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Effects of Complete Streets Policy

Dangers of Incomplete Streets

Steps to Adopting a Complete Streets Policy

About Complete Streets

What does a Complete Street look like?

Complete Streets is a design approach that adapts to the unique needs of each community rather than adhering to a single design formula.

Complete streets

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Typical elements that make up a Complete Street include:

Complete Streets is a process and approach, not just a product or a single type of street.

Structure of a Complete Street

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<ul>
	<li>Sidewalks</li>
	<li>Bicycle lanes (or wide, paved shoulders)</li>
	<li>Shared-use paths</li>
	<li>Designated bus lanes</li>
	<li>Safe and accessible transit stops</li>
	<li>Frequent and safe crossings for pedestrians, including median islands</li>
</ul>
<ul>
	<li>Comfortable and accessible public transportation stops</li>
	<li>Accessible pedestrian signals</li>
	<li>Curb extensions</li>
	<li>Narrower travel lanes</li>
	<li>Roundabouts</li>
	<li>and more</li>
</ul>

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Learn More

Over 1,700 Complete Streets policies have been passed in the United States, including those adopted by 35 state governments, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia.

Policies

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Complete Streets in context

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Become a Partner Today

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The National Complete Streets Coalition is <a href="/programs-and-coalitions/national-complete-streets-coalition/">a broad collection of advocates and transportation professionals</a> working to enact Complete Streets policies across the country. Joining as a Coalition Partner, an Individual Partner, or a Non-Profit Partner is easy.

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Dangerous by Design

Complete Streets: The Backbone of a Healthy Community

Our principles stem from our commitment to actionable, measurable change. It's high time our federal transportation programs deliver on their promise.

Program of work

Complete Streets is an approach to planning, designing, and building streets that enables safe access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.

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The Structure of a Complete Street: Find Out More

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Complete Streets are universal. They are designed for everyone: pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and public transit users of all ages and abilities.
This strategy also considers older adults, people living with disabilities, people who don’t have access to vehicles, and Black, Native, and Hispanic or Latino/a/x communities.

Who is it for?

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Incomplete Streets Cause Fatalities: Learn More

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We're solving the crisis of Incomplete Streets, roads designed with only cars in mind that are inconvenient and fatal for non-drivers.
This approach also emphasizes the needs of those who have experienced systemic underinvestment or those whose needs have yet to be met through a traditional transportation approach.

What does it solve?

Create a policy that can be implemented at any level of governance, in any type of place

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Scroll to Learn More

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Requires jurisdictions to define who are their most underinvested and underserved communities and prioritize them throughout.

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Instead of a limited set of projects, the policy applies to all new projects, retrofit or reconstruction projects, maintenance projects, and ongoing operations.

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Any exceptions must be specific, with a clear procedure that requires high-level approval and public notice prior to exceptions being granted.

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Requires private developers to comply, and interagency coordination between government departments and partner agencies.

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Directs agencies to use the latest and best design criteria and guidelines, and sets a time frame for implementing this guidance.

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Considers every project’s greater context, as well as the surrounding community’s current and expected land-use and transportation needs.

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Establishes specific performance measures that match the goals of the broader vision, incorporate equity considerations, and are regularly reported to the public.

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Creates or updates the criteria for choosing transportation projects so that Complete Streets projects are prioritized.

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Part of our mission is to make this the default across the country.

Advocating for a systems change

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Find out how Complete Streets drives racial equity by prioritizing communities that have been historically underserved.

Serving Historically Marginalized Communities

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Group

National Complete Streets Coalition

Complete Streets Policy

Complete Streets is the product of more than a decade of work by Smart Growth America and the National Complete Streets Coalition. Find out more about our affiliate.

Over 1,600 Complete Streets policies have been adopted nationwide. Yet, the fight for uniform safety standards is far from over. Find our more about the effects of policy.

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Browse All News

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Videos

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More Complete Streets: Stories from Communities

Tucson transformed from a speed-first city to a safety-first one. Learn how a policy can become a lifesaver.

Meet Mayor Regina Romero of Tucson, a Complete Streets champion.

Impact Stories

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Program of Work

Complete Streets

Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
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About us

Throughout the year, we host a number of in-person and virtual events covering topics related to public health, social equity, and climate resilience.
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Smart growth is an approach to community design that connects housing, transportation, and land use to create healthy, prosperous, and resilient neighborhoods.
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Learn about smart growth

Smart Growth America cultivates vibrant, sustainable communities with diverse living and transportation options, enhancing quality of life for all.
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We offer a library of case studies, videos, and reports to support policymakers, practitioners, and advocates interested in advancing smart growth.
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Even the best-planned cities have a few hidden alleys.

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As extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and rising temperatures continue to impact more and more Americans, climate havens—where there’s relatively lower climate risk—may see an influx of new residents.
As extreme weather events like floods, wildfires, and rising temperatures continue to impact more and more Americans, climate havens—where there’s relatively lower climate risk—may see an influx of new residents. To help guide policymakers, advocates, and community members, our new report, <a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Climate-Havens-Report_Final.pdf">Housing for Havens: Smart growth strategies for climate resilience</a>, provides a blueprint for inclusive and resilient growth.
<h1>About the report</h1>
Climate hazards, including extreme weather and changing conditions like sea level rise or drought, can cause long-lasting damage to homes, businesses, infrastructure, and communities as a whole. Ripple effects on regional economies, including on housing prices and insurance costs, can further destabilize communities. As these hazards become more frequent and more intense, many may choose or be forced to relocate.
Some communities have embraced reputations as climate havens to try to attract these climate-displaced people, highlighting their relatively lower climate risk. But nowhere is truly safe from climate hazards, and high housing costs and a lack of opportunities for social connections can present challenges for both existing residents and incoming climate-displaced people.
Our new report, Housing for Havens: Smart growth strategies for climate resilience, helps equip decision makers and community leaders with the tools they need to prepare for inclusive and resilient growth. The report includes three recommendations for planning for smarter growth and recognizing the vulnerabilities communities may face along the way:
<ol>
<li>Prioritize pro-housing initiatives that connect housing, transportation, and amenities</li>
<li>Strengthen social infrastructure to support new and long-time community members</li>
<li>Recognize &amp; prepare for climate hazards</li>
</ol>
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-103740" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Climate-havens-1024x707.png" alt="" width="1024" height="707" />
<h1>Read the report</h1>
<a href="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Climate-Havens-Report_Final.pdf"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-103741 alignright" src="https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Screenshot-2025-06-17-at-10.07.57 AM-300x232.png" alt="" width="254" height="196" /></a>This report draws on real-world case studies and practical policy examples from around the U.S. to equip policymakers, advocates, and community members with the tools they need to create places where all residents can thrive in the face of climate change.
[button type=&#8221;info&#8221; block=&#8221;true&#8221; size=&#8221;lg&#8221; link=&#8221;https://wordpress.smartgrowthamerica.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Climate-Havens-Report_Final.pdf&#8221;]Download the report! [/button]
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Housing for havens: Smart growth strategies for climate resilience

Climate Change

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Airway Heights, WA is a city shaped by fast-moving traffic and car-centric design—but it&#8217;s also one of many communities pushing back against streets that prioritize speed over safety. With recent pedestrian fatalities underscoring the stakes, the city is taking steps to make its roads safer and more equitable for everyone who uses them.
<figure id="attachment_87820" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87820" style="width: 1024px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87820 size-large" src="https://sgavpbcms.3lanemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-cover-1024x735.jpg" alt=" width="1024" height="735" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87820" class="wp-caption-text">Aerial view of U.S. Route 2 in Airway Heights, WA (2020, <a href="https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/apr/05/getting-there-airway-heights-could-finally-get-a-d/">The Spokesman-Review</a>)</figcaption></figure>
<h4>Background</h4>
Airway Heights, WA—a young city just west of Spokane and bisected by U.S. Route 2—has long been shaped by car-centric infrastructure. With high-speed traffic, freight movement, and one of the region’s largest racetracks, the city’s design has historically prioritized speed over safety. But that’s beginning to change. In recent years, community leaders and residents have been working to make the city safer and more accessible for all. The urgency is clear: between July and December 2024 alone, three pedestrians were killed on Route 2, highlighting just how dangerous the current design can be.
<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-87821" src="https://sgavpbcms.3lanemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-1-300x224.png" alt=" width="407" height="304" />  <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-87819" src="https://sgavpbcms.3lanemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-2-283x300.jpg" alt=" width="283" height="300" />
Photos from the <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-safety-demonstration-project-airway-heights-wa/">Airway Heights quick-build project</a>
<h4>Getting started</h4>
Over the past five years, Airway Heights has made significant progress with creating family-friendly routes so that all members of the community can reach every day destinations. In 2019 the city participated in Smart Growth America’s Washington <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/tag/complete-streets-leadership-academy/">Complete Streets Leadership Academy,</a> which allowed them to explore changes to their community through a <a href="https://sga-vpb-frontend.vercel.app/complete-streets-safety-demonstration-project-airway-heights-wa/">quick-build project.</a> Their goal was to slow traffic and encourage non-motorized travel in the area, and they succeeded. The response to the project, which included the use of artwork to create space for pedestrians and the addition of plants to a high-traffic area, was overwhelmingly positive. Over the course of a week, traffic slowed around the project site and over 100 families walked and biked into the demonstration project area in just one day.
<h4>Implementing proposed changes</h4>
Airway Heights took the momentum from this temporary project to inform permanent changes. The city is working to address the dangers presented by U.S. 2 through collaboration with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) on improvements to a segment of the highway to make it safer for those walking, biking, and rolling.
<figure id="attachment_87818" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-87818" style="width: 830px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-87818" src="https://sgavpbcms.3lanemarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/airway-3-300x200.jpg" alt=" width="830" height="554" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-87818" class="wp-caption-text">A 90 percent completed draft plan for the 6th avenue improvements (<a href="https://cawh.org/6th-avenue-extension-and-redesign-project/">City of Airway Heights</a>)</figcaption></figure>
They are also currently working to <a href="https://cawh.org/6th-avenue-extension-and-redesign-project/">redesign 6th avenue</a> by integrating several Complete Streets elements like adding sidewalks, a shared use path, and transit stops. Airway Heights has several other Complete Streets projects planned, and are pursuing resources to fill any remaining gaps in funding so they can create a safe, efficient network for all road users.
Thanks to recent progress at the state level, Airway Heights is better positioned to work with WSDOT on implementing Complete Streets and building safer, healthier communities. In 2022, the Washington State Legislature passed the <a href="https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Session%20Laws/Senate/5974-S.SL.pdf?q=20220427105402">Move Ahead Washington</a> package, which included a Complete Streets requirement directing WSDOT to “improve the safety, mobility, and accessibility of state highways” by embedding Complete Streets principles into projects costing over $500,000.
Airway Heights has also made policy progress at the local level to move Complete Streets work forward. In November 2024, Airway Heights <a href="https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/AirwayHeights/html/AirwayHeights14/AirwayHeights1410.html">updated their Complete Streets policy</a> to support their current momentum and continue to make changes that address the needs of all community members. They are currently working to update their <a href="https://www.cawhcompplan.com/policy">Comprehensive Plan</a> to specifically prioritize development of an efficient multi-modal transportation network.
<h4>Key takeaways</h4>
A critical component of Airway Heights’ continued progress has been the collaborative approach they have taken. They engaged the community from the beginning, starting with their quick-build project. This allowed them to make sure the project reflected the wants and needs of the community. Starting with a temporary, low-budget project allowed the city to see how community members were engaging with the new facilities and gather data and lessons learned to inform a permanent solution. By updating its Complete Streets policy and Comprehensive Plan—and with efforts from state legislation—Airway Heights is building a stronger foundation for long-term success.
We look forward to seeing the results of what is currently in the works in Airway Heights, and what they will accomplish in the future!

Complete Streets Leadership Academies

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Complete Streets progress in Airway Heights, Washington