(a) Vehicular, public transportation, bicycle, and pedestrian modes of travel are integral to the transportation system. The Department of Transportation shall view all transportation improvements as opportunities to improve safety, access, and mobility for all travelers especially people who have experienced systemic underinvestment or whose needs have not been met through past transportation planning processes.
(b) Accommodations for all users shall be included in the planning, design, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, maintenance, and operations of any transportation facility under the jurisdiction of the Department. The Department shall aim to create a safe, comprehensive, integrated, and connected network to accommodate all users in a manner that is suitable to the context of the area.
(c) The Department shall incorporate federally and regionally recognized best practice complete street elements in the design and construction of city transportation projects, improvements and facilities.
(d) The Commissioner of Transportation shall establish, by rule, complete streets design guidelines for the construction of major transportation projects. The complete streets design guidelines shall identify a toolbox of safety-enhancing street design elements for all modes and establish criteria or a process the Department will use to evaluate the applicability and suitability of various elements. The complete streets design guidelines shall also identify a list of standard safety-enhancing street design elements for major transportation programs, including but not limited to arterial resurfacing, streetscapes and roadway reconstruction, that the Department will aim to integrate as standard practice for projects in these programs. Safety-enhancing street design elements in the complete streets design guidelines shall include, but need not be limited to, the following elements:
(i) ADA accessible curb ramps;
(ii) context sensitive travel lane widths;
(iii) measures to reduce pedestrian crossing distance such as curb extensions and safety islands;
(iv) new and enhanced pedestrian crossings;
(v) corner clearance and visibility improvements;
(vi) raised crosswalks and speed tables;
(vii) protected bicycle lanes; and
(viii) dedicated mass transit facilities such as bus lanes and bus bulbs.
The Department may amend the toolbox of safety-enhancing design elements by rule to promote safety for all roadway users.
(e) At least once a year, the Department shall report to the City Council Committee on Pedestrian and Traffic Safety, or its successor committee, any updates to the toolbox of safety enhancing design elements required by Section 10-14-010(d) and a list of the Department's major projects. The report shall list the reasons behind any changes to the toolbox and the type, location and quantity of safety-enhancing street design elements programmed or implemented by the Department through these major projects.
(f) This section applies to transportation projects for which a preliminary design starts on or after December 31, 2023.
(Added Coun. J. 3-15-23, p. 61159, § 1)