A new flurry of study results, meetings, and reports from the public health community – including a specific recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – are pointing the way toward complete streets policies as an important tool in the fight against the obesity crisis.
More than 150 partners gathered on June 29th & 30th in Indianapolis to learn about the importance of Complete Streets and to organize a campaign to develop both state and local policies.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) stepped up its commitment to complete streets yesterday with its adoption of a formal Complete Streets Policy. The new document fleshes out many details and sets a clear exceptions process.
Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell signed Senate Bill 735, the Complete Streets bill, into law on Independence Day, making Connecticut the tenth state to pass complete streets legislation and the second to do so this year.
As we close in on the 100-mark for state and local jurisdictions with adopted policies, the need for federal action becomes more acute. We appreciate the potentially profound impact of “comprehensive street design policies and principles” in the House bill and look forward to working with Chairman Oberstar in strengthening that provision.
The House Transportation bill, The Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 (STAA) (.pdf), was released yesterday by Representatives Oberstar (MN), Mica (FL), DeFazio (OR), and Duncan (TN), and differs from the Complete Streets Act of 2009 (HR 1443), offered by Representative Matsui earlier this year, in a few key ways.
Heartland Healthy Neighborhoods, a coalition of Topeka and Shawnee County citizens and organizations, will host a Complete Streets Pep Rally (.pdf) on Wednesday, June 24, at 6:30 p.m. at Landon Middle School.
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has provided the first look at what their version of the next federal transportation authorization might look like, and complete streets gets prominent placement.
The room was packed on Friday, June 6th for the Capitol Hill briefing, “Complete Streets: Integrating Safety and Livability into the Next Transportation Bill,” sponsored by Representative Doris Matsui, the Environment and Energy Study Institute, Transportation for America, and the National Complete Streets Coalition.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter signed a Complete Streets executive order yesterday, June 4, at noon, establishing Philadelphia as the first city in Pennsylvania to adopt a complete streets policy. It emphasizes the many benefits of complete streets, from cleaner air to more efficient use of road space, and pays special attention to the safety of its most vulnerable citizens: children, older adults, and those with disabilities.