Complete Streets’ First Major Test in Edmonds: Taking Care of Main Street

A portion of Main Street will look a little different in the near future thanks to a new ordinance signed Friday by Edmonds Mayor Mike Cooper.

The ordinance, called Complete Streets, gets its name from the Washington, D.C.-based National Complete Streets Coalition. It strives to “complete” streets originally designed with only cars and trucks in mind to make them accessible to all users, including for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users and persons of all abilities.

Cooper’s signature insures that the city plans for, designs and constructs all new transportation projects to provide a safe corridor for all. (Watch the mayor’s YouTube message.)

One of the first major projects for Edmonds, using Complete Streets as a template, will be the renovation of Main Street east from the fountain to Sixth Avenue. It’s a long block, one of the city’s busiest and, according to Cooper, not friendly enough to pedestrians and bikers.

“The street will be designed with all of the public in mind,” said Cooper, who added that Main Street would be narrower to accommodate wider sidewalks.

“In Edmonds,” said Cooper, “we recognize that streets have an important impact on the livability of our community. Our city has a commitment to consider all users and alternate modes of transportation as part of the street design process.”

City Council President Strom Peterson was a major driving force for Complete Streets, working with city staff to find an ordinance that would work in Edmonds. The city also collaborated with the Edmonds Bicycle Advisory Committee, Cascade Land Conservancy, Cascade Bicycle Club, and Transportation Choices Coalition.