Despite the demand for walkable urban places in New York, most real estate investment has been in the region’s core rather than in creating new walkable urban places or growing the region’s rail-served town centers. This represents a lost economic opportunity, and presents a real danger of a substantial affordable housing crisis if efforts to balance the region are not taken.
Photo via Live Well Sioux Falls
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Tell the Federal Highway Administration to make good street design the standard — The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is poised to issue new guidance about street design across the country. The proposed rule, as written, does not provide sufficient guidance for integrating safe, context-appropriate facilities for walking, bicycling, transit use, and driving and we want FHWA to cite widely-used guides that help designers create Complete Streets. Read more and take action >>
THIS DOESN’T LOOK LIKE A HIGHWAY. US-62 in downtown Hamburg, NY is part of the National Highway System, and an example of why the system’s design standards should be flexible. Photo by Dan Burden.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is poised to issue new guidance about street design across the country. Will the new guidance include walking, bicycling, and transit facilities?
Last month, FHWA proposed revisions to its rule governing design standards for the National Highway System (NHS). That system includes interstates and other high-speed, high-volume roads, but it also includes a whole lot of routes you’d more likely call “Main Street.” Thousands of miles of the NHS are streets that serve commercial centers, homes, shops, parks, schools, and hospitals—places where people often walk, bike, or take public transportation, in addition to driving.
On Wednesday, a U.S. Senate committee will vote on a Complete Streets amendment to the proposed federal transportation authorization bill. This is the first time in over six years that our federal representatives will vote on Complete Streets language — and it’s timely, given the recent statistics on roadway safety.
The National Complete Streets Coalition is working to address concerns and misconceptions of Complete Streets, and we need your help. We believe the best arguments come straight from real-life stories, and we’ve developed several points based on what we’ve gathered so far. But we need more of them.
In the past week, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to strip funding for the federal Partnership for Sustainable Communities. The Senate will consider funding for the Partnership in the coming days, and now is the time to tell your Senators to maintain funding for this important program.
These are tough economic times, which makes it even more important to keep the innovative programs that put federal dollars to good use rebuilding our local economies, strengthening our communities, and creating jobs.
Tell your Senators: Protect funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities.
Earlier this year when the Partnership was under threat, the voices of smart growth supporters made a real difference and funding was preserved. Now we need your voices to be heard even louder.
Make sure that Congress knows we will not accept shortsighted cuts that sacrifice the health of our communities.
As major decisions on federal transportation loom, and with Members of Congress back in their districts for August recess, now is a great time to talk to your representatives about all the benefits of Complete Streets and ask them to support the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011.
New York State’s legislative session ends in under a month, adding increased urgency to advocates’ calls for passage of statewide Complete Streets legislation. With a bi-partisan bill in the State Senate and a broad coalition of supporters, now is the time for New York to pass this important piece of legislation.
New Yorkers are lining up to support bills S1332 and A1863, known as “Brittany’s Law,” which would direct inclusion of all users in state transportation projects. The law takes its name from the tragic death of 14-year-old Brittany Vega, whose mother Sandi is tirelessly advocating for Complete Streets policies at the state and local level.
While it “wonderful” may be an overstatement, with a half-dozen state legislatures looking at new Complete Streets bills this year, it is an exciting time for the Complete Streets movement.