City Thread Accelerated Mobility Project

Bainbridge Island received Accelerated Mobility Playbook (AMP) technical assistance from City Thread with a community-specific mobility audit of the current state of practice and an action plan to improve implementation of the 2022 Sustainable Transportation Plan and strengthen community partnerships. The City of Bainbridge Island was selected as one of nine cities to participate in City Thread’s 2023 AMP technical assistance program designed to help fast-forward the build-out of mobility networks. The application was prepared in partnership with the City, Squeaky Wheels and Bainbridge GreenWays. This project kicked off in February 2023 and concluded in June 2023.

Accelerated Mobility Playbook for Bainbridge Island

The Bainbridge Island AMP is divided into three distinct phases. Phase 1 is both an audit of a city’s current state of practice and an action plan for improved implementation and partnership. In phases 2 and 3, work begins to build a diverse coalition of community supporters, launch a supportive media campaign, develop a process for rapid project delivery, and accelerate the construction of complete mobility networks.

City Thread Report for Bainbridge Island - May 2023 (PDF)

Bainbridge Island’s playbook is distilled into the following six strategies:

  1. Building Momentum and Connectivity: The City can capitalize on growing popular support for infrastructure improvements that make it safer and easier for residents to use bikes, low-speed mobility devices, or walking in the city’s neighborhoods. By aligning the development of the Sustainable Transportation Plan update with community partners, momentum can be focused on a City-led campaign for on-street network improvements. 
  2. Organizing Supporters: The most effective coalitions engage with residents with diverse viewpoints, representing interests outside of mobility infrastructure. With an intentional diversification strategy, Squeaky Wheels, in partnership with aligned community organizations, has the opportunity to mobilize the community in a way that encourages businesses, elected officials, and residents to view mobility as an urgent need.
  3. Accelerating Civic Engagement: Building a safe, interconnected mobility network depends on gaining the support of people who drive every day. Communication and outreach campaigns activate a new group of supporters in favor of mobility options. Audience research, public opinion surveys, and content branding help pinpoint public support for mobility solutions, present those results to decision makers, and share findings through local media outlets. 
  4. Cultivating Local Messengers: Effective messaging is only as effective as the messenger. A diverse coalition that represents Bainbridge Island residents is needed to authentically communicate the vision for active transportation and the associated benefits and tradeoffs. Proponents of the Sustainable Transportation Plan need only to identify those spokespeople and amplify their voices.
  5. Resourcing Strategic Partners: Through close collaboration with municipal leaders and transportation departments, localized outreach activities diversify the base of support in neighborhoods. Healthy collaboration replaces adversarial interaction and creates working relationships built on trust and accountability.
  6. Building a Network, Quickly: Existing community support and demonstrated political will is aligned, and the Sustainable Transportation Plan is adopted. It’s possible to rapidly accelerate the pace of network implementation today. The resulting projects will be transformative, connected, and complete, meeting the community’s desire for transportation choices and improved safety.

The Action Plan concludes with a set of customized recommendations to improve mobility network implementation methods, build lasting and effective partnerships with community stakeholders, and amplify existing public support for changes to the city’s streets. A detailed plan for the subsequent Phases 2 and 3 can be found on pages 27−29 of the report.

Accelerated Mobility Playbook FAQ 

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