Complete Streets = Complete Nonsense

Update: North St. Paul Kills Project

On Sunday, the St. Paul Pioneer Press published an article about the efforts of a St. Paul suburb, North St. Paul (home of the giant snowman), to redo one of their fine burg's thoroughfares (15th Avenue) using the "Complete Streets" model.

To give you an idea of how radical a makeover is planned, here is the diagram published in the paper,

Although it may be too tiny to see clearly, notice how much of the existing street width is being seized to make room for sidewalks, two bike paths, and "rainwater gardens".  For $1.9 million and $60 to $70 per foot assessments of the local residents, here is the result:  parking will be prohibited on one side, restricted on the other, and the driving lanes narrowed by 10 feet to slow down traffic.

Needless to say, the local residents didn't ask for this solution, so where did this idea originate?  The "Complete Streets" movement is the thin wedge of "smart growth", trying to save us from the scourge of global warming by getting us to abandon our automobiles.

Here in Minnesota, the Minnesota Complete Street Coalition, who are pushing this agenda, was founded two years ago by, among others, the environmental non-profits Fresh Energy and Transit for Livable Communities.  These groups are funded, in part, by out-of-state foundations, which I have documented as part of my Follow the Money series.

Local residents in North St. Paul are correct in asking " why their street has to be the one to test-drive the initiative".  The good citizens of 15th Avenue are being volunteered as the test subjects for a radical experiment in urban planning.

In North St. Paul, the project is part of the City's "living streets plan" an effort to address "livability and environmental needs."  Smart Growth critic Wendell Cox has written about the livability issue, pointing out,

" 'Livability' is the latest rallying cry for planners who want to draw lines around urban areas and force people out of their cars and into denser housing...a serious alternative to the car – hopefully a far cleaner, more efficient version–does not loom on the horizon.  For all but a privileged few, cars and the quality of life and cars will remain 'joined at the hip'.  This is why research shows a strong correlation between the automobile access in an urban area and economic growth."

The residents of 15th Avenue are correct to resist this intrusion.  We should all hope that they succeed.