Photo by Oregon Department of Transportation
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Complete Streets benefit communities — In our new report, Safer Streets, Stronger Economies, we examined the economic, safety, and multimodal travel benefits of 37 Complete Streets projects from across the country. We found that most projects improved safety, encouraged more multimodal trips, were cost-effective, and helped to support local economic development. Leaders and transportation professionals involved in projects in North Carolina, Florida, Illinois, and Seattle joined us for a lively discussion of the challenges and successes of a Complete Streets approach on our launch-day webinar. Watch the recording >>
One traffic engineer’s Complete Streets journey — In case you missed it, our follow-up Safer Streets, Stronger Economies interview with North Carolina’s Dean Ledbetter is a compelling read. Ledbetter, a traffic engineer who led the transformation of West Jefferson, NC’s main street, shares his initial skepticism of pedestrian safety improvements and how his thinking shifted over time. Read more >>
New guide for evaluating Complete Streets projects — Evaluating Complete Streets Projects: A guide for practitioners will help transportation professionals understand and use the new measures of success needed for Complete Streets implementation. A beginner’s guide to performance measures for Complete Streets projects, our new resource also includes tips and links to additional resources. We introduced the guide with a robust conversation from an expert panel on innovative public engagement, upcoming national guidance, and new tools for measurement including Level of Traffic Stress. Watch the recording >>
Details matter when designing streets for all users — What works and what doesn’t when it comes to inclusive design? Professor David Pfeiffer, a scholar of disability studies and polio survivor, shows how sidewalk features such as brick work, curb ramp design, slopes, and ineffective construction mitigation can be obstacles to people who use wheelchairs. Read more >>
Congrats Boston Complete Streets Guidelines team! — The American Planning Association’s National Planning Excellence Award for a Communications Initiative was awarded to Boston Complete Streets Guidelines. The Guidelines were recognized for the “fully imagined”, easy-to-understand infographics and illustrations and the accompanying interactive website that reflect truly Bostonian streetscapes and spaces. Read more >>
TIGER 2015 announced — The U.S. Department of Transportation announced that $500 million will be made available for transportation projects across the country under a seventh round of the wildly popular TIGER competitive grant program. The grant program will focus on capital projects that generate economic development and improve access to reliable, safe and affordable transportation for disconnected both urban and rural, while emphasizing improved connection to employment, education, services and other opportunities, workforce development, or community revitalization. Pre-applications are due May 4. Read more >>
- And join Transportation for America’s Beth Osborne for an informative webinar about the TIGER application process on Thursday, April 23. Beth brings a wealth of relevant experience as the former Acting Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy and then Deputy Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at USDOT, where she ran the TIGER program during her tenure. Register >>
Placemaking with Realtors — The National Association of Realtors released a guide to placemaking, focusing on those small, inexpensive, and incremental community projects that make a neighborhood better for living, working, and playing. Realtor associations can apply for placemaking micro-grants to help launch such projects in their communities. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Read more >>
Better on-street bus stops — A newly released research report from the Transportation Research Board explores challenges and successes in making on-street bus stops work best for transit agencies and their customers. It includes state-of-the-practice actions taken by agencies to address constraints and improvements to on-street bus stops. Read more >>
Quick reference for travel lane widths and safety — Northeastern University engineering professor Dr. Peter Furth has assembled a handy bibliography of the research and guidance available regarding travel lane width and transportation safety. Download >>
Making the case for designing active cities — If you ever spent hours digging for the scientific research supporting livable communities, this paper may prove handy. Active Living Research has synthesized 418 findings from high-quality journal articles and other sources to document the features that are related to physical activity, mental health, social, and environmental benefits. The findings are organized into five general sections (parks/open space/trails, urban design, transportation, schools, and workplaces/buildings) and includes a section on disparities. Read more >>
Innovative regional planning webinar — Experts from T4America, Broward County MPO, Wasatch Front Regional Council, and the University of California at Berkeley will discuss best practices and trends in transit and mobility solutions at the regional level. Join them on April 22 at 3 PM EDT. Register >>
County health rankings — How does your county compare to your neighbor? Use the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s 2015 County Health Rankings to compare clinical care, social and economic factors, health behaviors, and features of the physical environment, including the percentage of adults driving alone for work and levels of particulate matter. Read more >>
Local Leaders Council Policy Forum — This annual policy forum brings together mayors, councilmembers, county officials, agency directors, and other elected and appointed officials to exchange ideas about smart growth strategies. This year’s forum, from May 31 – June 1, 2015, will focus on the theme “growing the new economy.” Register today >>
Fairbanks, AK will begin construction on a redesigned Cushman Street this summer. Narrowed from three travel lanes to two, the street’s sidewalks will be twice as wide, with room for streets. Read more >>
San Diego, CA is enjoying the fruits of its bicycle counters and lane striping projects. Bicycle counts in the Uptown neighborhood have jumped 346 percent since the end of 2012, where much of the change is credited to new buffered bicycle lanes. SANDAG, San Diego’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) installed automated bicycle counters in 2012. Residents and community groups are working to advance plans for a needed network of improved bicycling facilities. Read more >>
On a chilly March morning, Hartford, CT launched the first leg of its Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) service connecting downtown Hartford to New Britain on a bus-only highway. The new BRT, named CTfastrak, will eventually connect the capitol city to New Haven, linking schools, medical centers, and bus, Amtrak, and other transportation networks. CTfastrak is expected to log 12,000 riders per day by the end of this year. A five-mile multi-use trail also connects two of the stations. Read more >>
Orlando, FL is moving ahead with 20+ miles of new sidewalks, on top of the 17 miles constructed as part of the first round of improvements. Locations for the new sidewalks are based on proximity to schools, parks, bus routes, retail and SunRail stations. Read more >>
Macon, GA broke ground on its Second Street this month. “You’re connecting the east side and the west side, but not with a high speed thoroughfare, but with a complete street that’s pedestrian friendly, retail friendly and got bicycle lanes on it. We think it’s the start of a new beginning,” noted Mayor Robert Reichert. Read more >>
Des Moines, IA Mayor Frank Cownie challenged the mayors of other cities in the region to adopt a Complete Streets policy by the end of the year. Read more >>
Saugerties, NY has named the members of its 14-person Transportation Advisory Council, which will help implement Complete Streets in the town and village. Read more >>
Pittsburgh, PA‘s Mayor William Peduto has issued an executive order for the Steel City’s Planning Director to develop a Complete Streets policy and implementation framework. The initiative will include the integration of Complete Streets into the City’s comprehensive plan, transit investments, transit demand management (TDM) program, and development policies and codes. Read more >>
Chattanooga, TN joined the over 200 cities in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Mayor’s Challenge. With a Complete Streets ordinance already under its belt, the city will focus on pedestrian and bicycle safety through collecting data, improving traffic laws, and designing pedestrian networks. Mayor Andy Berke says that, “For us to live up to our promise as a city, we want to make sure that we can accommodate as many people as possible in transportation.”
New Complete Streets policies
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