Community + Mobility Drainage is not the only infrastructure system being re-imagined in communities across the region. Transportation is also experiencing a shift in design as residents raise concerns about the safety of non-motorized users, such as pedestrians and bicyclists. Traditionally, streets and roadways were built to serve only the needs of vehicular traffic. This creates unsafe conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians in communities, like Denham Springs, that lack facilities for non-motorists, such as continuous sidewalks or bike lanes. In these communities, those without cars must rely on the same street network to commute on foot or bike, which often means sharing lanes with fast moving vehicles. Between 2013 and 2017, twelve crashes including one fatality involved motorists and non-motorists in Denham Springs as reported by Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) crash data (Gresham Smith, Denham Springs Traffic Volumes and Safety Map, 2019). Developing multi-modal networks that incorporate bioswales, street trees, permeable paths, or other green infrastructure strategies can provide transit and drainage benefits while supporting healthy, active lifestyles. Through the 2016 recovery process, Denham Springs residents identified “develop[ing] a plan to increase road safety for people traveling by car, foot or bike” as their top community development priority for flood recovery (Denham Strong, 2017, p. 46). To accomplish this goal, the city with support from the Capital Region Planning Commission commissioned Gresham Smith and Dana Brown & Associates to create a master bike and pedestrian plan for Denham Springs. The Bike/Ped and the Denham Strong recovery plans call for the adoption of a “complete street” approach to retro-fit existing conditions and to guide future development. The complete street approach means designing streets to accommodate all users regardless of transportation mode. COMMUNITY + MOBILITY couples stormwater management improvements with providing safe transit options for all community members, regardless of age, ability, or access to resources Multi-modal transportation systems meet the needs of cyclists, pedestrians, public transit riders, and drivers, while facilitating safe connections between the different modes. For example, “park & ride” facilities enable those who live further out to park
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Denham Springs Resilience
