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Thunderhead's National Complete the Streets Campaign
Thunderhead Complete Streets Map--last updated 9/13/07

Thunderhead's campaign goal is complete streets policies in all 50 states by 2008 (see below * for a list of current policies shown on the map) including 10 new state-level policies. We are targeting the year 2008 in order to leverage these state and local policies to win a federal complete streets policy through the reauthorization of our federal transportation law, SAFETEA-LU. The local and state policies shown on this map are leading to complete streets in their communities.

Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users.  Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.

The Thunderhead Alliance and our member organizations have always set the concept of complete streets as our highest priority whether fighting for transportation policy reforms or for single projects.  Any street that serves only some modes at the safety expense of others is incomplete.  Our Trainings, materials, and now, this exciting campaign, help our members win complete streets in their communities and their legislatures.

We encourage leaders of Thunderhead member organization to take part in our Thunderhead Complete Streets Committee. If you are a leader of a Thunderhead member organization and would like to help shape our national campaign and gain insight for your own complete streets policy campaigns, please email Dan Grunig, Complete Streets Committee Chair at dan “at” bicyclecolo.org.

We have recently completed the second edition of the Thunderhead Alliance Guide to Complete Streets Campaigns. It is available at all on-line booksellers; ISBN: 0-595-39318-7. A nearly-finalized draft is also available in our members’ web resources library under Laws, Campaigns. If you are not a leader of a member organization or not yet a Thunderhead supporter, please see excerpts from the Guide. These excerpts include lots of useful information on existing policies and how you can secure a complete streets policy for your communities.

The best model we have seen for true complete streets policy language was passed by the City of Chicago on October 10, 2006. This single-sentence policy effectively focuses street design for the most vulnerable users. We encourage you to start your policy development with Chicago’s language and build from there:
“CHICAGO’S COMPLETE STREETS POLICY
The safety and convenience of all users of the transportation system including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, freight, and motor vehicle drivers shall be accommodated and balanced in all types of transportation and development projects and through all phases of a project so that even the most vulnerable – children, elderly, and persons with disabilities – can travel safely within the public right of way.”

Another important aspect of Chicago’s new complete streets policy is that it is imbedded in a comprehensive pedestrian safety initiative. Click here to view the entire document.

Thunderhead's Benchmarking Project will provide data analysis to support our members' campaigns by showing the unique symptoms of need for such a policy in each state.

Please help us get the complete streets message to Congress to set the stage for a federal-level complete streets policy. Find info on setting up Congressional meetings here.

Thunderhead's Guide, Trainings, Benchmarking Project and on-call support system are the combined mechanism we are using to meet our goal of winning complete streets policies in all 50 states by the year 2008.

If you need help with a complete streets policy campaign, please contact Dominic Liberatore, Thunderhead’s Complete Streets Campaign Coach Dominic "at" ThunderheadAlliance.org, or call: (216) 658-2803.

Please also see our supporter and sponsorship opportunities at:

Supporters

Sponsors

Thunderhead is also part of a national complete streets steering committee that includes:
  • AARP
  • Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO)
  • American Planning Association (APA)
  • American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA)
  • Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE)
  • National Parks Conservation Association (NCPA)
  • Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
  • Smart Growth America (SGA)
  • Surface Transportation Policy Project (STPP)
  • the disabled community
    •
and other large national organizations just one ring outward from our familiar bike/ped bulls-eye.  Please visit the steering committee's website at: www.completestreets.org.
* Complete Streets Policies (all are endorsed by Thunderhead organizations)

State   Policy                                                                                                                                             

California
California DOT Deputy Directive 64, internal policy
Bay Area MPO (MTC) Second Cycle Programming Policies, screening criteria
Sacramento County (inc. all cities) routine accommodation sales tax initiative
San Diego City Street Design Manual
San Francisco Transit First policy – city ordinance
Santa Barbara Circulation Element, General Plan
Colorado
Colorado Springs Complete Streets Amendment to the Intermodal Transp. Plan
City of Ft. Collins
Boulder Multimodal Corridors & Transportation Network Plans
Delaware
Wilmington Planning Council (WILMAPCO) Complete Streets Policy
Florida
West Palm Beach FL Transportation Element
Florida Bicycle & Pedestrian Ways statute
Illinois
City of Chicago
DuPage County Healthy Roads Initiative
Iowa
City of Cascade
Iowa City Resolution
Johnson County
Maryland
Wilmington Planning Council (WILMAPCO) Complete Streets Policy
Massachusetts
Bicycle-Pedestrian Access Law, state legislature (Chapter 90E), plus 06 internal policy
Michigan
City of Jackson
Missouri
St. Louis Legacy 2030 Long-Range Plan
Columbia Missouri Model Street Standards
St. Joseph MO bike-ped plan
North Carolina
North Carolina DOT Bicycle Policy
Ohio
Columbus MPO (MORPC) Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Policy
Cleveland MPO (NOACA) Regional Transportation Investment Policy
Oregon
Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Statutes
Pennsylvania
PennDOT's Strike Off Letter SOL 432-0702
South Carolina
South Carolina DOT Commission Resolution
Tennessee
Tennessee DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian policy
Utah
Salt Lake City
Virginia
VDOT Policy for Integrating Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodations
Vermont
Vermont Bicycle Pedestrian Plan
Washington
Kirkland city ordinance
City of Redmond Complete Streets Ordinance
City of Seattle ordinance
Wisconsin
Madison MPO internal policy