Request for proposals: Dangerous by Design graphics

Smart Growth America is seeking an experienced professional to produce graphics and illustrations demonstrating street design changes that improve safety for people walking, biking, and rolling. Please submit proposals to Heidi Simon, Director of Thriving Communities ([email protected]) by April 18, 2024. Overview and Scope Smart Growth America is in the process of developing its 2024 … Continued

Complete Streets

Pedestrian fatalities at historic high

Yesterday, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) released final data for 2022 traffic crashes revealing 7,522 people were struck and killed while walking that year. This crisis isn’t new—pedestrian fatalities are on a consistent upward trajectory and have increased by 68 percent since 2011. We need strong leadership and swift, wholesale action to make our … Continued

Complete Streets

What is the future of walkability in St. Louis?

As part of a technical assistance project to help local decision makers understand the needs for better mobility and craft stronger policies, I recently had the opportunity to visit and explore one of the great cities of the Midwest–St. Louis, Missouri. Like most American cities, St. Louis clearly demonstrates the impacts of design that prioritizes high-speed driving and punishes all other forms of mobility.

Complete Streets Transportation

Complete Streets Leadership Academies Report

Download the full report (pdf) Traffic fatalities continue to plague communities across the U.S. with an estimated 42,795 people killed in 2022. This trauma is not experienced equally—people walking, people of color, and people in low-income communities are far more likely to be killed. But the most significant danger—especially for people walking, biking, rolling, or … Continued

Complete Streets

Bristol, CT: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

Bristol has made commitments to Complete Streets in the past as a strategy to confront their lack of biking and walking infrastructure. With major state routes running through its borders, the Bristol team was eager to collaborate directly with CTDOT in the program so that they could learn how to make their roads safer for … Continued

Complete Streets

Middletown, CT: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

With the goal of putting their 2023 Complete Streets Initiative Master Plan into action, Middletown joined the Complete Streets Leadership Academy to design and deploy a quick-build project that would improve nighttime visibility for pedestrians. Despite early setbacks, the team from Middletown was able to pivot and successfully implement a quick build that informed future … Continued

Complete Streets

Waterbury, CT: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

Over the years, the City of Waterbury has worked to revitalize its downtown and implement its 2014 Complete Streets Resolution. Participating in the Complete Streets Leadership Academy gave Waterbury the dedicated time to focus on addressing problems related to the safety and accessibility of people walking and biking. Read the full case study in the … Continued

Complete Streets

Chattanooga, TN: Complete Streets Leadership Academy case study

The City of Chattanooga has taken steps in recent years to address the safety of all road users, but it sought to find a more nimble approach to addressing dangerous street design. Their participation in the Complete Streets Leadership Academy allowed them to deliver a quick-build demonstration project on a Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) … Continued

Complete Streets