Why Complete Streets are needed in America--new legislation proposed in Congress

The Center for American Progress recently posted an article outlining the reasons America needs the Safe Streets Act of 2013.  The act, recenty introduced by Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH), addresses the need for Complete Streets policies in every state and community across the country. 

Complete Street

Why are these policies needed? Why are they important?  The article gives some of the reasons:

State departments of transportation and city planners embraced the philosophy that roadway designs should optimize travel speed regardless of context.

The resulting roadway and highway network helped fuel decades of unparalleled economic growth. The new system, however, came with significant costs. Metropolitan regions added tens of millions of housing units that lacked access to public transportation, sidewalks, and other pedestrian amenities. Even today, almost one-third of Americans live in neighborhoods without sidewalks. Finding a safe and convenient place to walk, bike, or access public transportation can be a challenge.

The Safe Streets Act of 2013, introduced by Reps. Doris Matsui (D-CA) and David Joyce (R-OH), addresses this unintended consequence of our transportation policy by requiring states and metro regions to design their roadways to safely accommodate all system users, regardless of age or ability level. Americans want transportation alternatives, but inadequate infrastructure and poor design present significant barriers.

Even with significant physical barriers, poor design, and gaps in infrastructure, walking is second only to driving for the share of total trips taken each year. The most recent data from the National Household Travel Survey show that Americans make more than 40 billion trips by walking, accounting for 10.9 percent of all trips. For trips from one-half to two miles, the share made by walking jumps to more than 20 percent.

Unfortunately, the lack of adequate infrastructure for walking, biking, and using public transportation can lead to tragic outcomes. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data show that in 2011, 4,432 pedestrians and 677 bicyclists were killed in the United States. Nationally, more than 40 percent of pedestrian fatalities occur where no crosswalk is available. For too many Americans, our neighborhoods and roadway networks are too dangerous as a result of their singular focus on automotive travel.

One of the primary goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri is the implementation of Complete Streets policies at the national, state, regional, county, and local levels.  We have documented Missouri's tremendous progress in adopting Complete Streets policies on our Missouri Complete Streets page.

Your membership and support helps make our Vision become reality.