Accessibility for All Ages and Abilities: Opportunities for Austin
Billy FieldsAssistant Professor Political Science
Presentation Overview
• All Ages/All Abilities: paradigm change• Complete streets: tool for culture change • Building a network for Austin:
preliminary thoughts
All Ages/All Abilities: Paradigm Change
• Transportation access for people of all ages and abilities vital for healthy communities• Current system focused on automobiles for
mobility• Problem: 30% of overall pop. can not or
chooses not to drive (Millar and Sundquist 2012)
• Need to move from providing for mobility to accessibility• Change involves thinking more broadly about
transportation options and land use
All Ages/All Abilities: Paradigm Change• Movement for change: complete streets• Complete streets designed to provide “safe
access to destinations for everyone, regardless of age, ability, income, ethnicity or how they travel” (Seskin and Gordon-Koven, 2013, p. 1)
• Movement growing
Complete Streets Policy Adoption in the U.S. U.S. Level of Government
Number of Complete Streets Policies
City 412County 39Metropolitan Planning Organization 45State 29Federal 0Total 525Source: Snyder (2013)
All Ages/All Abilities: Paradigm Change
• What would complete streets network look like?• System would: • Provide a network of sidewalks for local trips• Create safe crossings to connect sidewalks• Provide access to transit for longer trips• Create a high-comfort network of bicycle
facilities• Example: half of all trips for Dutch and
German citizens over 75 by bicycle (Pucher and Dijkstra 2003)
Complete Streets: Tool for Culture Change
• Despite progress, complete streets contested• In studies of Minneapolis and Louisiana
common theme: culture change process at DOT/DPW crucial
Respondent Descriptions of LA DOTD Culture
Complete Streets: Tool for Culture Change
• Research findings: overcoming bureaucratic inertia requires coalition building and engagement • Matches Innovative DOT findings. Requires:1. Collaborative culture within the organization2. Diverse stakeholders in process3. Breaking down silos4. Focus on where decisions are made within the organization5. Focus on opportunities for reform Millar and Sundquist (2012)
Austin: All Ages Network Framework?
Basic All Ages/Abilities Network Components
Bicycling network:1.Off-road network of trails and greenways2.Neighborhood greenways (bike
boulevards) and cycle tracksWalking network:• Sidewalk network• Improved crossings• Access to transit options
Preliminary Thoughts on All Ages/Abilities Network for Austin
• Despite 45.8 miles of greenbelts, Austin lacks a connected “transportation” greenway network
• Opportunities for neighborhood greenways and cycle tracks could create connections
• Lack of sidewalks in Austin significant problem• Example: walking with my 4 year old on streets
without sidewalks• Coalition building across sectors vital: public
health, age-friendly communities, planners, cyclists and others
Thank You!
Billy FieldsAssistant Professor Political Science
