Why build Complete Streets?
To illustrate the space and danger in the urban setting for pedestrians, Swedish artist Karl Jilg was commissioned by the Swedish Road Administration. The image he created (below) has been popular and circulating as it conveys the precarious situation created when a street is incomplete, when motor vehicle priorities are made primary.
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| Karl Jirg for the Swedish Transport Administration |
Space
Infrastructure choices to prioritize motor vehicle traffic endanger cyclists and pedestrians when not encased in a motor vehicle or their home. To the point, space occupied by cars is considerable when compared to that of a cyclist as illustrated below.
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| How Much Space do Cars Take? |
Concord NH Complete Streets
Completing the street for all users of all ages and abilities is what Complete Streets is about. It is time for Concord to focus on the needs of people in our community. Let us stop designing more roadway to move more cars about. Let us think how we can make Concord more livable.
Mayor's Challenge 2015
"Secretary Foxx is challenging mayors and local elected officials to take significant action to improve safety for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities over the next year. Mayors' Challenge participants will be invited to attend the Mayors' Summit for Safer People, Safer Streets in March, and their cities will spend a year helping their communities undertake seven activities to improve safety. The challenge is based on the 2010 USDOT Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation. Click here for an executive summary of the Mayors' Challenge."
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Mayors' Challenge Locales as of March 19, 2015 |
Ask the City leadership to participate in the US DOT Mayor's Challenge. Ask the Mayor, City Manager, City Engineer and Councillors to focus resources on Complete Streets and to create and adopt a Complete Streets Policy worthy of the name. We deserve better than the bottom of the list (2014, 2013, 2012).
Beyond the US DOT Mayor's Challenge
The US Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx is driving the agency to a better future for all modes of transportation through initiatives such as the Mayor's challenge and the conversation Beyond Traffic 2045. A 30 year look into future is complex and as illustrated in the Google Fireside Chat video (below) with Secretary FoxxCheck out the discussion at time 28:26 through 30:47 regarding the importance of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. Anthony Foxx talks about pulling together best practices as well as the Mayor's Challenge. The whole video is a good look into the character of the Foxx leadership which follows on the work of the LaHood leadership at DOT.
The US DOT is also continuing the emphasis on bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure essential to providing transportation options to the local Concord administration and community. We can and should do much more to offer all users of all ages and abilities safe bicycle and pedestrian passage on Concord Streets. This video provides a perspective from US DOT.
Let us build a Concord which does not require car ownership tor full participation. Call, write and request your local representatives to build the Complete Streets infrastructure we need to achieve safer bicycle transportation and pedestrian options.
