Livable Streets: Walkable Communities

Livable Streets: Walkable Communities

Have you ever wanted to go somewhere without having to drive? Have you ever thought about taking a walk to the park, but haven’t had sidewalks available? This is a struggle for many people of Raytown, Missouri. There is a need for sidewalks and sharable roads in Jackson County, Missouri. This blog will discuss why complete streets are needed and provide resources that examine strategies to successfully implementing these accommodations.

First, Raytown, Missouri is located in Jackson County, Missouri. The town is right outside Kansas City. There are roughly 680,000 residents in Jackson County. That is a large amount of people trying to get from one place to another. This is why the Jackson County Health Department has a goal to provide complete streets for all members of the community.  This plan is known as the Transportation Outlook 2040.

You may be wondering, why should Raytown have complete streets?

• It Improves Public Safety!
• By making the streets accessible to multiple modes of transportation it allows for everyone to use the roads. This includes children, elderly, or even disabled individuals.
• Individuals that chose to walk or ride their bikes will have a safe way to do so. There will be a designated path for each specific mode of transportation.
• Promotes Health!
• Individuals will have the opportunity to walk or bike rather than drive to their destination. By walking or biking the residents will stay active while having another purpose. 
• Provides Economic Benefits!
• Complete streets will allow for different modes of transportation, which can create a welcoming environment for businesses and increase property values.
• Enhances the Quality of the Environment!
• There are many different environmental benefits to using complete streets such as, it improves air quality, it encourages low emission travel, and the landscaping provided helps to decrease the heat island effect in urban communities.
• Long-Term Savings!
• The cost for complete streets will eventually bring savings due to the long-term benefits the streets provide.

Clearly there is a need for complete streets within Raytown Missouri. Many people question how to get complete streets implemented in their towns. There are many strategies to put these streets in place.

The Mid-America Regional Council is the organization that advocates for complete streets among the Kansas City Area. One component of this organization is the KC Communities for All Ages. The goal of this component is to make communities accessible for all members of the population. There are many different strategies and steps to enhancing a community’s sense of place and implementing the complete streets. A link to these strategies is attached:

http://marc.org/Community/KC-Communities-for-All-Ages/PDFs/KCCFAA-Tool-Kit-FOR-WEB.aspx

For further information please check out the following links:

http://www.marc.org/Community/KC-Communities-for-All-Ages

http://www.marc.org/Transportation/Special-Projects/Regional-Initiatives/Complete-Streets

http://www.to2040.org/

OR Contact the Jackson County Health Department:

Amanda Grodie: (816) 404-8136            amanda.grodie@tmcmed.org

References

Making Your Community Work for All Ages. (2013, July 1). Retrieved September 12, 2015, from http://marc.org/Community/KC-Communities-for-All-Ages/PDFs/KCCFAA-Tool-Kit-FOR-WEB.aspx

Raytown, Missouri. (n.d.). Retrieved September 13, 2015, from http://www.city-            data.com/city/Raytown-Missouri.html