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Ideas for the 2007-2009 Raleigh City Council
Steven Waters
January 8, 2008, 7pm

Written remarks:

Theme: Make walking, bicycling, and urban living more practical; reduce auto dependence; and make downtown a regional job center to complement RTP

• Welcome new Council
• Share ideas
• Increase impact fees so that residents downtown are not artificially inflating the market for inefficient, auto-oriented urban sprawl on the urban periphery.
  Clarification: I meant to imply that impact fees should be graduated in such a way that the fee is lower for downtown developments where the cost imposed on the municipality for infrastructure and services is significantly lower, and the fee is much higher for far-flung sprawling developments that currently impose a huge cost on taxpayers city-wide.
• Make downtown more of a regional job center to complement RTP.
• Use transit as en economic development tool, allowing regional rail, streetcars, and other fixed-path transit to catalyze mixed-use infill as an alternative to urban sprawl.
• Increase funding for the traditional bus system, particularly on routes with relatively high ridership, to connect jobs, services, and affordable housing.
• Final report from the Special Transit Advisory Commission due soon
• Transform our Transportation Division so that the focus is on the efficient intersection of goods and people rather than raw throughput.  Increase traffic signal frequencies, re-engineer one-way streets for two-way operation, promote four-way stops and roundabouts, and accommodate people with visual disabilities.
• Pass a Complete Streets policy so that the needs of bicyclists, pedestrians, transit users, and people with disabilities are integrated into every aspect of street design.  http://www.completestreets.org/
• Charlotte’s model is a national standard! http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/Transportation/Urban+Street+Design+Guidelines.htm
• Find $8,000 to bring Michael Ronkin from the Complete Streets coalition to Raleigh to do a workshop for traffic engineers on April 16th or 17th. http://www.michaelronkin.com/
• Hire staff to work on pedestrian and bicycle transportation, and give them the responsibility to effect real policy and planning changes rather than sit in a corner and marginalize pedestrian and bicycle transportation.
• Create a Pedestrian and Bicycle Advisory Commission similar to the one in Durham. http://www.bikewalkdurham.org/
• Institute effective infill standards that manage to protect the character of older neighborhoods, and also allow for a gradual process of change and innovation.
• Approve a strong Comprehensive Plan that will guide future growth toward activity centers where mixed-use development can create walkability and reduce rush-hour auto traffic.  We have enough urban sprawl to last us for a long time! http://www.planningraleigh2030.com/
• Pass an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance (APFO) so that development is tied to the infrastructure that is needed to support it.
• Work more closely with neighboring jurisdictions on issues that are regional in nature, such as coordinating land use and transportation planning.  Create relationships so that the elected officials from those towns and counties have a clear vested interest in Raleigh’s success as a world-class 21st century city in the global economy. http://www.campo-nc.us/CAMPO_%20BOARDS_INFO.htm and http://www.tjcog.dst.nc.us/
• Thank you for this opportunity for public input

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Reflection in the meeting minutes:

PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION – COMMENTS – RECEIVED

Steven Waters presented Council with a packet of material relative to increasing impact fees so that residents downtown aren’t artificially inflating market for inefficient, auto oriented urban sprawl on the urban periphery.  He talked about making downtown more of a regional job center, using transit as an economic development tool, increasing funding for traditional bus systems, receiving a final report from the special transit advisory commission, transforming our Transportation Division so that the focus is on efficient intersection of goods and people, passing a complete street policy, hiring staff to work on pedestrian and bicycle transportation, creating a pedestrian and bicycle advisory commission similar to the one in Durham, instituting effective infill standards, approving a strong comprehensive plan, passing an adequate public facilities ordinance and working more closely with neighboring jurisdictions.  He provided the Council with a packet of information outlining his comments, websites, and suggestions.  The comments were received.

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