Author: Nimotalai Azeez

Policy #5: Jurisdictions should coordinate with other agencies to create a Complete Streets network

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The jurisdiction element addresses how agencies who may be responsible for building or maintaining roads can require outside parties to comply with the Complete Streets policy. Creating a Complete Streets network requires interagency coordination between government departments and partner agencies. We spoke to Byron Rushing, one of our Steering Committee members from the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals who shared his insight on why this element is crucial in Complete Streets policies.

Complete Streets

Policy #4: Complete Streets policies can have exceptions, as long as they’re clear and accountable

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Effective Complete Streets policy implementation requires a process for exceptions to providing for all modes in each project. Exceptions should follow the Federal Highway Administration’s guidance on accommodating bicycle and pedestrian travel and identified best practices frequently used in existing Complete Streets policies. The Coalition believes these exceptions are appropriate with limited potential to weaken the policy. 

Complete Streets

Policy #3: Complete Streets projects and phases should commit to all users and modes

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The ideal Complete Streets policy has a strong commitment that all transportation projects and maintenance operations account for the needs of all modes of transportation and all users of the road network. Existing projects and maintenance should be seen as opportunities to implement Complete Streets. However, this does not mean every street needs to add a bike lane during regular maintenance but it is worth considering the potential benefits. We spoke to one of our Steering Committee members Ignacio Bunster-Ossa from AECOM to hear more about how jurisdictions can implement this revised policy element.

Complete Streets

Policy #2: Diverse users – Prioritize Complete Streets where it is needed the most

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A Complete Streets approach requires “diverse users” to be more than just a buzzword. This brand new addition to our policy framework aims to hold jurisdictions accountable for including equity into their plans based on the composition and objectives of the community, a requirement that was lacking from the previous framework. The U.S. history of systemic discrimination and exclusion based on race and income is part of the transportation context and cannot be ignored. Transportation choices should be safe, convenient, reliable, affordable, accessible, and timely regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, income, gender identity, immigration status, age, ability, languages spoken, or level of access to a personal vehicle.

Complete Streets

Policy #1: Vision and intent – Complete Streets are intended to benefit all users equitably

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No two communities are identical, and no two Complete Streets policies should be exactly the same either. Vision and intent, a revised element in the updated Complete Streets policy framework, is an opportunity for jurisdictions to customize and prioritize their motivations for adopting a Complete Streets policy. The following post explores the reasoning behind this revisions, and how it can help communities better reach their most vulnerable populations. 

This post is part of Complete Streets month at Smart Growth America; we will be sharing a series of blog posts that cover and explain each of the 10 revised policy elements in some detail.

Complete Streets

“Public/Private Partnerships: Complete Streets & Large-Scale Development” webinar recap

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On October 18th we hosted “Public/Private Partnerships: Complete Streets & Large-Scale Development” the eighth installment in our monthly webinar series, Implementation & Equity 201: The Path Forward to Complete Streets. A recording of the webinar is now available above. You can also download the PDF of the presentation, or read the brief recap below.

Complete Streets

Coming soon: A brand new Complete Streets policy framework

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Introducing a brand new framework for grading Complete Streets policies

We’ve got big news to share: As you hopefully know already, each year the Coalition releases an analysis and ranking of the best Complete Streets policies in the country based on 10 policy elements that were established more than a decade ago. Beginning in 2018, we will be using a brand new framework to analyze and rank Complete Streets policies.

Complete Streets

Complete Streets News – October 2017

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Do you have a Complete Streets Implementation Committee and/or Complete Streets Coalition in your community? Let us know! We’re collecting an atlas.

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Registration now open for Intersections: Creating Culturally Complete Streets — Join us in Nashville, TN on April 3-4, 2018 for mobile workshops, interactive panels and breakout discussions about cutting-edge Complete Streets and creative placemaking research, ideas, and practices. The conference will also be an opportunity to meet fellow advocates and practitioners from across the country.

Have an idea related to Complete Streets or creative placemaking? We are also accepting session proposals. Take part in the movement and register today >>

Complete Streets Uncategorized

What we learned about Complete Streets implementation from Safe Streets Academy applications

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As the first-ever Safe Streets Academy prepares for launch next month, the quality and number of applications that were submitted offered a deeply informative look into the challenges to Complete Streets implementation that jurisdictions across the country currently face. The National Complete Streets Coalition decided to put that information to use by creating an infographic that summarizes some of the most pressing challenges.

Complete Streets