Letter: Don’t Repeal ‘Complete Streets’ in Walker Budget
To the Editor
Many policies we have today help us plan for the future, a future that may include by choice or necessity, not driving.
Commonly known as Complete Streets, this policy requires bike and pedestrian ways to be considered when building or reconstructing roads. This policy is threatened to be repealed in the governor’s budget. Most of us use a mixture of walking, biking, buses and vehicles to get around every day so it makes sense that we plan and build our roadways to accommodate all users.
Where Complete Streets designs have been used, the impact to the community has been positive; even driving economic development. Complete Street designed roadways are safer for pedestrians and vehicles and money is saved through reduction of accidents and injuries.
The need for parking is reduced because Complete Streets encourages multi-modal travel, more biking and walking instead of driving. Increased biking and walking improves public health and gives people the ability to grow-up and grow old in their communities.
Any costs of building Complete Streets, which are difficult to quantify, are offset by the long-term benefits to the community and can even extend the life of roads.
Let your legislator know you don’t support this policy repeal. We shouldn’t be repealing Complete Streets, but strengthening it to improve our infrastructure to accommodate the changing needs and desires of our communities.
Carrie Diamond
Plover