By Barbara McCann, on January 31st, 2012 in Federal
 U.S. Capitol Building from Flickr.com user Alan Grinberg With no Complete Streets provision, the just-released House Transportation bill ignores millions of Americans nationwide who want their transportation system to provide safe and convenient choices, such as walking, riding a bike, and catching a bus or train. This failure is in stark contrast to the bipartisan Complete Streets measure that met unanimous committee approval in the Senate and is now included in that version of the bill.
In addition to leaving out a Complete Streets provision, the House bill will likely make it more difficult for local communities to build Complete Streets by eliminating the dedicated bicycle and pedestrian funding that many have used to help fix their incomplete streets. Coalition partner America Bikes is working with Representatives Tom Petri (R, WI-6) and Timothy Johnson (R, IL-15) to offer an amendment to restore that funding.
The House bill also would remove an important requirement that bicycle accommodation be provided if possible when bridges are replaced or rehabilitated with federal funds. This provision is a cost-effective Complete Streets approach to improving a critical safety and access problem.
Other provisions of the bill are also of concern, such as changes to the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program that will likely end up favoring increasing automobile capacity over creating Complete Streets. And, while multi-modal projects are still eligible under the Surface Transportation Program, the description of the program removes language specifically including “accomodat[ion of] other transportation modes”. The only positive item we’ve been able to find is a new, more inclusive definition of ‘road users’ included in the Highway Safety Improvement Program, similar to an improvement we applauded in the Senate bill.
While much of the discussion of the reauthorization has centered on a shortage in funding, this bill does little to ensure that investment goes to the most beneficial projects for our communities. A Complete Streets provision would make each dollar work harder by ensuring every project helps improve safety for children heading to school, workers taking the bus to jobs, and older adults driving and walking to their doctors’ offices. It would also help boost job creation; studies have shown that building bicycling and walking facilities and investing in public transportation projects produce more jobs than simply providing roadways for automobiles too.
Clearly, he House has not gotten the message from the 28 states and more than 300 local governments that have recognized the need to create a street network that is safe for everyone, regardless of age, income, or how they choose to travel.
Learn more about the bill, and how you can take action, from our Coalition partner groups America Bikes and Transportation for America.
By Barbara McCann, on January 27th, 2012 in Coalition
 Roy Kienitz speaks at our dinner on Tuesday evening. A fine time was had by all at the Second Annual Complete Streets Dinner, held on Tuesday night at Washington, D.C.’s New Heights restaurant. The featured speaker was Roy Kienitz of Roy Kienitz LLC, who recently left the U.S. Department of Transportation where he served as Under Secretary for Policy, the number three post in the agency.
Roy spoke of the tremendous growth in the number of people and organizations working for Complete Streets and a more diverse transportation system – and what a game-changer this expansion has been in achieving change. He noted that despite the slow progress on passing a new federal transportation bill, the desire and movement toward transportation choice is clear in states, cities, and towns across the country.
Our dinner attracted 50 attendees this year, most representing consulting firms and organizations that support the Coalition at the Partner level. Their generous contributions are what make our work possible, and this dinner was just a small thank you and celebration of our accomplishments.
And we had plenty to celebrate! I listed some of the successes of the past year: with new policies adopted in Washington, Vermont, and New York, more than half the states now have policies. More than 100 new local policies were also adopted in the past year, and a bi-partisan Complete Streets measure is included in the pending federal transportation authorization. The Coalition more than doubled our workshop offerings over last year, produced our first edition of the Complete Streets Policy Analysis (.pdf), and launched a new project to address the costs of Complete Streets.
We hope you’ll be able to join us next year!
By Barbara McCann, on January 17th, 2012 in Local
 First issue of the Complete Streets zine. A few months ago I was delighted when a colleague handed me a tiny little booklet: “Complete Streets: The Bike Issue.” This little ‘zine was just a hint of a very big effort to bring Complete Streets to Spokane, Washington.
The three-year campaign, headed up by the state smart-growth group Futurewise, is holding a celebration this Thursday, January 19, to mark an enormous victory: passage of a Complete Streets ordinance at a City Council meeting just before Christmas.
Council member Jon Snyder championed the effort and described the dramatic meeting on his blog the next day:
“But a lot of the testimony last night focused on the health and safety aspects of Complete Streets (.pdf). We heard from disabled veterans, folks from Lighthouse for the Blind, grade school teachers, physicians, neighborhood representatives, and small business owners imploring us to help make our streets safer for all users and to address the epidemics of obesity and diabetes that result from inactivity. In all, more than forty people testified and Futurewise turned in a petition with an additional 500 names in support.”
The ordinance (.pdf) calls for creation of Complete Streets in accordance with existing planning documents; Futurewise’s Kitty Klitzke notes that Complete Streets-type language has been in the city’s comprehensive plan for 20 years – but was widely ignored, leaving more than 650 miles of missing sidewalks.
 Valentine messages in support of Complete Streets. In addition to the huge list of supportive organizations, the campaign benefitted from an active Facebook group, innovative advocacy ideas such as sending Complete Streets Valentines to City Council, and the decidedly low-tech ‘zines — spread across the city by hand. You can follow the entire story at the Futurewise website. The effort was also buoyed by a supportive state legislature, and even by U.S. Senator Cantwell’s vote just days earlier for a bi-partisan Complete Streets measure in a Senate committee.
The advocates in Spokane are not resting on their laurels, already preparing to ensure that the ordinance is applied to the city’s next transportation bond measure. They don’t expect smooth sailing: a new, less receptive Council is being seated and the Spokesman-Review has questioned the value of the investment.
But we’re confident that after this massive Coalition celebrates on Thursday, they’ll be in a great position to bring the ordinance to the city’s streets.
By Stefanie Seskin, on December 30th, 2011 in Coalition
We’re pleased to be hosting our Second Annual Complete Streets Dinner — and we want you to be there!
This year’s event will be held on January 24, 2012 in Washington, DC. The restaurant is the acclaimed New Heights Restaurant in the Woodley Park neighborhood. We’ll nosh on some of the District’s best food while networking with top minds in the field.
Our featured guest is Roy Kienitz, who who recently left his position as Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Transportation, working directly with Secretary Ray LaHood. He is now principal of his own firm.
Your dining companions will be some of the biggest names in Complete Streets, including National Complete Streets Coalition Executive Director Barbara McCann, several of our Complete Streets Workshops instructors, and staff from our Complete Streets Partner consulting firms.
Seats are $150 per person. Complete Streets Partners receive a significant discount, and Partners at the Silver level and up receive complimentary tickets.
Check out the official invitation for more details, and contact Miriam Isserow at misserow@completestreets.org with questions or reservations. You can also register online.
See you there!
By Stefanie Seskin, on December 14th, 2011 in Federal
 U.S. Capitol Building. Flickr.com/ Rambling Traveler In a major step forward for Complete Streets, the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation passed a federal transportation authorization bill that includes a measure for the safe accommodation of all users in federally-funded street projects.
Alaska Senator Mark Begich offered the amendment that established this measure and accepted an amendment from Senator John Thune of South Dakota. The Committee voted unanimously in favor of the measure.
The amendments modified S. 1950, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Enhancement Act, which is one of the Commerce Committee’s contributions to the overall reauthorization package.
With this measure in place, the proposed bill now directs the U.S. Secretary of Transportation to create standards for the safe accommodation of all road users and allows the Secretary to waive the standards for states that have their own policies. The additional language offered by Senator Thune would allow states to determine what is safe and adequate accommodation for a specific street. For example, the state could determine the expected users of that street or decide on the type of crossing provided.
Appropriately, the Commerce Committee’s jurisdiction is safety – a core motivation for Complete Streets policies across the country and for the support a federal policy has received on Capitol Hill.
As we pointed out yesterday, thousands of Americans are killed or injured on our roadways. And while the overall numbers are declining, injuries and fatalities among those who are walking rose sharply (.pdf) in the last year: compared to 2009, 26,000 more pedestrians were injured and 419 more were killed. Many of them were children or older adults.
Fortunately, there are thousands upon thousands of people who are working toward safer, better streets for everyone. These people are members and supporters of the National Complete Streets Coalition and the Complete Streets movement. They came together yesterday to contact their Senators in support of the Begich amendment, and the entire staff of the Coalition want to take a moment to thank them for their efforts.
In the Senate, we applaud Senator Begich for introducing the amendment, Senator Thune for helping make it bi-partisan, and every Senator on the Committee for supporting it. The Coalition is sending them a formal thank you letter (.pdf). We’re also thankful for the support from Senator Harkin of Iowa, who introduced the Safe and Complete Streets Act earlier this year, and the 16 additional Senators who have signed on as co-sponsors.
Of course, these Senators working in response to the incredible support for Complete Streets from their constituents. Advocates and organizations, members of the National Complete Streets Coalition across the country quickly stepped up to mobilize.
Our Steering Committee and Partner organizations spread the word and set up easy tools for action. We’d like to especially thank the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, whose online tool enabled 830 letters to be sent to the Commerce committee members; the League of American Bicyclists, through which 1,249 letters were sent to the Committee members; the American Society of Landscape Architects, for activating their networks of professionals; the Alliance for Biking and Walking, YMCA, and America Walks, who encouraged their members to speak up for safe streets; and America Bikes, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals, and AARP, for their incredible work on the Hill over the past few days.
National groups weren’t the only ones who generated action. Dozens of local groups responded to the call by sending letters, making phone calls, and encouraging their members and friends to take action. To name just a few: Bike Walk Lee (Florida); the Minnesota Complete Streets Coalition; Trailnet (Missouri); the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia; Bike Texas; and Feet First (Washington).
Though yesterday’s vote was an important moment for the movement, there are still many opportunities to strengthen a Complete Streets policy in the bill as it moves ahead. Bills from several Senate committees will be combined, and the House will have its own versions making their way through the process.
We will continue to need your support in coming months – but for now, pat yourselves on the back for a job well done and enjoy some cake or pie.
By admin, on December 14th, 2011 in Coalition
 What is your mission? What services do you offer?
Founded in 1944, Parsons is a global engineering, construction, technical, and management services firm. Parsons is a leader in many diversified markets with a focus on infrastructure, environmental, and defense/security. Parsons delivers design/design-build, program/construction management, professional services, and innovative alternative delivery solutions to federal, regional, and local government agencies, as well as to private industrial customers worldwide. Currently, more than 10,500 Parsons employees are engaged in more than 4,500 projects in 50 states and 24 countries. Our values include Sustainability and Innovation. We are committed to delivering projects in a safe, sustainable manner that will have long term value to the communities and clients we serve.
Why does your organization support Complete Streets and the Coalition?
Parsons views Complete Streets as a critical element to the successful development and redevelopment of communities and their transportation network. In addition, many of our customers have Complete Streets policies and we believe it is important to share their commitment to Complete Streets. Our work puts us in the position to design and deliver Complete Streets for our customers. We want to be in a position to assist customers with the delivery of Complete Streets concepts, help them realize the benefits from applying Complete Streets designs, and if possible, assist them in developing implementation strategies that will fulfill their Complete Streets policy vision. Joining the Coalition enables us to be most effective in that delivery and assistance.
What kinds of projects have you been doing lately?
Parsons works on a variety of projects, many of them are multimodal and many are the realization of long-range planning efforts. We will typically work on projects that demand the effective management of multiple objectives such as needed infrastructure and safety improvements including road widening, sidewalks and bike lanes, drainage, water and sewer lines, and electrical distribution. We take a context sensitive approach to the management of these multiple goals and to the delivery of transportation solutions that reflect multiple values.
Parsons is currently working on an important Complete Streets project in California. Parsons is responsible for the development of conceptual engineering plans for the SR 82 El Camino Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project an 18-mile corridor from San Jose to Palo Alto, California, including 10 miles of exclusive, center-running BRT lanes, stripped and protected bike lanes, 8 miles of side-running mixed-flow lanes, and 16 stations. Parsons is assisting the customer—the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA)—in realizing their part of the Grand Boulevard Initiative vision for the corridor, which demands a comprehensive Complete Streets approach. Parsons is using a Context Sensitive Solutions approach to project delivery in order to bring Complete Streets concepts and techniques to the attention of the customer for their consideration. Some of these techniques are pedestrian scale lighting, vegetated medians and street trees, bike parking at the BRT stations, and multiple pedestrian safety solutions.
How are you working to advance the Complete Streets movement?
We will coordinate with the leadership of the Coalition to assist with the delivery of Complete Streets policies. In addition, we will work with our customers on the implementation of their Complete Streets policies. We will seek opportunities to advise customers on the application of their Complete Streets policy and highlight our complete street design expertise that we can bring to a project. In cases where we are working with a customer without a Complete Streets policy and where a project can benefit from Complete Streets applications, we will create educational opportunities to highlight the benefits of Complete Streets techniques and practices.
By Stefanie Seskin, on December 13th, 2011 in Federal
The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation will consider an amendment offered by Alaska Senator Mark Begich on Wednesday morning to provide safe and adequate accommodations for all users in all federally-funded street projects. This means safer roads for everyone, including those who walk, bike, ride transit, or drive cars.
We need you to voice your support today for the Senator Begich amendment to S. 1950, “safety for motorized and nonmotorized users.“
This is the first time in over six years that our federal representatives will take a vote on Complete Streets language.
And it’s a timely vote too. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) just released the 2010 fatality and injury data. We’re glad to see continued improvements in roadway safety, including the fewest fatalities overall in sixty years.
But the sharp uptick in pedestrian injuries and fatalities last year is alarming. As compared to 2009, the number of pedestrians injured in traffic crashes increased 19%, jumping from 59,000 in 2009 to 70,000 in 2010. Pedestrian fatalities increased 4.2%.
In total, 4,280 people walking and 618 who were riding bicycles died — approximately the same as a jumbo jet of passengers dying each month. In total, our country lost 32,885 people to our roads, and some 2.2 million others were injured.
These numbers are too high. We can do better.
Senator Begich’s amendment will direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to set standards for the safe and adequate accommodation of all motorized and non-motorized users of our streets. Such standards will apply to all projects receiving federal surface transportation dollars.
The Committee meets tomorrow, December 14, at 10:00 am ET. Please call or email your Senators and ask them to support the inclusion of a federal Complete Streets policy in the transportation authorization bill.
By admin, on December 12th, 2011 in Coalition
Would you walk…through the mud? Ride your bike…as cars whiz by? Roll up in a wheelchair…and bump up against the curb?
…Or would you take your helicopter?
Let’s make our streets work for those who don’t have a helicopter at their disposal. Make a year-end gift today to help us create complete streets in 2012.
You already know that the National Complete Streets Coalition is working to ensure that streets are made safe and convenient for walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation — and that, as a result, Complete Streets policies are sweeping the country.
What you may not know is that our work relies on you. Our advocacy and our website, reports, fact sheets, and presentations depend on your financial support.
This year, we’re poised to see over 100 new communities commit to Complete Streets by adopting a Complete Streets policy. All told, 27 states and almost 300 communities have adopted a Complete Streets policies. Yours might be one of them!
But there’s much more to do before a policy “hits the streets.” In 2012, we will focus on helping communities implement their Complete Streets policies. That way, when your local street is undergoing improvements, or a new street is being built, it will be a complete street, where a walk to the bus stop or the park is safe and pleasant.
Our goal is to raise $10,000 before the end of the year. Can you help us create Complete Streets in more communities in 2012 with a gift of $25, $50, or whatever you can give?
Donate today and support the National Complete Streets Coalition’s work to promote streets for all of us. Even those who do own helicopters.
By Christine Green, on December 6th, 2011 in Coalition
 The advocates, elected officials, local engineers, and national non-profit members of the Coalition all get a lot of credit for making the Complete Streets movement hum. But another sector is important to our Coalition’s success: consulting firm partners. Our Complete Streets Partners are in communities every day, getting down to the nitty-gritty and building Complete Streets.
In recognition of that role, we’re ramping up our Partner benefits in the new year to include:
- A webinar, hosted by national experts, tailored to a chosen audience.
- Sponsorship of a national publication.
- A national showcase for Partners on the Complete Streets blog, newsletter, and social media feeds.
New or renewing Silver Partners and above receive a special benefit before January 13: complimentary tickets to our second annual Complete Streets dinner on January 24 at the acclaimed New Heights in Washington, DC. We’ll nosh on some of the District’s best food while networking with top minds in the field, including a special guest we’ll announce in the coming weeks. Bronze Partners, and those Partners wishing to purchase additional tickets, will receive a discount.
Individuals interested in attending our Partner dinner are encouraged to join at the Individual Partner level to receive complimentary admission and other Partner-level perks. But remember — this offer is only good for those joining before January 13.
If you work for a consulting firm, now is a great time to affirm your commitment to Complete Streets. Support the Coalition at a higher level and benefit from our new offerings. Join or renew at any level and tell your clients you’re a part of the movement sweeping the nation.
If you work with consulting firms, check out our ‘Hiring Help’ page to see who in the field is doing cutting edge work in your area while supporting our goals to bring safe and complete streets to everyone.
To join or renew, use our easy online form or mail us a partnership packet (.pdf) with your contribution.
Questions? Feel free to email Christine at cgreen@completestreets.org.
By Barbara McCann, on November 28th, 2011 in Resources
When we started the Complete Streets movement, we didn’t look at where we would like every community to arrive. We looked at where communities are now.
We devised what turned out to be a highly successful path to change, and now want to reiterate our change model in light of the recent New York City-based Project for Public Spaces musing on whether Complete Streets are ‘incomplete’ and other questions we get about whether Complete Streets goes far enough.
For most of the United States, the starting point is a pretty grim place. Simply put, there aren’t many sidewalks out there — and a lot of older adults, children, and low-income people are using ‘goat paths’ as the cars whiz by.
A fundamental shift is needed in what transportation agencies see as their job. It isn’t to move cars; it is to safely move people. But since auto-mobility has been the dominant transportation paradigm for more than a half-century, that change is not an easy task. It requires strong leadership – and political and community support.
That’s what Complete Streets policies do. A Complete Streets policy simply makes clear to a transportation agency that its job is to provide for the safe travel of all users of the transportation system. From that commitment, a whole cascade of changes can begin to take place.
In many communities that cascade will grow to include place-making, smart growth strategies, and streets that are built and managed sustainably. We applaud and support this progression.
But look again at the pictures on this page. Check out this new map of road fatalities. In much of the United States, it is a huge victory to simply stop the bleeding by ending the belief that a transportation agency can conduct its business as if people don’t walk, ride buses or bikes, or have disabilities.
When creating a change this fundamental, it is important to keep in mind who has decision making power. Most transportation agencies don’t have any control of — or often even any input on — land use. They have no responsibility for water quality, economic growth, or quality of life. Yes, they should. But demanding that agencies take on all of this at once is unrealistic — and most will resist or give up.
In many communities, the cutting edge simply won’t cut it. They may not be ready for cycle tracks, bus rapid transit, or other transportation innovations. But they can quite readily recognize that it is their responsibility to create a safe travel environment for all travelers.
And once they understand that this can be done gradually, with simple measures — that a huge grant isn’t needed to transform every road into a gorgeous multi-modal boulevard — they embrace Complete Streets and begin making change right away, using their current funds.
We see it happening across the country: Baldwin Park, CA to Billings, MT to Birmingham, AL; Salamanca, NY to Salt Lake City, UT to San Antonio, TX. All of these communities are starting their transformation by adopting a Complete Streets policy. And, in many, a policy has become an essential component of bigger changes by clearly defining the role of transportation departments in building more livable communities.
Our success stems from our focus on simple, accessible, society-wide change. We’ve set a clear standard for policy language, and adopting a policy does not depend on hiring an outside help — although we’re happy to come in to conduct a workshop, and our Partner firms can help with implementation! Of the 314 communities, counties, regions, and states that have now adopted Complete Streets policy, most have done so simply using our web-based guidance on writing policies.
(The only shortcoming of this approach is that we don’t charge for it — so please consider joining the Coalition.)
I’ve been working in transportation reform and smart growth since the early 1990s, when I cut my teeth on these issues in the Atlanta area — hardly fertile ground. But I keep Georgia on my mind when I hear the tendency toward all-encompassing, precise, even perfect end points. I’ve seen them fall flat because they don’t provide a clear path from ‘now’ to an imagined, idyllic future.
Complete Streets creates such a path.
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