Author: Smart Growth America

Five things we learned at South Florida’s Safe Streets Summit

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Last month, the National Complete Streets Coalition joined the South Florida Safe Streets Summit, an annual conference co-hosted by the metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) of Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade counties. The day was jam-packed with informative and inspirational presentations by local elected officials, planners, authors, professors, and transportation advocates, and Emiko Atherton, Director of the National Complete Streets Coalition, delivered the keynote address. Here are five things we learned during the event.

Complete Streets

A new newsletter about creating great, equitable TOD

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Introducing a new weekly newsletter all about the best practices in transit-oriented development.

TODresources.org is home to a trove of information about equitable transit-oriented development projects from across the country. These resources showcase the best, most innovate approaches to TOD nationwide. We want to better highlight those strategies and help more people across the country use them in the year to come.

Uncategorized

Connecting rural economies to the speed of broadband

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Rural communities across the country have abundant natural beauty and a heritage of hard work. By bridging the gap in broadband capabilities, these communities are creating a new resource for their current residents and making themselves more competitive in the national economy.

Technical assistance

Watch the recorded kickoff discussion of “Empty Spaces”

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On Tuesday we released Empty Spaces, new research looking at the real parking needed at five transit-oriented developments (TODs). The report, produced in partnership the University of Utah, looks at how much less parking is required at TOD than standard engineering guidelines suggest, and how many fewer vehicle trips are generated than those guidelines estimate.

Transportation

Welcome to USDOT, Secretary Chao

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Yesterday, the Senate voted to confirm Elaine Chao as the next Secretary of Transportation.

To Secretary Chao we say congratulations. America’s transportation system is a key part of our economy and our communities, and in your new position you have a unique and valuable opportunity to improve this country.

Chao already has experience running a federal agency, and has made clear that safety will be a priority for her time as transportation secretary. We think that’s fantastic—especially if she means making streets safer for people walking and biking.

Advocacy Complete Streets

Introducing “Empty Spaces,” new research about parking at five TODs

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The land near transit stations is a valuable commodity. Hundreds or thousands of people travel to and through these places each day, and decisions about what to do with this land have implications for local economies, transit ridership, residents’ access to opportunity, and overall quality of life for everyone in a community.

Many communities choose to dedicate at least some of that land for parking. The question is, how much? Standard engineering guidelines are designed for mostly isolated suburban land uses—not walkable, urban places served by transit. But few alternative guidelines for engineers exist.

Empty Spaces: Real parking needs at five TODs, released today, set out to determine how much less parking is required at transit-oriented developments (TODs) and how many fewer vehicle trips are generated than standard industry estimates.

LOCUS Transportation

Introducing “Implementation & Equity 201,” a new webinar series all about creating Complete Streets

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The National Complete Streets Coalition is excited to announce a brand new monthly webinar series, designed to help professionals from a variety of disciplines put Complete Streets principles into action. Implementation & Equity 201: The Path Forward to Complete Streets will explore a new issue each month related to creating safer, healthier, more equitable streets.

Complete Streets

A look back at the Seventh Annual Complete Streets Dinner

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Left: Commissioner Polly Trottenberg delivering her remarks. Right: Trottenberg speaking with Governor Parris Glendening.

The National Complete Streets Coalition hosted our Seventh Annual Complete Streets Dinner last Tuesday evening, January 10, 2017. More than 60 advocates, supporters, partners, and friends gathered in Washington, DC to mingle, share ideas, and commemorate an eventful year for the Coalition.

Geoff Anderson, president and CEO of Smart Growth America, delivered a brief address welcoming guests to the dinner before passing the microphone to Art Guzzetti, vice president of policy at the American Public Transportation Association and a member of the Coalition’s Steering Committee, who introduced the Coalition’s partners and sponsors. Coalition director Emiko Atherton recounted our accomplishments over the past year, including surpassing 1,000 Complete Streets policies nationwide and introducing a new strategic plan focused on implementation and equity.

Complete Streets

Coming soon: new research on parking requirements at TOD stations

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Research has shown development near transit stations requires less parking than other kinds of development. Yet most engineering guidelines are unclear exactly how much less parking is needed. Oversupply of parking takes up valuable land, raises the cost of development, and misses a key opportunity. Building the right amount of parking can help communities get … Continued

Economic development Transportation
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