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.
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.
Introduction to Complete Streets (21.6MB) - A brief PowerPoint presentation on why we need complete streets, also available to view in your browser.
Complete Streets Atlas - An interactive map of all the jurisdictions that have adopted a complete streets approach, along with downloadable charts of selected policies.
Street Design: Part 1 - Complete Streets - Public Roads, the bimonthly magazine of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), ran a comprehensive article on Complete Streets in its July/August 2010 edition.
Reports & Articles
Complete Streets: Best Policy and Implementation Best Practices - This Planners Advisory Service report, a joint project of the American Planning Association and the National Complete Streets Coalition, draws on lessons learned from 30 communities across the country. The report provides insight into successful strategies and practices to create complete streets, including how to build support for complete streets, adopt policies, and integrate the policy into everyday practice. Co-edited by Barbara McCann and Suzanne Rynne, with chapters written by Coalition staffer Stefanie Seskin, it also covers topics such as cost, design, and working with stakeholders.
Complete Streets: Best Policy and Implementation Best Practices — Chapter 5: Making the Transition (.pdf) - This chapter from the Best Practices report covers how communities make the transition from traditional, automobile-based transportation planning to a more inclusive and multimodal process through the four key steps for successful implementation: 1) Restructure procedures to accommodate all users on every project; 2) Develop new design policies and guides; 3) Offer workshops and other training opportunities to planners and engineers; and 4) Institute better ways to measure performance and collect data on how well the streets are serving all users.
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 (21.6MB) - A comprehensive PowerPoint presentation on why we need complete streets, also available to view in your browser. (Please note: This presentation is a PowerPoint 2007 (PC)/PowerPoint 2008 (Mac) file. If you are using an earlier version of PowerPoint, please be sure you’ve installed in the free Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Windows or Mac.)
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.
Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach: An ITE Recommended Practice - This new Institute of Transportation Engineers Recommended Practice advances the successful integration of land use consideration and multi-modal streets to create walkable communities.
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.
Rethinking the Suburban Bus Stop (.pdf) - This report from the Airport Corridor Transportation Association suggests designs to improve different types of suburban bus stops and is a great guide for all suburban communities and transit agencies.
MassDOT 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.
