This section provides a variety of resources to help you spread the word about complete streets policies. Additional resources can be found in the fact sheets pages.
Complete Streets Basic Info
Frequently Asked Questions - List of FAQ on the basics of complete streets.
Complete the Streets! (.pdf) - Article from the magazine of the American Planning Association for an overview on complete streets. (May 2005)
Brochure: Common Features and Benefits (.pdf) - A tri-fold brochure providing an overview of complete streets.
Brochure: Policy and Implementation (.pdf) - This brochure includes covers elements of a complete streets policy and various issues in implementation.
Reports & Articles
In progress: Best Practices Manual on Complete Streets with the American Planning Association
Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America - A major report from The AARP Public Policy Institute AARP, working with the Renaissance Planning Group, the National Complete Streets Coalition, the Institute of Transportation Engineers and others, on considering the needs of older people in multimodal street planning.
Complete Streets: We Can Get There from Here (.pdf) - Authored by John LaPlante and Barbara McCann; in the journal of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (May 2008).
Retrofitting Urban Arterials into Complete Streets (.pdf) - John LaPlante’s research at TRB’s 3rd Urban Street Symposium (2007).
Aging Americans: Stranded Without Options - This report concludes that as Americans grow older, our existing transportation network is unable to meet their needs of the national’s aging population particularly as they become less willing and able to drive.
Transit Resource Guide - Information from the American Public Transportation Association on compact, mixed use development near transit stations.
Model Complete Streets Communications Plan (.doc) - In January 2007, the Partnership for Active Communities in Sacramento, California, kicked off its campaign, based on this Communications Plan, to build support of Complete Streets.
Partnership Moves Community Toward Complete Streets - Published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, this article describes how the Partnership for Active Communities brought together multidisciplinary organizations to support increased walking and bicycling through a 5-year project.
Beyond 50.05 A Report to the Nation on Livable Communities: Creating Environments for Successful Aging (.pdf) - AARP’s report includes an evaluation guide and online 10-point community self assessment check-list to evaluate the livability of your community for older Americans.
Constructing, Maintaining, and Financing Sidewalks in New Jersey - Research done to explore who is responsible for sidewalks, with a review of state and national guidelines, consultation with national professionals, and a legal analysis of sidewalk-related caselaw.
Dangerous by Design - Transportation for America’s 2009 report ranks pedestrian safety in major metro areas, finding ‘incomplete’ streets a major culprit in the deaths of thousands of Americans every year.
Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2010 Benchmarking Report - This report from the Alliance for Biking Walking highlights data on biking and walking levels, safety, funding, policies, and more from 50 states and the 51 largest cities.
Presentations
Introduction to Complete Streets (15.9MB) - A brief PowerPoint presentation on why we need complete streets, available to view in your browser.
Completing the Streets for Transit - Summary report from a planning workshop hosted by the National Complete Streets Coalition at Rail~volution in November, 2006. Sponsored by the Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program.
Road Diets (.pdf) - Michael Ronkin delivered this presentation at the 2007 New Partners for Smart Growth conference. Many successful examples are included, as well as safety benefits and capacity information.
Complete Streets and Context Sensitive Solutions - Featuring Gabe Rousseau, Ph.D., FHWA Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager, Barbara McCann, and Michael Ronkin, this presentation (with audio) discuesses the importance of complete streets, federal programs and policies that support complete streets efforts locally, and how the design and implementation of complete strets relates to Context Sensitive Solutions.
Fact Sheets
The Coalition has a series of fact sheets covering topics such as economic revitalization, climate change, and health.
Active Facts: Complete Streets for Active Communities (.pdf) - The Active Living Resource Center provides guidance on making the streets meet the needs for all transportation users.
Complete Streets/Calles Completas (.pdf) - Planning for Healthy Places, a program of the Public Health Institute’s Public Health Law & Policy project, offers general fact sheets in both English and Spanish.
Making the Case for Active Transportation - The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute has developed this series of fact sheets focused on designing communities to move people, not cars. Publications include Health Benefits, Barriers to Active Transportation, Increasing Social Capital, and the Role for Municipal Decision Makers.
Complete Streets in Station-Area Plans - The Great Communities Collaborative developed a comprehensive fact sheet on the need to integrate complete streets concepts in transit station area plans, as well as general information on the need to create streets for all users.
Design Guidance
Best Practices for Complete Streets (.pdf) - A report from the Sacramento Transportation & Air Quality Collaborative including street design concepts and amenities.
Relationship of Lane Width to Safety for Urban and Suburban Arterials (.pdf) - Road design policy reseach that argues that encouraging narrow lanes will not increase safety risk in most cases.
Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities: An ITE Proposed Recommended Practice - A new engineering guide on urban roadways will be released in 2009, but the guide is posted in draft form.
Revised Draft Guidelines for Accessible Public Rights-of-Way - The latest draft of new guidelines being developed by the US Access Board for public rights-of-way that will address various access issues.
Design Issues for Sidewalks - US Access Board videos that address design sidewalk accessibility issues.
MassHighway Project Development & Design Guide - The Massachusetts road design manual integrates all modes and gives cities and towns more control over design decisions.
Charlotte, NC Urban Street Design Guidelines - The USDG are the implementation tool for planning and designing Charlotte’s streets and for providing viable transportation choices for all Charlotteans.
Tacoma, WA Complete Streets Design Guidelines - Tacoma’s new Complete Streets Guidelines will provide a comprehensive set of city-wide design guidelines. So far, guidance has been adopted for Mixed-Use Centers and for Residential areas. The project team will soon develop guidance for industrial areas and major connector streets.
New York City Street Design Manual - The Street Design Manual is a thoughtful, comprehensive document covering the many street types found in all five boroughs and is recognized as one of the best in the nation.
