The City of Pleasant Hill is proud to announce the adoption of a Complete Streets Policy to support roadway design that accommodates all transportation modes and users. This policy is meant to enable economic growth, regional competitiveness, and active lifestyles, while providing improvements to existing roadways and redevelopments throughout our community. In November 2015, the City of Pleasant Hill adopted an updated Comprehensive Plan that included recommendations to explore a Complete Streets policy. The City continues to review and implement the Comprehensive Plan recommendations when appropriate.

“Adopting this policy is one of the first steps to ensuring diverse needs of all residents and businesses are met – including children, the elderly and people with specific mobility needs,” said Mayor Sara Kurovski. “The policy creates more accessible connections to city parks, businesses and residential areas and more guidance and direction is given to residents, developers, designers, and managers, which results in healthier neighborhoods – both physically and economically. From an economic standpoint, the Complete Streets policy is a smart and effective way to attract people and business, while increasing property values. It’s a win for everyone because residents will be empowered to walk to businesses, which leads to healthier lives within our City.”

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx challenged U.S. mayors to take significant action in 2015 to make streets safer for all people, and one of his recommendations was adopting complete streets policies. “Complete streets” is a term used to describe streets designed and operated to enable safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders.

A model policy has been developed by Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization for metro-area governments to consider adapting to their communities. The effort helps meet the goals established in the region’s long-term transportation plan, Mobilizing Tomorrow, as well as The Tomorrow Plan, the region’s long-term plan for sustainable development over the next 40 years.

The City of Pleasant Hill is the sixth metro-area government to adopt a complete streets policy, joining the cities of Des Moines, Carlisle, Norwalk, Windsor Heights and West Des Moines. More information about the MPO’s Complete Street Initiative is available at www.dmampo.org/complete-streets.