Accelerated Mobility Playbook Completed
Accelerated Mobility Playbook Completed
Bainbridge Island recently completed the Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) process with the organization City Thread, a process designed to enable the city to move toward prompt implementation of its existing mobility plans. Squeaky Wheels participated as a co-applicant on the technical assistance grant and was fully engaged throughout the six-month process. Bainbridge Island was one of nine cities selected for participation in the 2023 cohort and was the smallest city in the cohort. On September 12th, Council received a final presentation from City Thread highlighting the AMP and its findings.
The AMP isn’t mean to re-write City plans, but rather to review what we have on the books and talk to organizations, residents, and City staff and officials to understand barriers to efficient implementation of the plans. The goal of the AMP is to help Bainbridge Island speed up implementation of mobility networks – the infrastructure that helps all of us get around our community. City Thread has learned that while there tends to be overwhelming public support for building out networks of bike lanes, trails, and sidewalks, cities get stuck in the process, leading to slow delivery and frustrated residents.
City Thread’s AMP is meant to identify barriers to action and identify strategies to overcome those barriers and get city plans built, with authentic and effective community engagement. The AMP intends to help Bainbridge Island achieve the primary goal included in the Sustainable Transportation Plan adopted by City Council in March of last year:
Plan, design, and construction 15 miles of connected, active mobility corridors by 2026.
Bainbridge Island’s AMP includes six strategies:
- Building Momentum and Connectivity – There is growing popular support for infrastructure improvements and we already have the adopted STP. What’s next is engaging more community partners so do what the plan calls for.
- Organizing Supporters – Form a coalition with diverse organizations and viewpoints, not just “bicycle groups.”
- Accelerating Civic Engagement – Work to effectively communicate how mobility network improvements help everyone on the road, not just people walking or biking. Create outreach campaigns and conduct surveys to better dial in public support.
- Cultivating Local Messengers – Having a diverse group of representatives speak to projects and plans can help residents see themselves in the work.
- Resourcing Strategic Partners – Help partner organizations have the ability to do the work to bring people to the table.
- Building a Network, Quickly – Get to work building the network called for by the plan! Start work to bring forward projects that help meet community desire for better transportation options and safety.
City Thread noted in their September 12th presentation to City Council that Bainbridge is in an advanced position from many cities that they work with, with the STP setting us up with a clear goal and a year-by-year project list. We already have our road map – now it’s a matter of getting more folks engaged in the process to facilitate its implementation. The goal with the AMP is to bring a wider group of supportive partners to the table so that we can get greater participation and engagement. By building coalitions, we can make sure project engagement reaches a wider network of Bainbridge Island residents, who may want to see improved non-motorized networks but aren’t daily riders or walkers now.
Are you interested to learn more or find out how you can support this process? Get involved by reaching out to us at info@squeakywheels.org or attend a board meeting!
Call for Comprehensive Plan Comments!
The City of Bainbridge Island is conducting a periodic update of the Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan is the City’s long-range vision and all of the City’s work (capital improvement projects, development and permitting review) must align with it. The plan is updated on a regular interval as required by state law.
The City has already conducted many plan updates over the past several years that will be now integrated into the revised Comprehensive Plan. Notably for transportation nerds or just people who like riding bikes is that the 2022-adopted Sustainable Transportation Plan will be connected into the Comprehensive Plan part of the update process.
Check out the City’s webpage and engage in the review process for this important document!
https://cityofbainbridgeisland.civilspace.io/en/projects/2024-comprehensive-plan-periodic-update
