By planning, designing, and constructing Complete Streets, communities of all sizes – whether rural hamlets, small towns, or booming metropolises – are able to provide the quality access to jobs, health care, shops, and schools their residents deserve, while also achieving greater economic, environmental, and public health benefits.
Blueprint America takes a look at Buford Highway in suburban Atlanta, Georgia, where pedestrians risk injury – and even death – just trying to cross the street.
A lively conversation is underway on how transportation policy affects low income and minority children – and what can be done about it. Completing the streets, with a focus on the most vulnerable road users, has an important role to play in ensuring all children have access to safe streets.
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded over $290 million to public transportation projects across the country. Many of the winning projects took a comprehensive approach that will make travel more convenient for not just transit vehicles but also people walking, biking, and waiting for the bus or streetcar.
Freshly returned from the Velo-City conference in Copenhagen, Barbara McCann shares how our movement can learn from the Europeans – and it’s not simply importing their engineering. It’s building the consensus that roads serve purposes beyond moving vehicles quickly.
Last Thursday, St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay signed complete streets into law. The city will now “consider complete street elements in the design, construction and maintenance of public transportation projects, improvements and facilities.”
It’s hard to think of Michigan without thinking of the automobile, but the growing Michigan Complete Streets Coalition (now at 70+ members!) is working to change that. With two bills set for a Committee vote today and more and more communities adopting their own policies, the Coalition is helping Michigan be a safer, healthier, and stronger place to live.
In Columbus, OH – where complete streets has taken hold in many transportation agencies – President Obama and Secretary LaHood attended the groundbreaking of the 10,000th Recovery Act road project: a complete street.
While the U.S. Department of Transportation has gotten lots of attention for its efforts to promote livable communities, the Department of Health and Human Services is also determined to invest in livability – for health. They are directing $650 million to 44 communities through the Communities Putting Prevention to Work to institute policy and environmental changes that will help make the healthy choice the easy choice.
Last month, the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition celebrated the passage of a strong state law. They have kindly shared more information on the bill and how they did it, including lessons learned.