active transportation and complete streets in rural counties: from advocacy to implementation

Ulster County, NY

Ulster County, New York

Population (2010)

182,483

1,161 square miles

3 villages, 20 towns and

1 city

1 hour to drive from

southernmost point to

northernmost point

Our Story

How we built and strengthened

advocacy for active transportation over

four years in a mostly rural county where

little existed before.

How that advocacy is now seeing the

fruits of its labor.

The Players

Prior to 2010

County updates non-motorized

transportation plan (2008)

County established Ulster County Trail

Advisory Committee (2008)

County passes Complete Streets policy

(2009)

Active bike-ped advocacy group exists

in New Paltz, NY

Inklings of a Movement Begin

2007 - Bike-Friendly Kingston group forms

2010 – Complete Streets and Safe Routes to

Schools and Parks committees forms with

funding from Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation to Cornell Cooperative Extension

of Ulster County

2010 – Kingston Land Trust forms Kingston

Rail Trail committee

The Momentum Gains

By the end of 2010

Kingston’s Common Council adopts a Complete Streets policy establishing a Complete Streets Advisory Council.

City of Kingston School District celebrates first Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day.

Bike-Friendly Kingston begins meeting more regularly.

Kingston Land Trust is awarded several grants to study feasibility of an urban rail trail.

The Momentum Gains

Mid-2010 - Cornell Cooperative

Extension of Ulster County is awarded a

5-year grant from the NYS Department

of Health called Creating Healthy Places

to Live, Work, and Play

Deliverables of this grant include

passing Complete Streets policies in 3

small towns/rural villages in Ulster

County

The Momentum Gains – Kingston

Complete Streets Advisory Council

2011 – With help from Gilmour Planning, the CSAC completes:

SWOT analysis

Code audit

A benefit-cost analysis and case study of Broadway as a Complete Street

Complete Streets Forum

A draft 3-year strategic plan

The Momentum Gains – Safe Routes to

Schools and Parks Committee

2011 – 2012 Audit of sidewalks with GPS

A National Safe Routes to School course

A Safe Routes Action Plan

Safe Routes maps for parents and engineers

Development of WBR Day and a Walking School Bus

The Momentum Gains – Bike-

Friendly Kingston

2012 – develops proposal for sharrow

installation in Kingston

BFK maps

desired

bike routes

and locations

of bike racks

in Kingston.

The Momentum Gains – Kingston

Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline Vision emerges for a regional

“hub” for the county’s rail trail system

Land Trust Alliance funds development of a Conceptual Plan for the Greenline

Concept identifies off- street trails, linear parks, complete streets, and connections to other active transportation infrastructure

Completed feasibility study for initial 3-mile section: the Kingston Point Rail Trail

The Momentum Gains – Kingston

Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline

Public/private partnership

evolves, with KLT playing

lead role in community

outreach and engagement

Volunteer groups recruited

to begin

maintenance

of the

Greenline

You guys

need help?

Are we

pushing?

No, we’re

pulling!

Advocacy Successes – Complete

Streets Advisory Council

Common Council passes resolution approving the I-587 study placing the project on the TIP for 2016.

Sidewalk/Tree Root Conflict Workshop and Complete Streets Workshop with Alta Planning

Advocacy Successes – Kingston

Complete Streets Advisory Council

Sidewalk Taskforce begins to collect information and meet.

Complete Streets

concepts are a key part of

the draft Comprehensive

Plan for Kingston.

Advocacy Successes – Safe

Routes to Schools and Parks

One Walking School Bus celebrates 3 years of walking.

City of Kingston Schools celebrate Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day for 4 years.

Advocacy Successes – Safe Routes

to Schools and

Parks City of Kingston wins

$489,000 Safe Routes

to School grant from

NYSDOT for sidewalk,

pedheads, and flashing

speed signs

Advocacy Successes – Bike-

Friendly Kingston

Successful Feast on Two Wheels fundraiser raising $2000 for the bike sharrow effort.

Working with City of Kingston to paint the first bike sharrows in Ulster County.

Advocacy Successes – Kingston

Land Trust & The Kingston Greenline

Construction

of KPRT set to

begin in fall!

Expanding partnerships, including

National Assoc. of Realtors

Neighborhood

door-to-door

outreach

campaign to

build support

and identify

challenges

Advocacy Successes – The

Kingston Connectivity Project $4.3 million in funding

Builds on the various group efforts and

ties us all together

For extending rail trails

from a hub in

Kingston and

Complete Streets

upgrades to

Broadway

Advocacy Successes – The

Kingston Connectivity Project

Ulster County Planning funded

Broadway study to supplement the

funding

Advocacy Successes –

Creating Healthy Places

Advocacy Successes – Creating

Healthy Places

Saugerties A new Saugerties

Transportation Advisory

Council is forming.

Saugerties will install

sharrows on a bike route

this fall.

Advocacy Successes – Creating

Healthy Places Ellenville

A new Complete Streets Advisory Council is forming in Ellenville

Ellenville holds a Walkabout Scavenger Hunt and Celebration

Advocacy Successes –

Creating Healthy Places

Kingston Parks and Rec gets bike racks

to place in parks and a bike trailer with

13 bikes for programs!

Lessons Learned

Start small with advocacy building grants.

Build outreach tools that emphasize that Complete Streets can be for small communities as well.

Educate policy-makers first. Their support is key.

Be lucky and have or vote in policymakers/government officials who see the value of active transportation.

Lessons Learned

Find ways to integrate Complete Streets

concepts into other policy documents

and plans (i.e. Comprehensive Plan,

Parks Master Plan, etc.).

Fun events help build support.

Plan for long-term sustainability.

Thank you.

Kristen Wilson kew67@cornell.edu

Tim Weidemann tim@rondoutconsulting.com