ALBANY - Following calls for the city to add a Complete Streets coordinator position to Albany’s $176.97 million budget, Mayor Kathy Sheehan said adjustments are being made to have a traffic engineer dedicated to the pursuit.

Several Albany residents have championed adding the coordinator to enhance the capital city’s development of more user-friendly street projects, with the Capital Region Complete Streets transportation advocacy group leading the charge. The group argued adding the post would increase the city budget 0.04 percent and would pay for itself within a few years.

“Within the next week we will be assigning one of our engineers to oversee complete streets and ADA compliance,” Sheehan said. “Because we already have capacity in our engineering department to coordinate our complete streets efforts, we do not believe it is necessary to create a new position.”

The Complete Streets Policy and Design Manual, completed in 2017, outlines guiding principles for future street construction and development. It ensures that all modes of transportation, from walking to taking mass transit, are factored into road design.

Advocates say complete streets projects increase property values and having a coordinator would ensure there’s a point person for all projects, tracking each one and identifying future plans, while also finding grant funding opportunities.

Most recently the Capital Region chapter of the American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) – whose mission is to free people with disabilities from forced institutionalization to live independently – came out in support.

“It is crucial to appoint someone to this position who will oversee the implementation of such a program and to make sure it is consistent with the principles of Albany’s Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plan and Self-Evaluation,” a statement from ADAPT read.

Many have made their case to Common Council members in recent weeks, however, the council doesn’t have the authority to add positions to the budget. That power resides with the mayor.

With an already tight budget – once again hinging on $12.5 million from the state — Councilmember Judy Doesschate, who chairs the council’s Finance Committee, said there is concern adding a position would take money away elsewhere.

“One of the concerns that has been raised by one of the committee members is that if you take money out of the budget to fund this particular position, that could be money that could be used to actually implement more complete Streets designs,” Doesschate said.