Walk Audits provide "roadmap for improvements" needed to make walking safer in Tice and Dunbar communities

Over the past year, BikeWalkLee, FGCU, and Goodwill Industries have been working on a collaborative community project funded by a SWFL Community Foundation grant, to work with residents of the Tice and Dunbar neighborhoods to assess their walking and biking environments and to facilitate engagement in the community. The release of the Walk Audit Final Report this week provides local officials with recommendations to consider as they respond to last week's national Dangerous by Design 2016 report, which ranked the Lee County metro area as the most dangerous area in the country for pedestrians, with economically disadvantaged communities disproportionately impacted by unsafe conditions.

BikeWalkLee thanks the community residents who participated in the walking audits, the community organizations that hosted the walks, our project partners--FGCU, Goodwill Industries, the Southwest Florida Community Foundation; and members of the project team [Dr. Margaret Banyan, Diane Odeh, Vickie Rydz, Stephan Pierce, Mercedes Castillo, Darla Letourneau, and Dan Moser].  We are also appreciative to AARP for its excellent "AARP Tool Kit" for conducting walking audits. 

At the end of this blog is an extensive list of links to all components of this report, the Dangerous by Design 2016 report, and all BikeWalkLee's previous blogs about our efforts in the Tice community over the past 5 years.

Background
Over the past five years, much work has been done with the Tice community, involving the Tice Historic Community Planning Group, BikeWalkLee, FGCU, Goodwill, the Lee Department of Health, along with many other community stakeholders.  Tice was also part of a federal grant administered through Project for Public Spaces to improve community engagement and livability in the Tice Community.  These combined efforts have resulted in thorough identification of problems and community-supported recommendations to policymakers to increase safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

BikeWalkLee has taken a special interest in working with the Tice community due to the high concentration of people riding bikes and walking, its high incidence of accidents, and its status as a disadvantaged community. We, and the community, believe that improving the conditions for walking and biking would translate into increased livability for its residents.

Walk Audit Final Report: A Collaborative Community Project
BikeWalkLee was a proud partner with Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University on a transportation and livability grant funded by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation administered through the Southwest Florida Community Foundation. The grant was designed to work with residents of the Tice and Dunbar neighborhoods to assess their walking and biking environments and to facilitate engagement in the community. The Dunbar area was included in the grant as a way to leverage the project throughout two communities with high concentrations of pedestrians and bicyclists. The result was a series of walk audit reports that each documented the routes, issues, and opportunities within the neighborhoods. The team also produced a final report that summarizes the problems and opportunities throughout the neighborhoods.  Links to the final report as well as the ten individual walking audits are listed below.

The project also included the first known and documented research on what participants learned during the walk audits. Across the board, participants demonstrated increased knowledge of safe walking and biking. In addition, they increased their understanding of who is responsible for making change in their neighborhoods and who they can tell when there are problems.

Goodwill and its grant partners are continuing the work of improve safety for walking and biking in Tice and Dunbar, sponsoring a series of "Traffic Safety Tips and Tools" presentations in the community with BWL's Dan Moser. 

The partners are also continuing to distribute the Request for Assistance (RFA) cards developed by the team as part of this grant to provide an easy way to let residents know how to report infrastructure problems in their communities.

BikeWalkLee is grateful to its partners and the Southwest Florida Community Foundation for its commitment to seeing this grant through.  We also want to thank AARP (one of our partner organizations and national champions of Complete Streets) for its excellent tool kit on how to perform a walking audit, which was used as a model throughout these walk audits.

This work will position the highly walkable neighborhoods of Tice and Dunbar to advocate for better and safer infrastructure that will, in turn, enhance livability and community engagement.

Dangerous by Design 2016 Report
The recently released Dangerous by Design 2016 report by Smart Growth America, ranked the Cape Coral/Fort Myers metro area as the most dangerous for pedestrians in the country.  [See BWL blog 1/10/17: Lee County ranks as most dangerous metro area in country for pedestrians: BikeWalkLee's statement in response to Dangerous by Design 2016 report.]

The national report also documented that people of color and those in economically disadvantaged communities are disproportionately represented among pedestrian deaths.  This national finding holds true in Lee County: Our most economically disadvantaged communities, including Tice and Dunbar, are the ones suffering the disproportionate share of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities yet receive the least investments to make their streets safer.

BikeWalkLee's statement in response to this national report includes a detailed "roadmap for improvement", with suggestions for all regional and state agencies as well as each of the local jurisdictions.  All jurisdictions are asked to "Fund projects, review policies and revise practices to ensure that infrastructure in those community disproportionately impacted by unsafe conditions and those in underserved and economically disadvantaged communities are given priority."  In addition, the specific suggestions for Lee County and the City of Fort Myers include implementing the recommendations of this walking audit report.

Report by Dr. Margaret Banyan and Darla Letourneau

Links to Walk Audit Reports:
Walking Audit Final Report: A Collaborative Community Project, Jan. 2017
Individual Walk Audit Reports:
Tice:
•    St. Martin de Porres (Participants)
•    Tice United Methodist Church
•    Morse Shores Civic Association
•    Jesus the Worker Church
•    Tice Elementary School
•    Orange River Elementary School
•    St. Martin de Porres Board
Dunbar:
•    Franklin Park Elementary
•    Royal Palm--Housing Authority of Fort Myers
•    Mt. Hermon Ministries
•    Dunbar High School


Comprehensive Walk Audit Final Report and 10 audit reports (all above combined)

AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit

Links to BWL blog posts about focus on Tice Community (2012-to present)

• BWL blog 1/10/17: Lee County ranks as most dangerous metro area in country for pedestrians: BikeWalkLee's statement in response to Dangerous by Design 2016 report

• BikeWalkLee's statement re: Dangerous by Design 2016 Report [with detailed "roadmap for improvements" for each agency/jurisdiction]

• 1/10/17: Dangerous by Design 2016 report, Smart Growth America

• 7/26/16: Reporting a problem with roadway and getting results: The story of one pothole and FDOT

• BWL blog 4/28/16: BikeWalkLee's Column: Who to call if there's a problem with a roadway
• Click here for a one-pager with all who/what/when/how to report (keep this handy)

• 12/16/15: Efforts to promote safer biking and walking recognized with multiple awards by Lee Injury Prevention [Includes award to DoH for Health Impact Assessment project in Tice]

• 5/4/15: FGCU student study on economic benefits of complete streets in Tice community

• 4/9/15: Road Zombies in Lee County: The Invasion of Bad Planning in the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan [Tice Community's connectivity plan vs. 4-laning Ortiz Ave. in context of MPO LRTP 2040 goals and decisions.]

• 12/22/14: Lee Department Health receives national grant for Health Impact Assessment in Tice

• 9/10/14: Florida Weekly feature article puts spotlight on safety in Southwest Florida [Includes discussion of Tice community safety concerns]

• 9/8/14: FGCU's Health Impact Assessment: Ortiz Ave. Road Widening

• 3/1/14: Lee County Advisory Committees complete action on two more New Horizon 2035 Lee Plan elements [includes recommendations re: Tice Historic Community Plan]

• 5/29/13: BWL's Guest opinion: Engaging to improve our bike/walk safety [printed in News-Press]

• 5/29/13: Dan Moser's Column: With Complete Streets, Tice could (once again) be nice

• 5/22/13: BikeWalkLee rakes in awards by spurring awareness, action.  Florida Weekly article by Roger Williams. [focus on nationally funded Tice walk audit project]

• 5/10/13: Tice walking audit and FDOT/Lee bike/ped safety campaign kick-off receives good media coverage

• 5/1/13: Partnership Aims to Increase Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety in Tice Community, Lee County

• 10/29/12: Palm Beach Community Planning Panel recommends "road diet/complete streets" approach to section of Ortiz Ave. [Note: name of Planning Panel was changed to Tice Historic Community in 2013.]

• 9/26/12: Update on Ortiz Avenue: Community efforts in support of safe and walkable neighborhood

• 8/7/12: FGCU Students Analyze Local Road Conditions

• 4/6/12: Palm Beach Planning Panel Recommends Further Analysis on Ortiz Avenue

AARP Livability Fact Sheets great resource for communities working on complete streets and livability

The October 2014 FHWA Livability Newsletter included an excellent resource for those working in Lee County on complete streets and livability issues. Click here for the series of 11 fact sheets. It's definitely a resource you want to save and have handy, and share with everyone on your team.  Note:  the Fact Sheets have been added to BWL's blog "key links".  Kudos to AARP for developing such an easy-to-read and use resource.

AARP Livability Fact Sheets  (article In newsletter by Melissa Stanton, Project Manager and Editor, AARP Education and Outreach, Livable Communities)

AARP Livable Communities has partnered with the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute to create the AARP Livability Fact Sheet series, a package of comprehensive, easy-to-read livability resources. The fact sheets can be used by community leaders, policy makers, transportation planners, citizen activists, and others to learn what makes a city, town, or neighborhood a great place for people of all ages.

"We're focusing on the built environment," explains Jeanne Anthony, project advisor for AARP Livable Communities. "How roadways are laid out, how property is zoned, the availability of sidewalks, and even the presence of street trees all impact a community's livability."

Each fact sheet in the 11-part series is a four-page PDF document that can be read online or printed and distributed. Each fact sheet is introduced by a one-page summary. The complete series is housed at aarp.org/livability-factsheets.

"The format is concise and accessible so the fact sheets can serve both experienced professionals as well as people for whom road diets, form-based code, and modern roundabouts are unfamiliar topics," says Anthony.

Each fact sheet follows the same structure: introduce the subject; address and resolve any myths and misconceptions; and then provide relevant advice, tips, and success stories.

The series covers the following topics:

• Bicycling - Half of all trips taken in the U.S. are 3 miles or less, yet only 3 percent of commuting trips are made by bicycle. The bicycle mode share can grow by helping communities embrace bicycling as a healthy and viable transportation option.
• Density - Compact, mixed-use communities that are walkable, bicycle-friendly, and transit-oriented are thriving, in large part because that is where baby boomers and young adults want to live. It is time to rethink what defines dense population centers.
• Economic Development - A more balanced transportation system that allows people to walk, bicycle, or use public transit in addition to or instead of a car both saves and earns money. Lessons include success stories from Oregon, Florida, California, and elsewhere.
• Form-Based Code - By using physical form as an organizing principle for zoning rather than the separation of land uses, form-based code offers a powerful alternative to conventional zoning.
• Modern Roundabouts - Roundabouts, which are circular intersections that move traffic counterclockwise around a central island, can help reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries.
• Parking - The average American household has 1.9 vehicles, and finding a place to put them when not in use consumes land, time, and money. This fact sheet offers suggestions for a better approach to parking.
• Revitalization Without Displacement - As communities throughout the U.S. are redeveloped to become more walkable and livable, the efforts risk displacing current and often longtime residents and businesses. This fact sheet offers strategies to keep that from happening.
• Road Diets - Supersized, multi-lane roadways are fast-moving, unattractive, and often impossible to cross. To protect pedestrians and drivers, many communities are putting their roads on "diets" by reducing street widths and vehicle lanes.
• Sidewalks - As public spaces, sidewalks are the front steps to a community. It makes little sense that, in so many neighborhoods, sidewalks are rare or non-existent.
• Street Trees - To quote a Chinese proverb, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now." This fact sheet explains why tree-lined streets matter.
• Traffic Calming - Streets designed for fast-moving traffic undermine the ability of people to interact and get around regardless of their mode of transportation. Smarter transportation design moves traffic while keeping communities safe and connected.

AARP Livable Communities publishes a resource-filled website and free monthly e-newsletter. Follow the team on Twitter via @LivableCmnty.

AARP releases Complete Streets Toolkit for Southeast USA

A great complete streets toolkit is now available from AARP and it's nice to see Lee County's efforts recognized in the document, including some Lee County photos demonstrating best practices.  AARP of Florida has been a valued BikeWalkLee's supporter organization since our beginning in 2009.

 

Last week  AARP and the National Complete Streets Coalition released its "Complete Streets in the Southeast" tool kit.

The new resource shares information about Complete Streets in cities across the southeast and provides tools for practitioners—in the region and beyond—who are developing or implementing Complete Streets policies. The toolkit offers regional perspectives on how to most effectively discuss and promote Complete Streets, case studies of successful local implementations, and fact sheets for every state in the region. Other resources include links to videos and presentations based in or tailored to the southeast, sample editorials and letters to the editor, a template Complete Streets audit and implementation plan, and worksheets for local residents examining local documents and procedures. Download the full toolkit.

 Both BikeWalkLee and the County's Complete Streets team were interviewed in the development of this report and Lee County's efforts are mentioned in several places (see p. 3, 5, 8, 12, 48, 49). They particularly highlight Lee County's implementation plan and its annual reports on implementation, along with the BWL complete streets annual awards and our website/blog resource documents. For the FL case study they chose Broward County and there's an excellent write-up about their program (p. 18-22).  

The accompanying Power Point presentation (see second document linked on right hand side of AARP article) is something any community can use to information various audiences about complete streets. The Power Point includes three photos from Lee County:

LeeTran bus, highlighting the sidewalk connections

North Estero Blvd. complete street in Fort Myers Beach

Also on N. Estero Blvd. in Fort Myers Beach

AARP and Livable Communities

Secretary LaHood's Blog, FastLane, on March 10th, focused on AARP (one of BikeWalkLee's supporter organizations) and their partnerships for safety and livability. Here's an excerpt: "In addition to safety, another focus that DOT and AARP share is a commitment to creating more livable communities in all parts of our country, including urban, suburban and rural neighborhoods. DOT is working to increase pedestrian and public transportation options. And this benefits everyone, from senior citizens using wheelchairs, to parents pushing strollers down the sidewalk, to kids riding their bikes. Livable communities are crucial to ensuring that folks can visit with friends or access social services and medical care. In short, they allow people to keep their independence and mobility as they get older."

Watch the excellent AARP video, "Inside E Street: Walk on the Safe Side":