Wiki Wednesday: Complete Streets
With all the brouhaha over Broadway Boulevard lately, we thought it would be a good time to revisit the concept of Complete Streets. In a recent StreetsWiki entry, Andy Hamilton gets back to the basics.
A Complete Street is a roadway designed to safely accommodate all users-- pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, and those with adisability. For decades, traffic engineers have designed streets,particularly urban arterials, primarily for the efficient movement ofprivate motor vehicles. Residents across the U.S. are demanding streetfeatures that consider the needs of other users.
Word. In fact, with Congressional legislation in the hopper and the backing of one of the nation's most powerful lobbies, the AARP, the Complete Streets movement may be poised to go mainstream in time for next year's federal transportation funding reauthorization. Writes Hamilton:
Since the early 2000's, state laws, local ordinances, and regionaltransportation funding agencies have begun a quiet revolution, adoptingComplete Streets policies (though not usually using this term). Suchpolicies are not one-size-fits-all, and need not be threatening totraffic engineers. They generally require that, depending on thecontext, roadway construction projects must include consideration ofits various users.
Now that higher gas prices have everyone from seniors to school kids looking at car-free means of transport, there is a lot of Complete Streets news to pass along. If you'd like to contribute to this or any other StreetsWiki entry -- or add one of your own -- you can start by joining the Livable Streets Network.
Photo: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog New York City
Justice Dept., Citing Streetsblog Reporting, Threatens to Sue NYPD Over Cops’ Sidewalk Parking
The city is now facing a major civil rights suit from the Biden Administration if it doesn't eliminate illegal parking by cops and other city workers.
What to Say When Someone Claims ‘No One Bikes or Walks in Bad Weather’
Yes, sustainable modes are more vulnerable to bad weather. But that's why we should invest more in them — not less.
NYC Transit’s New Operations Planning Chief Wants To Fight ‘Ghost Buses’
One-time transit advocate and current MTA Paratransit VP Chris Pangilinan will oversee bus and subway operations for the whole city.
Friday’s Headlines: Gimme Bus Shelter Edition
The days of the Landmarks Preservation Commission reviewing every proposed bus shelter in landmarked districts may be no more. Plus more news.
Deal Reached: Hochul Says ‘Sammy’s Law’ Will Pass
The bill, though imperfect, has been four years in the making.
