States, cities, and towns can help create healthier communities by implementing community wide Complete Street policies which serve to reduce traffic congestion and design communities with all road users in mind--including bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. According to a report entitled Complete Streets Policy Analysis of 2011, prepared by Smart Growth America, there were 350 Complete Street policies throughout the country as of January 1, 2012. At the state level there were roughly 30 policies that called for Complete Streets. Learn more about the fundamentals of Complete Streets, changing policy, and implementation of Complete Streets, by visiting the resources below. Resources Complete Streets: A to Z A list of Complete Street policies that exist across the ...
During the 2011 82(R) legislative session, Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) & Linda Harper-Brown (R-Irving) filed a bill (SB 513) to adopt a statewide Complete Streets policy. A companion bill (HB 1105), filed in the House, also provided a Complete Streets policy. Although, these bills were not approved by the House or Senate, advocacy groups such as BikeTexas, continue to strive for the passage of a statewide Complete Streets policy during the 2013 legislative session. Meanwhile, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has adopted guidelines, in response to a 2010 USDOT federal policy, which encourages the development of streets designed for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Complete Street Bills 2011 Complete Streets Policy for Texas SB 513 Complete Streets Bill ...
According to one report, Miami is the fourth most dangerous city for pedestrians in America. Activists seeking safer streets for those who travel by foot, host a series of safety walk events in Miami, in hopes of raising awareness of the issue. As a result, according to a Biscayne Times news report, in February 2013, cyclists and pedestrians gathered for a safety walk which was was held on the corner of Brickell Avenue and SE 15th Road in Miami. One participant held up a sign that read "drive safe, save kids!" Activist Elsa Roberts and others who attended the event received mixed responses from the drivers who passed by. Some drivers who passed by honked their horn in support of the pedestrians, others were hostile. Roberts believes that initiatives like these are the quickest way to help ...
According to a news article from The Reporter, health advocacy groups are working with state policy makers in Pennsylvania to develop legislation that would create a specific fund to support the construction of walking and bike trails. Groups like the Mission: Readiness organization---an organization of retired military leaders---are concerned that childhood obesity has become an issue of national security and have called on state lawmakers to develop a comprehensive transportation plan that would include active modes of transportation. The news story reports that legislators plan on proposing a whole sales tax on fuel sold to gas stations to support the development of trails. They are hoping that this tax would help raise between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion a year for new ...
According to a press release from the City of Houston, a new bridge will provide children and residents living in Houston's Fifth Ward with a safer transportation route. The bridge will prevent children from having to walk over dangerous railroad tracks, where trains make frequent stops and block the crossing area. A public meeting was scheduled for April 2, 2013, to allow the general public to provide input on the proposed project, which will require the city of Houston to acquire two parcels of land. The bridge, which is expected to cost $1.3 million to construct, will be developed through a partnership that involves the City of Houston, the Gulf Coast Rail District, and TxDOT. According to this news article from the Houston Chronicle, construction on the bridge is scheduled to begin ...
Some University of Houston architecture students, including Jose Pedroza, are trying to revitalize a local neighborhood by reusing empty lots around an abandoned mall and adding park space and pedestrian-friendly walkways, KTRK-TV reports. Houston's population is about 44% ...
