Published on November 2, 2011

Dan Burden pauses in the alley leading to Jasper’s Tavern. He praised it as a “wonderful discovery” and suggested that by having small shops open onto the passageway Newport could create a valuable and unique retail space. Standing to the right of Mr. Burden are Newport Zoning Administrator Paul Dreher and Mayor Paul Monette. Photos by Joseph GresserNEWPORT — Streets aren’t just for cars any more. That was the message delivered by a parade of speakers at the Vermont State Planners Association’s annual meeting, held here Friday, October 28.

Over 80 planners from all over the state filled the Gateway Center on Newport’s waterfront to hear from speakers who lauded the benefits of the state’s new Complete Streets law.

The measure, which was enacted by the Vermont Legislature earlier this year, was one championed by the AARP (formerly known as the American Association of Retired Persons). The organization’s associate state director Jennifer Wallace Brodeur provided an overview of the new law and explained why her organization pushed for it.

According to Ms. Brodeur the Complete Streets law requires that the needs of all transportation users, regardless of age, ability or preferred mode of transportation be taken into account in all phases of state and municipal transportation projects.

Ms. Brodeur said that some projects, including those on gravel roads and Interstate Highways are exempted, as are projects like line striping, which don’t lend themselves to major street renovations.

She said the AARP was interested in the law because Vermont’s populations is aging, and 20 percent of state residents do not drive. She said it is important for street projects in populated areas to take into account the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists.

Jon Kaplan, who manages programs for pedestrians and bikers at the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans), said many of his colleagues were nervous Mr. Burden and Mr. Dreher lead a parade of planners along the boardwalk that fronts Lake Memphremagog. “Of all the waterfronts I’ve been to, this is one of the most tasteful and natural,” Mr. Burden said.about the bill when it was first proposed. As it proceeded through the legislative process changes were made that satisfied many of the agency’s concerns, he said.

Now, VTrans staff are getting training so they can work within the new law, Mr. Kaplan said. He said that there are still some concerns within the agency, but they may be eased as engineers see how the law works in practice.

The rationale for the new law was laid out in a pair of talks by the day’s featured speakers, Dan Burden, director of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute in Port Townsend, Washington, and Gary Toth, the director of transportation initiatives for the Project for Public Spaces in New York City.

Mr. Burden presented a slide show that illustrated his argument that simple changes in the way roads are built can make streets more welcoming to all users, and can be profitable to the communities through which they pass.

He said that streets ought to be places where children do not have to be tightly controlled for their own safety.

“We have free-range chickens, why not free-range children?” Mr. Burden asked.

All of Europe is already ahead of the U.S. in building streets that are welcoming to all users, he said.

Mr. Burden told his audience, “If we all live as long as we should, 86 percent of us will have a permanent disability. We want our population to get older and to have a good life as they get older.

He showed a slide of a seven-lane roadway, that serves as the main street for a U.S. city and compared it with a photograph of Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, which he termed the greatest walk on Earth.

The photograph of the seven-lane road showed no pedestrians and very little commercial development. The Barcelona street was jammed with walking people and lined with stores.

“Which makes more money?” Mr. Burden asked.

Questions about the cost of building complete streets miss the point, he told the audience. “We can’t afford not to,” he said.

Mr. Burden outlined some counter intuitive changes that he said make streets safe and allow traffic to move more smoothly.

These included making traffic lanes narrower and eliminating the double yellow lines that run down the center of most roads. He said these changes slow drivers down and make them more cautious. Yellow lines make motorists drive closer to the curb, which is bad for both pedestrians and bicyclists, he said.

“If you want pedestrians to feel endangered, keep the yellow lines in, otherwise you don’t need them,” Mr. Burden said.

Mr. Burden said creating complete streets means using a complete brain. He contrasted planning a street with the needs of all users in mind with the normal method, which he described as “sprinkling safety on after doing all the wrong things.”

“Embrace streets as a civic space,” Mr. Burden concluded.

Gary Toth and Mr. Burden listen to comments from the planners at the end of the session. Mr. Toth, himself an engineer, decried his colleagues’ tendency to build a single type of road and adapt to changing population density and usage by merely adding appropriate speed limit signs.Mr. Toth followed with a look at streets from an engineer’s perspective.

He said that engineers are trained to be problem solvers. The problem is that they have been asked to solve the problem of moving cars quickly and safely, Mr. Toth said. That is they have been asked to make streets fast and safe for cars, he added.

“We did a heck of a job, and left the community building to someone else,” Mr. Toth said.

The key to breaking the stranglehold automobiles have over municipal streets is for people to form partnerships with engineers. With community members the engineers can find ways to “provide access while providing wonderful prosperous communities,” Mr. Toth said.

He said that forming these partnerships requires a certain amount of psychology. All too often people try to start conversations by throwing rocks at those they need to enlist as allies, he said.

Mr. Toth said it is better to start with a less confrontational approach, although he advised his audience, “Don’t be afraid to escalate if respectful communication doesn’t get you what you want.”

Another piece of advice from Mr. Toth for those who might want to work with engineers — “Define the problem, not the solution.”

Mr. Toth said it is important to ask the right questions about roadway design.

He said highway engineers rely on a book of standards, which he likened to a cookbook. Although the book does state principles of road design that are similar to those of the complete streets, Mr. Toth said, they are rarely read.

“When was the last time you picked up Julia Child and read it cover to cover?” he asked. Like cooks, he said, engineers look at the manuals for recipes, but don’t bother to review the general principles.

Knowing this allows a person interested in the design of a particular road to ask the right questions.

For instance, Mr. Toth suggested asking if the engineer is using the minimum standards or the desirable standards. Roads in populated areas may serve the public’s needs better if they are built to minimum standards, Mr. Toth said.

Many of the standards used by engineers were developed during the construction of the Interstate highways, Mr. Toth said. Those standards need to be adjusted to take into account the actual use of a road, he said.

Mr. Toth said he once surprised engineers who were designing a road project by asking them whether they had walked the sidewalks along the street. He said they seemed surprised at the question and thought it an unnecessary use of their time.

Those engineers were missing something very important, Mr. Toth said. He showed a photograph of a street with corners that had been cut wide to make it easier for turning trucks.

The wide curving curbs force pedestrians to walk much farther when they cross the street, Mr. Toth said. If traffic lights are installed, more time has to be added to the cycle to allow for the greater crossing time, and traffic moves more slowly than it would otherwise, he said.

After the talks and lunch, the planners split into two groups. One stayed at the Gateway Center and discussed street classification with Mr. Toth. The other group braved the nippy winds and set out for a street audit conducted by Mr. Burden.

The group, which included Newport Mayor Paul Monette, City Manager John Ward and Zoning Administrator Paul Dreher set off along the boardwalk toward Pomerleau Park. Stopping near the Emory Hebard State Office Building, Mr. Burden asked for comments.

The planners admired the benches, the fences and the fact that there is little asphalt to be seen.

“This is a very precious waterfront, this is a real treasure,” Mr. Burden enthused.

He then asked what is missing.

“Coffee,” came a voice from the crowd.

Mr. Burden agreed, saying that a food stand would be a great addition.

Mr. Monette said that the property belongs to the state, which does not permit commercial enterprises on its property.

A quick walk brought the group to the pedestrian bridge along the Causeway.

Mr. Burden agreed with one member of the group, that a sign pointing out sights visible from the span would add to strollers’ enjoyment. He also suggested that a future version of the bridge might include parapets for fishermen.

As the tour progressed, Mr. Burden expressed enthusiasm for Newport’s Main Street. He was pleased that the sculpture of a trout in front of the state office building provides an opportunity for children to climb.

He suggested that a portion of the parking lot behind the old Customs house, might be a good spot for another building, to frame the view of Lake Memphremagog.

“This is the most valuable land in town. To see it used as a parking lot is an abuse of what land is for,” Mr. Burden exclaimed. He praised on-street parking, saying that each spot in a good commercial neighborhood is worth $200,000 a year.

Mr. Burden led the group through alleys and down residential streets stressing Newport’s good points and pointing out opportunities for improvements.

When the group returned to the Gateway, they were chilled but enthusiastic. After a short question and answer session they went back to their home towns to implement the new ideas.

Mr. Dreher and the Newport Planning Commission have already applied these principles. During his welcoming remarks Mr. Dreher presented a drawing of Many of the complete streets principles are incorporated in this proposal to revamp Newport’s Main Street. Mr. Dreher said the city’s planning commission hopes to finish work on the plan and send it for city council approval in time for next spring, when the state will repave the road.changes to Main Street that he hopes will be incorporated when it is repaved next year.