chapter 1: the basics of complete streets What a Complete Street Looks Like on the Ground
A G UIDE TO COMPLETE STREET S
Complete Streets are designed and implemented to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and public transportation users of all ages and abilities are able to move safely along and across a Complete Street. While there is no one prescription for a Complete Street, features can include: •
Wide sidewalks that are in good condition
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Bicycle lanes that meet design standards
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Frequent opportunities for pedestrians to cross the street at varying rates of speed
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Refuge medians on wider streets that provide pedestrians with a “safe haven” while crossing
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Bus shelters and crossings proximate to transit stops
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Dedicated transit lanes
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Raised and/or colored crosswalks
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Audible pedestrian signals for the blind
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Sidewalk bulb-outs to shorten crossing distances
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Pedestrian-scale street lighting
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Striped shoulders
motor vehicles. The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) (1991) and later the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA21) (1998) were passed containing explicit language on providing bicycle and pedestrian provisions in transportation projects. TEA-21 specifically stated that “Bicycle transportation facilities and pedestrian walkways shall be considered, where appropriate, in conjunction with all new construction and reconstruction of transportation projects, except where bicycle and pedestrian use are not permitted” (Section 1202). The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 (CAAA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) also reinforced the need for routine and equitable accommodation. In 1999, USDOT adopted a policy statement recommending an approach for accommodating bicycle and pedestrian travel. The full text of Accommodating Bicycle and Pedestrian Travel: A Recommended Approach (2008) can be found in Appendix D. In late 2003, the term “Complete Streets” was coined by America Bikes, a coalition of leaders from the bicycle community, as they developed a new policy initiative. The Complete Streets concept was defined by America Bikes as a policy that “ensures that the entire right-of-way is routinely designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street” (American Planning Association 2010, 3). A variety of practitioner organizations and stakeholder interest groups were
More detail on Complete Streets policy development, design guidance and implementation is provided later in this guide. The History of Complete Streets During the 1990s, in response to public support and advocacy for improved conditions for bicycling and walking, Congress spearheaded a movement towards a transportation system that prioritized the movement of people and goods over
A Complete Street is for people (young and old), cars, bicycles, transit—everyone. Image: http://sfbikecoalition.wordpress.com/category/day-in-the-life/page/5
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