1. 1
Complete Streets:
Guide to Answering the Costs
Question
Companion Presentation, Part 2

2. 2
Complete Streets can be
achieved within
existing budgets.

3. 3
Use with: concerned or receptive transportation
professionals, engaged officials
Complete Streets can be
achieved within
existing budgets.

4. Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
4
Greater Greater Washington

5. Simple, Low-Cost, High-Impact
5
Greater Greater Washington

6. Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
6
In almost all improved
areas, fatalities and
pedestrian crashes
decreased in by 9 -
60%.
New York City traffic
fatalities fell to an all-
time record low.

7. Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
7
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

8. Low-Cost, High-Impact: New York City
8
New York City DOT
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.

9. Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
9
$20,000 provides
access to a low income
neighborhood’s only
park.
$4,500 enhances
safety and calms traffic
at an intersection.Andy Hamilton Andy Hamilton

10. Low-Cost, High-Impact: San Diego
10

11. Lost-Cost, High-Impact: Redding, California
11
Recent reconstruction project:
6 curb extensions +
2 median islands =
$40,000
Friendlier and safer street,
only 13% of total budget
Sergio Ruiz

12. 12
"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
City of Milwaukee

13. Think Ahead, Think Smart
13
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

14. Colorado Springs, Colorado
14
Maintenance and operations activities:
Repave 3% of road network each year
Convert 4 auto lanes to 2 bike lanes + 3 auto lanes
City of Colorado Springs

15. Saving Money: Lee County, Florida
15
Re-examined 5 road-
widening projects
Found widenings
unnecessary
$58.5 million savings
Andy Callahan

16. Saving Money: Richfield, Minnesota
16
• 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

17. Saving Money: Charlotte, North Carolina
17
Changing roadway striping
during restriping ≈ just 15% of
total project.
Safely narrowing width of
travel lanes saves about 2%
of project costs.
Charlotte DOT

18. Saving Money: Washington State
18
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

19. Saving Money: Washington State
19
Pilot project consulted
community ahead of time.
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.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/research/reports/fullreports/733.1.pdf
Washington DOT

20. Saving Money: Brown County, Wisconsin
20
• 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.

21. 21
“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 userMamichan

22. 22
"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

23. 23
“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
Flickr.com user Zol87

24. Incremental Changes, Big Impact
24
• Road diets
• Combining projects to lower costs
• Incremental approach: make it better each time
you touch it
• Simply thinking about small improvements

25. Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
25
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

26. Variable Total Costs: North Carolina
26
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Bike Lanes
Sidewalks
12 -> 11’ Lanes
Source: NCDOT

27. Variable Costs: Charlotte, North Carolina
Costs vary:
• Terrain
• Adjoining land use
• Scope
Sidewalks, bike
lanes, etc. are
small %age of
total cost
27

28. 28
“[Protected bike lanes] are dirt cheap
to build compared to road projects.”
– Gabe Klein, Commissioner, Chicago DOT
Steven Vance

29. 29
“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

30. 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
1707 L St. NW Suite 1050, Washington, DC 20036 | 202-207-3355