesity epidemic that plagues their entire state.”
Here’s the press release:
April 6, 2010
Contact: Chip Johnson (City of Hernando) (662) 429-9092 x 110
Renee Autumn Ray (City of Tupelo) (662) 687-0937
Karen Mogridge (Safe Routes to School) (662) 801-0176
Hernando and Tupelo, MISSISSIPPI—Tonight the City of Hernando and the
City of Tupelo passed complete streets policies as part of a larger
effort to make their cities safer, healthier, and more attractive for
their residents. Complete streets policies include the needs of
pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit users in the design of
roads to ensure that everyone who uses them is accommodated.
City of Hernando Mayor Chip Johnson and City of Tupelo Mayor Jack
Reed, Jr. are both outspoken advocates for good health and obesity
reduction. “I’m proud of our City Council’s unanimous support of this
initiative as we pro-actively change Tupelo’s culture into a more
walkable, cyclist-friendly community,” said Mayor Reed. “I’m proud of
Hernando, too. This is good for our whole state’s quality of life.”
“The Complete Streets Resolution passed by the Mayor and Board of
Aldermen shows the City of Hernando's commitment to cyclists and
pedestrians,” said Mayor Johnson.
“This policy will create a safer and healthier environment for all of
the citizens of Hernando.” Mayors Johnson and Reed will use the
complete streets policy to further their goal to make their cities
healthier and better places to live.
People who live in neighborhoods with complete streets—places that may
have sidewalks, bike routes, and connections to schools, parks, or
other destinations—are more likely to live active lifestyles and less
likely to be obese.
Mayor Johnson has spoken and participated in national childhood
obesity events and helped introduce Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move
program. Mayor Reed formed a Healthy City Task Force last summer which
has held a number of community-wide events to promote exercise,
nutrition, and lifestyle changes. He also attended a Leadership
Academy for Combating Childhood Obesity sponsored by the National
League of Cities.
Tonight Mayor Reed also issued a statement in support of US Department
of Transportation (DOT) Ray LaHood’s recent policy statement to
promote fully integrated active transportation networks. This policy
states in part that “Every transportation agency, including DOT, has
the responsibility to improve conditions and opportunities for walking
and bicycling and to integrate walking and bicycling into their
transportation systems. Because of the numerous individual and
community benefits that walking and bicycling provide — including
health, safety, environmental, transportation, and quality of life —
transportation agencies are encouraged to go beyond minimum standards
to provide safe and convenient facilities for these modes.”
Mayor Reed urged the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT)
and other cities around the state to voice their support as well.
Mayor Johnson and City of Tupelo Senior Planner Renee Autumn Ray have
been working with the Mississippi Safe Routes to School State Network
and Bike Walk Mississippi to promote policy changes that will increase
safety for residents and provide more access to sidewalks, bike
routes, and public transportation.
A complete streets policy, which requires that road projects must
consider the needs of all the people who use the road, is an effective
way of changing the design and focus of road construction and a cost
effective way of meeting the needs of everyone who uses roads, whether
they drive, bike, or walk.
Complete streets include design principles that lower crash rates and
reduce dangerous speeds on residential streets. They have broad public
support from residents, a majority of whom want to live in
neighborhoods where walking or biking is safe, convenient, and fun.
They provide access to the one-third of Americans who don’t or can’t
drive, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
They are also likely to increase economic vitality in cities: houses
in walkable neighborhoods are consistently more valuable than those in
places where residents can’t walk or bike safely. Stores and
restaurants in walkable parts of town are more valuable, too.
"The big win for city government is that anything built to a walkable
scale leases out for three to five times more money, with more tax
revenue on less infrastructure," said Dan Burden, executive director
of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute.
The Mississippi Safe Routes to School State Network is working to
promote complete streets policies and other improvements at a local
and state level. If you are interested in adopting a complete streets
policy in your city or county, or you are interested in learning more
about complete streets or Safe Routes to School, please contact Chip
Johnson, Karen Mogridge, or Renee Autumn Ray.