Making the Connection: "Complete Street" Central to Community Vision in Westerville

Just over a year since the approval of the Westerville Mobility Plan, the City continues to work toward realizing the community’s vision of building a network of connectivity around Uptown, Otterbein University, commercial centers, neighborhoods, parks playgrounds and schools.

102 Westerville City Council passed a resolution in July 2012 expressing support of “Complete Streets” in the City. The initiative encourages alternative modes of transportation in a community that is, admittedly, commuter-heavy. The resolution complemented a broader conversation at the time as residents worked with City staff to “Imagine Westerville” through a series of community meetings and workshops.

“Through this process of extensive community outreach, the City learned that residents wanted improved options for mobility, including options for non-vehicle transportation. This meant expanding bicycling facilities, improving roads and expanding the sidewalk network,” said Carolyn Thurman, Deputy Director of Planning & Development.

Since then, the City has improved roadways and welcomed public transit options, like COTA//Plus. Last fall, construction crews completed the addition of sidewalks along College Avenue, connecting pedestrian facilities to Spring Road and northeast side neighbors to the sidewalk network leading Uptown Westerville.

This initiative isn’t landlocked to the busiest areas of the City. It is also important to connect lesser-traveled residential streets to Westerville's robust sidewalk network. new sidewalks are slated for East Home Street, Whitehead Street, McCutcheon and Stoner alleys in 2022.

“When we plan these improvements, we are ensuring residents with varying mobility preferences can get where they want to go in the City safely,” Thurman said. “When it comes to sidewalks, we think about residents who want to travel on foot, pushing strollers or walkers, or who use wheelchairs and adaptive equipment for mobility. It can be extremely dangerous to walk in the roadway with cars. Creating a designated space for pedestrians is important as we work toward a more connected community.”

More “off-road” modes of transportation could mean fewer vehicles on City streets. Complete streets in Westerville fulfill IKEA & a directive given to the City by residents: create a more connected, less congested Westerville.

Learn more about mobility in Westerville at www.westerville.org/mobility.

Current City of Westerville Complete Streets Resolution (2012) Source: Westerville Community Plan

Complete streets consider and encourage alternative modes of transportation beyond vehicular travel alone, such as cyclists, pedestrians, public transit, school bus riders, delivery and service personnel, freight haulers, and emergency responders, resulting in a more complete, safer transportation network. To better serve the residents, employees and visitors, a transportation system that follows the general intent of the complete streets concept should include the following:

• Roadways with narrower travel lanes, roundabouts, well-marked pedestrian crosswalks and raised center medians.

• Roadways that incorporate wider sidewalks, bike lanes and access to public transportation.

• Pedestrian and bicycle connections between schools, public recreational facilities, office/retail centers to residential neighborhoods. Amenities such as landscape treatments, street furniture and bicycle parking to enhance the street environment and overall appeal to the transportation user.

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