On Friday, Dec. 11, transportation planner Colin Lentz, and principal planner Kyle Pimental met to prepare for upcoming discussions with the City of Dover on potential updates to its Complete Streets Policy.
The upcoming review of Dover’s Complete Streets Policy comes in response to a series of projects being completed by SRPC for Dover as part of its Coastal Resilience Municipal Planning grant award. The Complete Streets Policy update is one of two other projects that include the development of an Urban Tree Plan for the Commercial Business District and a Stormwater Management Project. The review and any potential updates to the Complete Street Policy will be conducted in coordination with the City’s Transportation Advisory Committee to ensure that the city’s streetscape projects align with the complete streets approach.
Dover was one of the first communities in NH to adopt a formal complete streets policy to guide local planning and development. Complete streets, as defined by the Department of Transportation are, “... streets designed and operated to enable safe use and support mobility for all users. Those include people of all ages and abilities, regardless of whether they are travelling as drivers, pedestrians, bicyclists, or public transportation riders.”
The need for complete streets planning in NH was demonstrated during the warm months of 2020 by a dramatic rise in the number of vehicle crashes involving pedestrians and bicyclists. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the daily routines of millions of Americans who in turn took advantage of extra time to spend on active recreation. This brought more people than usual in contact with vehicles on a transportation network that is primarily designed for cars and trucks rather than people. Encouraging active transportation is great for individual health and for local economic development.
Pieces of Interest
