Last Monday, the City-County Council of Indianapolis unanimously approved a measure to make the city’s streets safer and more convenient for all travelers, whether they are on a bicycle, in a car, riding the bus, or on foot.
Communities across the United States adopted 146 Complete Streets policies in 2011, and over 350 policies are now in place across the country. A new report looks at some of the best of these policies, and a new resource can help community leaders bring these practices to their town or city.
The Complete Streets provision included in the Senate transportation bill has been struck from the final bill during the conference process. The provision, Safety for Motorized and Non-Motorized Users, received bi-partisan support in the Senate and is based on a marker bill that received bi-partisan support in the House.
New research shows a relationship between strip-mall development and a higher likelihood of death or injury in traffic crashes for those 75 or older — building on previous research that streets safe for our most vulnerable users are better for everyone, regardless of who they are and how they travel. The complex variety of potential street users provides an opportunity for us to take a holistic approach to transportation and community planning, making our streets and towns safer and stronger.
In an effort to ensure the continued growth and widespread support for Complete Streets policies, the National Complete Streets Coalition’s steering committee recently approved a proposal to incorporate the coalition as an official program of Smart Growth America, the only organization dedicated to researching, advocating for and leading coalitions to bring smart growth practices to more communities nationwide. The change will take effect July 1.
A new poll released by America Bikes yesterday is a telling indicator that Americans support Complete Streets — over 80% of respondents, in communities large and small, would like to see federal funding for bicycling and walking maintained or increased. These findings are consistent with other state and local polls that have shown American citizens want streets that work for everyone.
The next time someone refers to a sidewalk as a too-expensive “amenity,” think about Powell Calhoun and Donna Williams. They were fatally hit by a driver as they traveled along a frontage road in Jackson, Mississippi that had no sidewalks for him to push her wheelchair.
April’s arrival brings with it several events that give opportunity to celebrate the Complete Streets movement, as well as space to remember why we’re working for Complete Streets in the first place.
The Senate’s bi-partisan surface transportation authorization bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21), makes significant progress in ensuring the safety of users of the transportation system. The Coalition urges the House to follow by passing their own bi-partisan bill.
The California Department of Transportation takes to our blog to shows how it is moving ahead to make the Golden State’s highways safer, more livable, and inviting to pedestrians, bicyclists, the disabled, public transportation users, and motorists.