Across the country, government agencies are working to meet residents’ demands to be more responsive, transparent, and accountable in decisions and investments. Transportation agencies are not exempt from this call—and they face the additional challenges of dwindling capital and maintenance budgets. Performance measures, in the broad sense, provide a quantitative and, sometimes, qualitative indicator of … Continued
VTrans, in partnership with Smart Growth America, has unveiled a work program for revising the Vermont State Standards, which provide VTrans staff and other partners with direction in designing roadway transportation projects. Revising the Vermont State Standards; M2D2: Multimodal Development and Delivery identifies specific modifications to the Vermont State Standards, recommends changes to other related VTrans … Continued
Communities have seen amazing results from their Complete Streets projects. These projects have made streets safer, increased the number of people biking, walking, and taking transit, and have been related to broader economic gains. But too few communities measure these results.
“Crazy ideas” in action: Complete Streets features in downtown West Jefferson, NC.
On Tuesday we hosted a panel discussion about Safer Streets, Stronger Economies, new research from the National Complete Streets Coalition on the outcomes of Complete Streets projects across the country. If you missed the event, read our full recap and watch the recorded webinar.
Dean Ledbetter, a Senior Engineer at the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), joined the panel to discuss the Complete Streets project in downtown West Jefferson, NC. There were so many questions about working with transportation engineers, and for Dean specifically, that we said down with him for a follow-up conversation.
Alex Dodds: You mentioned that you initially thought that Complete Streets was a “crazy idea,” but that eventually you changed your mind. What convinced you?
Dean Ledbetter: I don’t know if there was one specific thing. I think I had to go through the [Federal Highway Administration’s] training several times for the reality of something new to overpower the existing “knowledge” I had about what my job was supposed to be. And I have to admit that we only went to those classes to get the free Professional Development Hours not because we really expected to learn anything useful.
On Tuesday, the National Complete Streets Coalition released Safer Streets, Stronger Economies, new research that analyzes data from 37 Complete Streets projects across the country, and explores the outcomes communities got for their investment. As part of the release the Coalition hosted a panel discussion to discuss the findings, and to highlight communities included in the report. A recording of the webinar is now available.
What have communities gotten for their investments in Complete Streets?
Fewer automobile collisions and injuries, and more people biking, walking, and taking transit. These projects were inexpensive yet can be effective, and were related to broader economic gains.
These are the findings of Safer Streets, Stronger Economies, released today by Smart Growth America’s National Complete Streets Coalition. The new report analyzes data from 37 Complete Streets projects across the country, and explores the outcomes communities got for their investment. Our new research finds:
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Streets were usually safer: Automobile collisions declined in 70 percent of projects, and injuries declined in 56 percent of projects. |
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This safety has financial value: Within our sample, Complete Streets improvements collectively averted $18.1 million in total collision costs in just one year. |
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The projects encouraged multimodal travel: Complete Streets projects nearly always resulted in more biking, walking, and transit trips. |
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Complete Streets projects are cheap: The average cost of a Complete Streets project was just $2.1 million—far less than the $9 million average cost of projects in state transportation improvement plans. |
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They can be an important part of economic development: Our findings suggest that Complete Streets projects were supportive of increased employment, net new businesses, higher property values, and new private investment. |
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Photo by San Francisco Bicycling Coalition
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Safer streets, stronger economies — How well do Complete Streets projects achieve transportation goals like safety and throughput? How do they support broader economic efforts? Our new report, out on March 24, looks at data from dozens of Complete Streets projects from across the country to compare the outcomes communities get from their investments. On Tuesday, join our online discussion to hear from Seattle, North Carolina’s Department of Transportation, the Central Florida Partnership, and the Mayor of Normal, Illinois. Register today >>
Evaluating Complete Streets projects — In tandem with our Safer Streets, Stronger Economies report, we’ve developed an introductory guide on how agencies can measure the impact of Complete Streets projects. The guide includes a comprehensive list of relevant measures and metrics related to access, safety, economic impact, the environment, and quality of place. It’s out on March 31, with a webinar featuring an expert panel. Register today >>
USDOT Mayors’ Challenge update — On March 12, the U.S. Department of Transportation kicked-off a year of action on improving safety for people walking and bicycling in cities nationwide by hosting an all-day summit at DOT headquarters in Washington, DC. As of last week, nearly 190 communities have signed on. Nearly 70 have already committed to Complete Streets by adopting a policy and several more have already stated their intentions to adopt a policy as part of the Challenge. Read more about the summit >>
The National Complete Streets Coalition is coming out with two new resources detailing the benefits of Complete Streets projects, and how to measure them.
Safer Streets,
Stronger Economies Coming out March 24, 2015 How well do Complete Streets projects achieve transportation goals like safety and throughput? How do they support broader economic efforts? This new research looks at data from dozens of Complete Streets projects from across the country to compare the outcomes communities get from their investments. Join the online kickoff discussion to hear about the success some cities have had with Complete Streets.
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Evaluating Complete Streets Projects
Coming out March 31, 2015 A Complete Streets approach connects community goals to transportation investments, and measuring the performance of these projects can help communicate that connection. This introductory guide will provide an overview of how to evaluate Complete Streets projects, including the measures and metrics most useful to common goals, and a handy list of resources for more in-depth application.
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What do communities get for their investments in Complete Streets? In this study of 37 projects, Smart Growth America found that Complete Streets projects tended to improve safety for everyone, increased biking and walking, and showed a mix of increases and decreases in automobile traffic, depending in part on the project goal. Compared to conventional … Continued
Photo by David Moisan, via Flickr
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Take the USDOT Mayors’ Challenge — U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has issued a call to action, challenging local leaders to significantly improve pedestrian and bicycle safety in the next year. The first of seven identified action steps is to adopt a Complete Streets approach. Any level of jurisdiction can join the initiative and attend the kick-off summit in DC next month. Read more >>
Best Complete Streets policies of 2014 — This year’s best Complete Streets policies report has arrived! We’re excited to name Ogdensburg, NY, a community of The City of Ogdensburg, NY, located on the northern border of the state and home to 11,000 people, adopted 2014’s best-written policy, which scored a total of 92.8 points of a possible 100. To celebrate, we hosted an online discussion with representatives from a few of this year’s top-scoring communities. Check out the recording and recap of the kickoff event >>
