Complete Streets Advisory Council Announced

One of the key provisions of the state's new Complete Streets law was the formation of an 18-member advisory council to be housed within the Michigan Department of Transportation and charged with helping provide guidance to MDOT and local road agencies on the implementation of Complete Streets policies and practices.  The appointments to this group were finalized this week and made public, along with the schedule for the advisory council's first public meeting.  The Municipal League secured a position on this advisory council within the legislation and Suzanne Schulz, Planning Director for the City of Grand Rapids, has agreed to serve as the League's representative on this group.  More information on the Complete Streets Advisory Council and its membership can be found on the MDOT website here - http://www.michigan.gov/mdot/0,1607,7-151-9623_31969_57564---,00.html.

The first meeting of the council is scheduled for Monday, December 13, 2010 in Lansing at the Michigan Historical Center building, from 1 to 3 PM.  The agenda for the meeting can be found here.  If you would like more information on the meeting or if you plan on attending and need directions, please give our office a call.  ****Due to Sunday's winter storm, this first meeting has been cancelled and will be reschedueld for early in the new year.****

As an additional resource for communities interested in exploring the concept of Complete Streets, League staff have developed a web page that includes examples of council resolutions and ordinances promoting Complete Streets.  The web page also provides additional background and resource documents, PowerPoint presentations, a summary of the new law, and contact information for assistance with answering questions or establishing your own policy or ordinance.  This web page can be found at http://www.mml.org/resources/information/complete_streets.html.  If you have additional questions or need further information please feel free to give me a call.

Chris Hackbarth handles transportation issues for the Michigan Municipal League. Chris can be reached at 517-908-0303, or by email at chackbarth@mml.org.