Legislation
Complete Streets
Councilwoman Kepert Gets Green Light on Complete Streets
Farmingville, NY September 21, 2010 - Councilwoman Connie Kepert passed progressive legislation last night that will establish a sustainable complete streets policy which accommodates all road users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists.
Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. There are many ingredients to complete streets that include sidewalks, bike lanes, frequent crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, and more. “I have been fighting for bicyclist and pedestrian safer roadways for decades,” said Kepert. Councilwoman Kepert underscored that a quarter of the people who die in traffic accidents are pedestrians, which is more than twice the national average. Kepert also highlighted both the health and environmental benefits of making it safe and convenient to walk or cycle. A National Institute of Medicine on childhood obesity found that 43% of people with safe places to walk met recommended activity levels, whereas, among individuals without safe places to walk only 27% met recommended activity levels. The environment is also a winner by simply increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips in the U.S. would save 462 million gallons of gas each year.
"This legislation will ensure a safer environment for pedestrians and will expand recreational opportunities for our residents," said Supervisor Mark Lesko.
A Federal Highways Administration Safety review found that streets designed with Complete Streets features improve safety for all users. In May 2003 Newsday published a 12 day series of articles entitled “Death on the Roads”. This series reported that an average of five people die on Long Island roads per week, that’s 260 people per year, which is the equivalent of a Boeing 757 crashing annually, and its more than 5 times the number of murders that occur annually on Long Island.
Sid Bail, a civic leader in Wading River, stated that he, like other seniors, who walks on town roadways are faced with unsafe conditions, such as lack of dedicated spaces for pedestrians. “This is a step in the right direction. We need our elected officials to lead the way toward making our streets safer and user friendly for everyone,” stated Mr. Bail.
William Stoner, Associate State Director for Livable Communities for AARP, spoke in support of Kepert’s legislation. “AARP is pleased that Brookhaven Town has joined other communities across the state by passing a Complete Streets resolution,” “Accessible roadways and sidewalks are not only a critical link in our transportation system, they are also vitally important to helping older adults stay connected to their community, access essential services, and give back to their communities,” stated Mr. Stoner.
Ryan Lynch, Long Island Coordinator for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, also spoke in support of Complete the Streets. “Brookhaven's adoption of a complete streets policy is just another indicator of the growing demand for more and safer transportation options", said Ryan Lynch "The Town board should be commended for supporting a more balanced transportation system and for promoting safer streets for all users of Brookhaven's roads," concluded Mr. Lynch.
On an unfortunate note, a bicyclist was killed on Middle Country Road on the very evening Complete Streets resolution passed.
Complete Streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. There are many ingredients to complete streets that include sidewalks, bike lanes, frequent crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions, and more. “I have been fighting for bicyclist and pedestrian safer roadways for decades,” said Kepert. Councilwoman Kepert underscored that a quarter of the people who die in traffic accidents are pedestrians, which is more than twice the national average. Kepert also highlighted both the health and environmental benefits of making it safe and convenient to walk or cycle. A National Institute of Medicine on childhood obesity found that 43% of people with safe places to walk met recommended activity levels, whereas, among individuals without safe places to walk only 27% met recommended activity levels. The environment is also a winner by simply increasing cycling from 1% to 1.5% of all trips in the U.S. would save 462 million gallons of gas each year.
"This legislation will ensure a safer environment for pedestrians and will expand recreational opportunities for our residents," said Supervisor Mark Lesko.
A Federal Highways Administration Safety review found that streets designed with Complete Streets features improve safety for all users. In May 2003 Newsday published a 12 day series of articles entitled “Death on the Roads”. This series reported that an average of five people die on Long Island roads per week, that’s 260 people per year, which is the equivalent of a Boeing 757 crashing annually, and its more than 5 times the number of murders that occur annually on Long Island.
Sid Bail, a civic leader in Wading River, stated that he, like other seniors, who walks on town roadways are faced with unsafe conditions, such as lack of dedicated spaces for pedestrians. “This is a step in the right direction. We need our elected officials to lead the way toward making our streets safer and user friendly for everyone,” stated Mr. Bail.
William Stoner, Associate State Director for Livable Communities for AARP, spoke in support of Kepert’s legislation. “AARP is pleased that Brookhaven Town has joined other communities across the state by passing a Complete Streets resolution,” “Accessible roadways and sidewalks are not only a critical link in our transportation system, they are also vitally important to helping older adults stay connected to their community, access essential services, and give back to their communities,” stated Mr. Stoner.
Ryan Lynch, Long Island Coordinator for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, also spoke in support of Complete the Streets. “Brookhaven's adoption of a complete streets policy is just another indicator of the growing demand for more and safer transportation options", said Ryan Lynch "The Town board should be commended for supporting a more balanced transportation system and for promoting safer streets for all users of Brookhaven's roads," concluded Mr. Lynch.
On an unfortunate note, a bicyclist was killed on Middle Country Road on the very evening Complete Streets resolution passed.
SMART: Save Money as You Reduce Trash!
Everyone is for more recycling. So why don't we recycle more as a community and generate less waste? Simple, we have no economic incentive to do so.
SMART programs create a direct economic incentive to recycle more and to generate less waste.
In Brookhaven, residents pay for waste collection through property taxes, approximately $367 a year regardless of how much―or how little―trash they generate. So if you are a committed recycler, or someone who can't be bothered, you pay $367 a year. Thus, some folks are subsidizing their neighbors wastefulness. Communities with SMART programs incorporate the cost of processing garbage within the cost of each garbage bag. These programs are simple and fair. The less individuals throw away, the fewer bags they will need, and the less they pay. Recycling is free, so SMART encourages residents to toss less into the garbage and recycle more.
The SMART Program incorporates a number of advantages:
Environmental Sustainability - Communities with programs in place have reported significant increases in recycling and reductions in waste, due primarily to the waste reduction incentive created by SMART. Less waste and more recycling mean that fewer natural resources need to be extracted. In addition, greenhouse gas emissions associated with the manufacture, distribution, use, and subsequent disposal of products are reduced as a result of the increased recycling and waste reduction SMART encourages. In this way, SMART helps slow the buildup of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere which leads to global climate change.
Economic Sustainability - SMART is an effective tool for communities struggling to cope with soaring municipal solid waste management expenses. Well-designed programs generate the revenues communities need to cover their solid waste costs, including the costs of such complementary programs as recycling and composting. Residents benefit, too, because they have the opportunity to take control of their trash bills.
Equity - One of the most important advantages of SMART programs are their inherent fairness. When the cost of managing trash is hidden in taxes or charged at a flat rate, residents who recycle and prevent waste subsidize their neighbors' wastefulness. Under SMART residents pay only for what they throw away.
It is time for Brookhaven to adopt creative programs which help the environment, are inherently fair, and give residents a choice on how much they spend or save on the disposal of their waste.
Links to additional Legislation:
Complete Streets Legislation
