Pedestrian fatalities have reached epidemic proportions, with more than 49,340 people walking being struck and killed by drivers between 2008 and 2017, according to Dangerous by Design 2019. At the same time, inactivity is a looming public health crisis. But Complete Streets offer a solution to both, making it safer and more appealing for people of all ages to walk, bike, or take transit to their destinations.

This year, in our annual evaluation of Complete Streets policies, we use a new and improved framework that elevates both equity and implementation to grade policies.

While more than 1,477 communities have passed Complete Streets policies, this new framework puts a new emphasis on translating policy into practice and making sure that everyone—and particularly people in low-income areas and communities of color—will benefit. Under the new framework, the average score for policies dropped, but there were still a number of communities that stood out with strong policies. The top 10 Complete Streets policies of 2018 are:

Download the report for the complete list of grades, profiles of five leading communities, and a detailed explanation of the new grading framework and sample policy language.