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Photo courtesy of the American Heart Association and Voices for Healthy Kids
Hanover Bike Walk advocates for following our COMPLETE STREETS POLICY, adopted by the Selectboard in 2017, to ensure that as transportation projects are considered, each phase will be an opportunity to create safer, more accessible streets for all users. These phases include but are not limited to: planning, programming, design, right-of-way acquisition, construction engineering, construction, reconstruction, operation, and maintenance. This policy ensures that our town efficiently makes use of funds spent on our streets to serve more users.
“Complete Streets” means streets and ways designed and operated to be safe and accessible for all users regardless of age, physical ability or mode of transport, and have an ease of use whether the user is moving along or across the street.
Strengthening Hanover's Complete Streets efforts requires both internal evaluation and ideas from everyone who uses and relies upon the transportation system - individuals, organizations and even entire communities. We encourage you to provide your comments about Complete to hanoverbikewalk@gmail.com
Also learn more about how we could update our policy with more current references and best practices!
What is a Complete Street?
What is a Complete Street?
A Complete Street is a roadway planned and designed to consider the safe, convenient access and mobility of all roadway users of all ages and abilities. This includes pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation riders, and motorists; it includes children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.
Complete Street roadway design features include sidewalks, lane striping, bicycle lanes, paved shoulders suitable for use by bicyclists, signage, crosswalks, pedestrian control signals, bus pull-outs, curb cuts, raised crosswalks, ramps and traffic calming measures.
What are the Benefits of Complete Streets?
What are the Benefits of Complete Streets?
Complete Streets will contribute to a cleaner, more sustainable and equitable transportation system and more citizens will achieve the health benefits associated with active forms of transportation while traffic congestion and auto related air pollution will be reduced.
A 2015 Smart Growth America study of completed projects, Safer Streets, Stronger Economies , found that "Complete Streets projects tended to improve safety for everyone, increased biking and walking, and showed a mix of increases and decreases in automobile traffic, depending in part on the project goal."
The New York City Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) found, in The Economic Benefits of Sustainable Streets , "convincing evidence that improved accessibility and a more welcoming street environment... generate[d] increases in retail sales in the project areas."
2025.1.27 Hanover Complete Streets Policy.pdf
September 2023, Complete Streets guidelines were followed when Lyme Road was resurfaced between Park and Reservoir, resulting in the northbound bike lane being widened, giving more space to bicyclists. Previously this bike lane was a sub standard with with unclear markings prior to the lane ending. These safety improvements are particularly necessary when there snow takes up part of the bike lane!
September 2023, Complete Streets guidelines were followed when the Currier and South intersection was upgraded from 3 to 4 marked crosswalks, in line with best practices.
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