DRAFT STREET DESIGN GUIDE
The Final Street Design Guide(PDF, 49MB) is now available!
The Guide provides design guidance to city staff and project teams on how to design and construct transportation projects in a way that forwards the intent of the City's Complete Streets Policy.
"Complete Streets" is an approach to transportation planning and design that guides the development of a safe, connected, and equitable transportation network for everyone - regardless of who they are, where they live, or how they get around. Adopting a Complete Streets policy, formalizes a city's intent to consistently fund, plan, design, construct and operate an interconnected street network for all anticipated users and transportation modes.
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WHAT DOES A COMPLETE STREET LOOK LIKE?
The complete streets approach is not a one-size-fits-all solution and it recognizes that all modes cannot receive the same type of accommodation on every street. The overall goal is that everyone can safely and comfortably travel throughout the network.
Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI)
COMPLETE STREETS MAY INCLUDE...
Sidewalks, enhanced crosswalks, and bike routes along busy roads
Shade trees and traffic calming features on quiet neighborhood streets
Inviting public spaces for people to walk, bike, and interact
Accessible, comfortable transit stops along high capacity transit corridors
HOW CAN COMPLETE STREETS BENEFIT THE COMMUNITY?
Complete Streets help produce better health outcomes by reducing air pollution and allowing people to safely walk and bike. They help spur economic growth by decreasing transportation costs and connecting people to their jobs, neighborhood businesses, churches, healthcare providers, and schools. They strengthen communities by empowering youth, the elderly, and people with disabilities to be mobile.
Each year, close to 4,000 Tucsonans are injured - and more than 50 people lose their lives - while traveling on city streets. We are committed to changing this. With direction from Mayor and Council, Tucson Department of Transportation (TDOT) staff drafted a Complete Streets Policy in collaboration with Living Streets Alliance, the Complete Streets Task Force(PDF, 172KB), and input from additional community stakeholders.
APPROVED ADOPTED POLICIES
Tucson Mayor and Council adopted the Complete Streets Design Guide(PDF, 49MB) by Ordinance No. 11885(PDF, 601KB) on November 23, 2021.
Tucson Mayor and Council adopted the Tucson Complete Streets Policy(PDF, 1MB) by Ordinance No. 11621(PDF, 1MB) on February 5, 2019.
VISION & INTENT
The City of Tucson views all transportation improvements as opportunities to foster a vibrant, healthy, equitable, interconnected, accessible, environmentally-sustainable, and more livable city where everyone can move about safely, comfortably, and with dignity. The City's Complete Streets Policy shall guide the development of a safe, connected, and equitable transportation network that promotes enhanced mobility for people of all ages and abilities including, but not limited to, people walking, biking, using transit, driving, using wheelchairs or other mobility devices.
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
- Safety – Complete Streets provide a safe travel experience to all and designing Complete Streets is a safety strategy to eliminate preventable traffic fatalities.
- Accessibility – Complete Streets serve people of all ages and abilities.
- Equity, Diversity, And Inclusivity – Complete Streets elements are implemented equitably and inclusively throughout the city.
- Land Use – Complete Streets incorporate context sensitive, flexible design approaches and consider the surrounding community’s current and expected land use and transportation needs in an interconnected manner.
- Environment – Complete Streets preserve and protect Tucson’s environment and increase health by providing opportunities for active transportation (walking, biking, etc.) reducing vehicle miles traveled, and decreasing pollution caused by motor vehicles.
- Economic Vitality – Complete Streets help spur economic development by supporting business and job creation and by promoting resiliency in the workforce through access to multiple mobility options.
Tucson's Complete Streets program is overseen by a public committee, known as the Complete Streets Coordinating Council (CSCC). The CSCC is composed of 20 Tucsonans who review transportation projects, help prioritize transportation investments, and provide public oversight over complete streets implementation.
Interested in becoming a member of the CSCC? You can apply to be a member here
Complete Streets Coordinating Council Meetings are held on the 4th Wednesday of the month, starting at 5:30 p.m. Meetings will be held virtually until further notice.