Guadalupe Street in Austin, TX. Austin had one of the highest-scoring policies of 2014. Photo courtesy of the City of Austin.
A total of 74 communities adopted Complete Streets policies in the United States in 2014. These laws, resolutions and planning and design documents encourage and provide for the safe access to destinations for everyone, regardless of age, ability, income or ethnicity, and no matter how they travel.
The Best Complete Streets Policies of 2014, released today by Smart Growth America’s National Complete Streets Coalition examines and scores each Complete Streets policy enacted in 2014. The report outlines ten ideal elements of a Complete Streets policy and scores individual policies based on these ideals. Policy elements refine a community’s vision for transportation, provide for many types of users, complement community needs and establish a flexible approach necessary for an effective Complete Streets process and outcome.
Eleven agencies led the nation in creating comprehensive Complete Streets policies in 2014. They are:
| Rank: | Jurisdiction: | Score: |
| 1. | Ogdensburg, NY | 92.8 |
| 2. | Troy, NY | 91.2 |
| 3. | Lakemoor, IL | 88.8 |
| 3. | Dawson County, MT | 88.8 |
| 3. | Austin, TX | 88.8 |
| 6. | Acton, MA | 87.2 |
| 6. | Middleton, MA | 87.2 |
| 6. | Reading, MA | 87.2 |
| 6. | Salem, MA | 87.2 |
| 10. | Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, CA | 86.4 |
| 10. | Stoughton, MA | 86.4 |
These policies are a model for communities across the country.
Small towns and big cities alike enacted Complete Streets policies in 2014. And over time, the typical Complete Streets policy has become increasingly well-written, as reflected in an upward trend in the annual median scores of policies. The median score of policies adopted in 2014 was 62.0, up from 51.6 in 2013.
Today, Complete Streets policies are in place in 712 jurisdictions nationwide, including 30 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia; 58 regional planning organizations; 58 counties; and 564 municipalities.
The annual Best Complete Streets Policies report is intended to celebrate the communities that have done exceptional work in the past year and to provide leaders at all levels of government with ideas for how to create strong Complete Streets policies. The report includes extensive detail for what makes Complete Streets policies work well, and how every community can make their streets better for everyone.
Get the full report: The Best Complete Streets Policies of 2014 >>