With pedestrian fatalities stubbornly holding at historically high levels, safety advocates are pushing for new policies that make it less hazardous to walk or cycle in U.S. cities.
Some 1,700 municipalities have adopted Complete Streets initiatives, according to Smart Growth America, a nonprofit focused on transportation policy.
The Complete Streets approach urges construction of streets that provide safe access for all, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities.
With so many municipalities adopting Complete Streets policies, Smart Growth America ranked cities to see which are doing the best job. The group’s Best Complete Streets Policies 2025 looked at 43 municipalities that adopted initiatives in 2023 and 2024.
The three most effective policies belonged to San Antonio, TX (est. pop. 1,458,954), Nashville, TN (est. pop. 687,787), and Clyde, OH (est. pop. 6,322).
One overaching lesson emerged from the winning projects: Build a broad coalition.
The strength of any policy comes from people and groups with varying perspectives and needs working together to ensure the policy meets everyone’s goals. By including community stakeholders as well as representatives from relevant government departments, these cities garnered wide support.
More on Complete Streets Policies and pedestrian safety appear regularly in the pages of Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter.
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