St. Thomas is a small city located in Southwestern Ontario.
St. Thomas
In October 2016, the City of St. Thomas adopted a set of Complete Streets Guidelines. The Vision of the Guidelines is to:
“design, create, and build Complete Streets that accommodate users of all ages and abilities and all modes of transportation including pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and transit users.”
Principles of the Complete Streets Guidelines include:
- Apply to all projects from rehabilitation to new construction
- Incorporate concept into design standards and policies
- Take into account the local context
- Account for impact to underground infrastructure and maintenance
- Create integrated networks by connecting to parks, trails, and green spaces
- Analyze cost/benefit to ensure best value
The Guidelines also include 16 example tools that can be used to create Complete Streets, with before and after examples for each. Tools include Neighbourhood/Pedestrian/Cycling Connectivity, Strategic Property Acquisition, Placemaking-Community Enhancement Features, Bury/Move Utilities, Traffic Safety Measures, and more.
The City’s 10 Year Infrastructure Capital Plan explicitly refers to the guidelines, stating “all streets will be reconstructed using a Complete Streets approach to create attractive and livable streets,” and the City has a goal to complete two to three Complete Street projects per year.