Development Review Process Policies
Pedestrian and bicycle impacts and opportunities should be a fixture in the development review process, especially if existing policies in a community's comprehensive plan or other guiding documents call for encouraging and increasing the safety of non-vehicular transportation. Although the success of the development review process appears to hinge on a "champion" or "champions" among review staff to achieve a community's goals to support walking, the precedent of reviewing projects for their impact on pedestrians is a significant step in the right direction.
Pedestrian and bicycle factors may be included in a development review checklist or, depending on the level of guidance, make up its own separate checklist. Communities may also require that pedestrian and bicycle concerns be addressed in traffic impact analyses.
Examples
- Montgomery County, MD—See the mandatory referral program and the development review committee. For more info, see the Planning Magazine article, The Healthy Choice.
- Strategic Analysis Report on Transportation LOS Methodologies—San Francisco County Transportation Authority report outlining how auto LOS standards impact the convenience and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.
Resources
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) —the MTC provides a "Safety Toolbox" that includes planning strategies, such as adequate development review, to encourage non-vehicular transportation.
