Many suburban communities and small towns have street grids that offer an opportunity to retrofit and reimagine city transportation through a complete streets lens. This mobile workshop demonstrates how smaller communities can build infrastructure and culture oriented around active transportation.
Richfield is disrupting car culture and auto-oriented transportation planning through focused planning, community engagement and infrastructure projects. Community engagement that is relevant, transparent and relationship focused has built support for roadway changes over many years of changes. This is supported by elected officials with a vision of a city that is healthy, safe and vibrant. A long term vision is particularly important as the ability to transform the transportation network will continue to take place over many years. Richfield's recently completed 2023 Active Transportation Action Plan codifies a vision for an active transportation system that provides quiet, low-stress, enjoyable routes for people to get to and from their homes, shops, schools, work, transit, and parks. The plan identified short- to long-term opportunities to advance active transportation in the City of Richfield. Roadway changes have done more than just change the transportation network, they have supported and encouraged new residential and commercial development built in orientation to walking, biking and transit. This is community building centered around mobility.
Major cities often get the spotlight when visionary or cutting edge transportation interventions are discussed. Richfield demonstrates that smaller suburban communities and towns are well positioned and capable of advance walking, biking and transit projects to great impact.
Learning Objectives:
Identify the vision setting, planning and engagement necessary to successfully deliver transportation infrastructure changes.
Understand how smaller communities can take advantage of their unique attributes to support healthy and safe communities through active transportation.
Describe many walking, biking and transit facility types and the appropriate application in different roadway contexts.
