Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded over $290 million to public transportation projects across the country. Many of the winning projects took a comprehensive approach that will make travel more convenient for not just transit vehicles but also people walking, biking, and waiting for the bus or streetcar.
The latest F as in Fat annual report is out, showing increased obesity rates in 28 states. Of programs and policies proven to help us get healthier, the report authors include the adoption of Complete Streets policies at the community, state, and federal level.
As July unfolds before us, we look back on the progress of the Complete Streets movement since the year began: We’ve seen incredible progress federally, and we celebrated two new state laws. Eighteen communities have committed to complete streets since January, and we released a Best Practices report on policies and implementation.
This week’s Complete Streets activities across the country, including a call to action on New York legislation, news from Michigan, the importance of planning transportation for all ages, and more.
Last Thursday, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay signed complete streets into law. The city will now “consider complete street elements in the design, construction and maintenance of public transportation projects, improvements and facilities.”
This week, we link you to some great videos out of Dubuque and Charlotte; talk a little about road diets; see Hennepin County’s complete streets policy in action; give an update on Michigan’s pending legislation; and more!
In Columbus, OH – where complete streets has taken hold in many transportation agencies – President Obama and Secretary LaHood attended the groundbreaking of the 10,000th Recovery Act road project: a complete street.
The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, headed by First Lady Michelle Obama, released a new report and action plan to end childhood obesity in a generation. The report specifically recommends a federal Complete Streets policy.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation released guidelines for “ TIGER II,” a $600 million merit-based program that may give a glimpse of a future in which transportation projects are routinely multimodal and connected to land use.
Earlier this month, The Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) approved the most comprehensive Complete Streets Policy among large MPOs. This thoughtful and comprehensive policy will lead to genuine on-the-ground changes in the Columbus region and is a leading model for agencies across the country.