San Clemente Adopts Complete Streets into General Plan

Dedicated train-cars for bicycles, bike lanes, pedestrian benches, and connecting infrastructure. Some cities are making the sustainable shift to a multi-modal transport system and recognize the value in this shift. San Clemente leads the way, on Wednesday night the San Clemente Planning Commission adopted and approved a framework for their Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. The Plan will become an integral part of the San Clemente city General Plan.

Some highlights of the comprehensive Eighty-Eight point framework:

• The City shall adopt recreational off-road facilities to the on-road transportation network.
• We shall incorporate bicycle accommodations into all land use plans and capital improvement projects.
• The city will encourage public pedestrian improvement projects such as public art, fountains, street trees, lighting and directional signs. 
• (The city shall) include skateboarding as a legitimate form of transportation as a policy, and include program to evaluate and revise ordinances as necessary to accommodate safe skateboard use.
• Support the creation of comprehensive safety awareness programs for pedestrians, skateboarders, cyclists and drivers.
• Expand the Safe Routes to School program and encourage all schools to get involved.
• Develop a (city sponsored) city-wide bicycle map
• City to sponsor bike-to-work week and month
• The city shall measure non-motorized trips and vehicle trip reductions, especially at local schools, so as to monitor mode share goal progress.
• The City shall prioritize smart-growth principles, public transit connections, and greenhouse gas emissions reduction by ensuring safe, convenient, contiguous, non-motorized access to destinations such as employment centers, schools, parks, the beach, businesses, natural amenities and residential areas.
• We shall establish mode-shift/share goals. 

-LS