Author: Smart Growth America

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

Video: What new Complete Streets projects can bring to Atlanta

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Atlanta voters recently passed several ballot measures that will fund Complete Streets projects in the city. What can residents expect to get out of these new projects?

A new video from the Fulton County Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH) in collaboration with the Atlanta Regional Commission and the City of Atlanta details what a Complete Streets approach is all about, and the ways it can make streets safer, healthier, and more convenient for people of all ages and abilities, no matter how they travel in Atlanta.

Complete Streets
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