Streets don’t exist in a vacuum. They are inextricably connected to the buildings, sidewalks, spaces, homes, businesses, and everything else around them that they serve. The strongest Complete Streets policies require the integration of land-use planning to best sync up with a community’s desires for using and living on their land today and in the future.
How do you know if your Complete Streets policy is working? You measure it. And then you share the results publicly. A strong Complete Streets policy requires tracking performance measures across a range of categories—including implementation and equity—and making someone responsible for doing it.
Every local community, region, and state has a process by which they choose which transportation projects to fund and build. A strong Complete Streets policy changes that process by adding new or updated criteria that give extra weight to projects that advance Complete Streets and improve the network.
A formal commitment to a Complete Streets approach is just the beginning. A strong policy also spells out specific steps for implementing the policy in ways that will make a measurable impact on what gets built and where.
Saying that the “Complete Streets mindset” is the problem when a transportation agency builds a dangerous high-speed road and calls it a “complete street” is like calling for the repeal of the Clean Air Act when a highway agency claims their widening project will reduce emissions.
The State Legislator Champions Institute is our initiative to equip state legislators from across the country to effectively advocate for and support more activity-friendly transportation in their states. Today, we are proud to announce our first cohort of Champions: 20 state legislators who will receive comprehensive training to help them become Complete Streets Champions by … Continued
On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Smart Growth America hosted the 11th annual Complete Streets Dinner to celebrate the work of the National Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America that works to create safer, more complete streets and communities. Speakers included SGA President and CEO Calvin Gladney, representatives from sponsor organizations, and … Continued
We invite you to join the National Complete Streets Coalition at our Eleventh Annual Complete Streets Dinner on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, from 6-9 p.m. at Carmine’s in Washington, DC. The annual dinner brings together the top Complete Streets professionals, policymakers, supporters, and friends to network and celebrates the coalition and movement’s recent successes. This … Continued
Applications are open for a brand new technical assistance opportunity for state elected officials to gain the knowledge and strategy needed to effectively advocate for safer and more Complete Streets. Building on our local Champions Institute program, the first ever State Legislator Champions Institute will also help position participants to make the best use of the influx of funds from the infrastructure law, make their communities more competitive for federal grants, and more.
Elkins, West Virginia has been working to revitalize their downtown, a challenge in any circumstance, but especially in a rural Appalachian town. The workshop with Smart Growth America shared expertise and provided site-specific advice to aid local officials and community members in placemaking. The SGA team visited Elkins for two days where they participated … Continued