The Winter Park Health Foundation engaged Smart Growth America to help the Central Florida region identify and address specific barriers hindering local decision-makers’ ability to build Complete Streets: roadways that are safe and comfortable for all users – people walking, bicycling, and taking transit, people driving and truck drivers making deliveries.

This project includes representation from: the City of Winter Park; the City of Longwood; the City of Maitland; the City of Kissimmee; the City of Casselberry; the City of Orlando; Orange County; Osceola County; MetroPlan Orlando; the East Central Florida Regional Planning Council; Lynx; Kittelson & Associates, Inc.; Bike/Walk Central Florida; and the Florida Department of Transportation District 5.

Between May and July of 2016, Smart Growth America facilitated a series of three Complete Streets implementation workshops led by national experts for staff from each of the municipalities. The primary goals of these workshops were to educate participants on national best practices in implementing a Complete Streets approach and facilitate discussions about current barriers hindering Complete Streets in the region—both regulatory and cultural—as well as strategies for addressing those barriers and building on opportunities in the region.

This report outlines Smart Growth America’s recommendations based on information collected during and following the workshops. It suggests key steps that the municipalities and their partners can take to change land use and transportation decision-making practices and culture to support greater safety and a more walking, biking, and transit-friendly region. Taking these steps will be a significant undertaking and it can take time to see results, but the Central Florida region is well positioned to make the necessary changes. Doing so will improve safety for all residents of the region and create more vibrant communities in the process.