🚌Transportation

Safe, Accessible and Active Streets

Streets are a vital part of livable, attractive communities. Unfortunately, too many of our streets prioritize moving cars at dangerously high speeds over the safety, access, and mobility for all people who use the street. All people ought to have safe, comfortable, and convenient access to community destinations and public places–whether walking, driving, bicycling, moving actively with assistive devices, or taking public transportation. Meeting this need requires particular attention for people who have experienced systemic underinvestment, or whose needs have not been met through a traditional transportation approach, including older adults, people living with disabilities, people who cannot afford or do not have access to a car, and Black, Asian, Native, and Hispanic or Latino/a/x communities.

To help you figure out where to begin, we have categorized the many local transportation initiatives into three functional areas: Make Safe and Active Streets the Goal, Strengthen Accessibility, Plan for Active Transportation Networks. For each area, we list possible mechanisms for influencing local transportation strategy.

Community engagement can and should happen throughout the process for all transportation strategies, from conception of an idea through construction or adoption of a policy. Developers or municipalities will likely engage a traditional set of players, but should be encouraged to also include those who are part of your community health system and hospitals as well as low-income, BIPOC, older adult, and disability advocates.