Complete Streets

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WHAT ARE COMPLETE STREETS?

A complete street is a street where the entire right of way is planned, designed, and operated for all modes of transportation and all users regardless of age or ability. Pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and motorists of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street. Complete streets make it easy to cross the street, walk to shops,catch the bus, and bike to work. Click here to download our fact sheet.

WHY COMPLETE STREETS?

  • Safety. Making these travel choices more convenient and attractive means making them safer. The Sun Sentinel reports that Florida has more senior citizen road fatalities than any state in the nation (Florida Leads Nation in Number of Senior Citizens Killed in Traffic Accidents, February 23, 2012).
  • Equity. Complete streets are for everyone. People of all ages, abilities, and income will have more options when making essential trips such as to work, to school, to the grocery store, or for healthy recreation. Walking, bicycling, and taking public transportation are cheaper forms of personal transportation than relying on automobiles.
  • Public Health. Complete streets promote active transportation, which is human powered transport (walking, bicycling, accessing public transit). The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) identified a strong correlation between planning and investments in infrastructure and some ofthe most serious health concerns facing the United States, including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. Currently, one third of our nation’s children are overweight or obese according to the CDC.
  • Capacity. Complete streets can improve the efficiency and capacity of existing roads by moving more people in the same amount of space. Complete streets can maintain volume, reduce speeds, and conveniently accommodate bicyclists and pedestrians. Getting more productivity out of the existing road and public transportation system is vital to reducing congestion.Sustainability. The Broward MPO 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) calls for a shift from investment in automobile centric projects to transit and other modes that support transit.Complete streets support this sustainable transportation vision established by the MPO and its constituencies.
  • The Time is Right. Many interests are aligning for safer, healthier streets. The AARP is a strong supporter of complete streets. In addition, a broad collection of interests such as smart growth, schools, planners, realtors, insurance companies, health professionals, and engineers(such as the Institute of Transportation Engineers [ITE] and the American Society of Civil Engineers [ASCE]) support complete streets initiatives. More than 100 cities across the United States and at least three MPOs have adopted complete streets policies. Many local governments right here in Broward County are already beginning to redesign their streets to conveniently accommodate more modes of transportation.

BROWARD COMPLETE STREETS INITIATIVE: Click here

For more information about the Broward MPO's Complete Streets Initiative contact Ricardo Gutierrez, at gutierrezr@browardmpo.org or 954-876-0044.