Wiki Wednesday: Complete Streets

A Complete Street is a roadway designed to safely accommodate all users-- pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, transit riders, and those with adisability. For decades, traffic engineers have designed streets,particularly urban arterials, primarily for the efficient movement ofprivate motor vehicles. Residents across the U.S. are demanding streetfeatures that consider the needs of other users.

Since the early 2000's, state laws, local ordinances, and regionaltransportation funding agencies have begun a quiet revolution, adoptingComplete Streets policies (though not usually using this term). Suchpolicies are not one-size-fits-all, and need not be threatening totraffic engineers. They generally require that, depending on thecontext, roadway construction projects must include consideration ofits various users.