Assessing the implementation of complete streets projects

Over 900 jurisdictions have adopted Complete Streets (CS) policies since 2004. For urban planners, the design of CS projects is an opportunity to influence transit use and public health. To date, there are no practice standards related to CS initiatives, and the implementation of CS projects has not been rigorously studied. In response to this gap, the current study sought to identify common patterns in CS practices and assess how well municipalities were capturing data on CS project outcomes. Semi-structured, one-hour phone interviews were conducted with officials from 13 municipalities with active CS programs. Qualitative analysis identified seven themes related to CS implementation and revealed that municipalities allocated few resources to capturing CS project outputs and impacts. The findings suggest a common set ofstrategies and challenges for urban planners involved with CS initiatives. The results also call attention to the need for municipalities to collect follow-up data on the impact of CS projects. Such data would generate evidence that could improve the quality of future planning decisions and ensure that CS initiatives are producing their intended outcomes.