2013 UCLA Complete Streets Conference

8:00 am      Registration, Check-In, & Refreshments              

8:45 am      Welcome Remarks and Opening Presentation 

Reclaiming the Right-of-Way

Presenter:          Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, Professor, UCLA Department of Urban Planning;
Associate Dean, Luskin School of Public Affairs

This opening presentation will set the context for the day’s conference by showcasing recent research on parklets. How are cities around the country implementing parklet pilots and programs?  How are these projects being funded, and which departments are involved? How are these projects being evaluated, and what are important lessons learned?  This opening session will showcase these issues and identify the opportunities and challenges that will be explored throughout the day.  

Moderator:        Madeline Brozen, Program Manager, Complete Streets Initiative, Luskin School of Public Affairs

9:15 am     From Vision to Implementation: How cities are moving from
 pilots to programs

Many jurisdictions have adopted complete streets policies and have successfully implemented a few complete streets projects. But figuring out how to create change on a citywide basis can seem like a daunting task, especially if this involves major revisions to internal procedures or manuals. How can city staff identify either incremental or sweeping changeto internal policies and procedures that will significantly impact the way their organizations do business? These case studies will showcase how cities have identified “low-hanging fruit” to deliver innovative programs and will detail how cities have progressed from individual pilot projects to full-scale programs.

Speakers:

1.    Margot Ocanas, Pedestrian coordinator, LADOT “Creating the Streets for People Program”  

2.    Fred Dock, Director, Pasadena Department of Transportation “Coordinated Mobility Planning in Pasadena”

3.    Darby Watson, Associate, Arup “Enhancing the Complete Streets Checklist for City of Seattle, WA”

Moderator: Peter Carter, Fehr and Peers

A critical challenge often faced by supporters of complete streets projects is how to pay for building and converting streets to meet complete streets standards. Additionally, questions remain about the costs of operating and maintaining these facilities in the future. This session will provide an overview of need for operations and maintenance, explore new emerging sources of funding and financing strategies,and discuss common political challenges when paying for new infrastructure and programs. 

                Speakers:

1.     Ron Milam, Fehr & Peers “City of Sacramento General Plan Analysis”

2.    Nate Baird, Bicycle Coordinator, LADOT “Using Highway Safety Improvement Program Funding for Building a Bicycle Network”

3.     Kristin Eberhard, Natural Resources Defense Council, “Cap and Trade – A new opportunity for funding transportation”

Moderator: Jessica Meaney, Safe Routes to School National Partnership

12:30 pm   Networking Lunch

2:00 pm  Break-out Sessions 

A. Engineering (and re-engineering) Complete Streets in Constrained Corridors

Complete streets strive to achieve equal treatment for all modes of
transportation; however, achieving such a balance is often a delicate
process that produces winners and from status quo. This is especially
true in many areas where space is limited and in cases where tough
decisions must be made to prioritize some users over others. This
engineering-focused session will present some tangible design
challenges and provide practical examples of creating project synergies
that result in win-win outcomes.

Speakers:

1.  Rebecca Sanders, Graduate Student, UC Berkeley, “All Road Users Want the Same Thing”

2.  Andrew Lee, Senior Transportation Planner, SFMTA, “Building a Better Market Street”

3.  Tim Fremaux, Traffic Engineer, LADOT Bikeways, “Engineering and Delivering MyFigueroa”

Moderator: Ryan Snyder, Ryan Snyder Associates

Public engagement is a vital and often challenging part of project visioning, planning, and delivery. Conducting effective community, engagement is both an art and a science, and this session will provide strategies, tactics, and approaches for effectively communicating the variety of trade-offs with new projects or changes to existing streets. Session participants will explore how project benefits can be communicated, the art of identifying and reaching out to potential allies and new methods for improving public engagement.

Speakers:

1.    Pam O’Connor, Mayor, City of Santa Monica

2.    Jason Wagner, Researcher, Texas A&M Transportation Institute “Measuring Performance of Public Engagement in Transportation Planning”

3.    Dana Richardson, Community Health Improvement Partners, “Resident Leadership Program and Built Environment Change in San Diego”

Moderator: La Mikia Castillo, LA County Department of Public Health

Confirmed speakers:

1.  Wesley Marshall, UC Denver, “Street Networks, Crashes and Safety”

2.  Peter Furth, Professor, Northeastern University, “Level of Stress”

3.  Menaka Mohan, Prevention Institute, “Measuring Complete Streets through Health and Neighborhood Transformation”

Moderator: Michael Smart, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs

4:00 pm    Closing Panel    

What is the Future of Complete Streets Implementation?   

This panel will reflect on the workshop sessions, the implementation lessons from the day's speakers, and the future of complete streets. Speakers will discuss their views on the challenges that lie ahead and the opportunities that await. Who must lead the charge, and what are the information needs? While much focus on implementation has been concentrated at local levels of government, for good reason, speakers in this session will turn their attention to the role of state and federal governments in redefining the functions of streets. How do governments go about supporting the implementation of safer, more livable, and more sustainable streets? Should and will there be continued support in developing and adopting changes to technical and engineering guidelines, in funding and financing and in building public and political support?

Confirmed Panelists:

1.       Bryan Jones, City of Carlsbad

2.       Alyssa Begley, Chief, Office of Community Planning, Caltrans

3.       Robin Smith, Senior Transportation Planner, FHWA Office of Planning

Moderator: Allison Yoh

5:00 pm    Reception

Japanese Garden, Garden Level

6:00 pm    Closing Keynote Lecture

Introduction: Anastasia Loukiatou-Sideris

Presenter: Janette Sadik-Khan
Commissioner, New York City Department of
Transportation

Janette Sadik-Khan has been New York City Commissioner of Transportation since 2007. Under her leadership, New York City is creating safer and more sustainable urban streets. She is implementing PlaNYC; a bold document Bloomberg's vision of a greener, greater New York City. Included are the creation of public plazas, implementing bus rapid transit, deigning and installing a host of dedicated bicycle lanes, and planning for the roll-out of an extensive bicycle sharing system. After five years, the results are visible in the streets across the city and in the city's safety and livability.

The Commissioner's presentation will showcase these innovative projects and describe how the results have improved safety and are serving all. After her presentation, a discussion between Mrs. Sadik-Khan and Professor Emeritus Martin Wachs will explore how these changes were achieved given the physical, fiscal and political landscape of New York City.The discussion will seek insights useful for Los Angeles. 


Moderator:  Marty Wachs
                Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Urban Planning,
                Luskin School of Public Affairs