Starting in the early 2010s, Tucson’s Living Streets Alliance organized to change the city’s uncomfortable, unsafe streets. After successfully advocating for pedestrian safety and walkability projects to be included in a county-wide bond package, the organization used their newfound momentum to pursue a Complete Streets policy.
Adopting a Complete Streets policy is a crucial first step to reducing traffic violence, improving health equity, responding to the climate crisis, and rectifying a long history of inequitable transportation practices. The new 2023 Best Complete Streets Policy report spotlights the communities that have taken that first step and outlines how they made it happen.
The mid-sized city of Joplin is one of nine cities in Missouri to pass a top ranking Complete Streets policy in this report. To get there, a committee of city staff relied on support from every level—from a diverse set of local advocates, to statewide Complete Streets champions, to national technical assistance programs.
Howard County, Maryland carved out an identity of its own as it developed from a once largely rural county to a locus of suburban and urban growth between Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, MD. A groundswell of local advocacy for safer streets, paired with philanthropic support and county leadership, resulted in one of the strongest Complete Streets policies the Coalition has seen.
Join us for a webinar on May 24, 2023 at 12:30pm ET to hear directly from the advocates and practitioners across the country who helped pass some of the strongest Complete Streets policies of the last four years. Not all Complete Streets policies are created equal—our Best Complete Streets Policies 2023 report spotlights the strongest … Continued
On May 3, Transportation for America, a program of SGA, submitted comments in response to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) request for improvements to the Model Minimum Uniform Crash Criteria (MMUCC) Guidelines. The MMUCC guidelines provide recommendations to state and local agencies on the collection of crash data, specifically looking at the variables … Continued
By Marian Liou, Director of Arts and Culture Members of the SGA team were in San Leandro, California last week as part of the Complete Streets Leadership Academies (CSLA). California is one of 4 states chosen to participate in the CSLA program, which includes a series of virtual seminars and a two-day in-person workshop. The … Continued
Last week, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released final data for 2021 revealing that drivers of motor vehicles struck and killed 7,341 people while walking that year. This massive 12.4 percent increase over 2020 is both higher than predicted and illustrative of the urgent need for a better approach to gathering and collecting this data. We can’t say we care about a crisis that we are failing to measure well.
Many communities and State Departments of Transportation have a shared goal of creating safer streets. They recognize that without collaboration, creating a healthier, more resilient future for communities won’t happen— but what can happen to cause roadblocks to progress? Members of the SGA team were in Bristol, Connecticut in March to begin answering that question … Continued
Smart Growth America (SGA) is seeking an experienced videographer to create two videos (one 1-5 minute video, and one 30-60 second short) focusing on the history of Complete Streets work in Wenatchee, WA since passing their Complete Streets policy in 2016. SGA and the National Complete Streets Coalition provide support, advocacy, and technical assistance for … Continued