Healthy transportation decisions through complete streets

As research continues to link active transportation to the alleviation and prevention of chronic disease, public health advocates and officials have become enthusiastic and powerful champions for Complete Streets: multimodal transportation systems that are safe and convenient for walking, riding bicycles, and taking public transportation in addition to driving. The development and implementation of Complete Streets policies ensure that routine decisions regarding the transportation network include the needs of people of all ages, abilities, income levels, and ethnicities, regardless of how they travel. Many communities, including those participating in programs of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Y of the USA, and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, are complementing other public health efforts with Complete Streets initiatives to systematically transform their built environments to promote active transportation. To help participants develop and implement their own effective Complete Streets policies, this session will describe the ten elements of an ideal policy and the strategies necessary to implement it. Real examples from communities of varying sizes across the country will be included. This session will also explain how public health professionals and transportation planners and engineers have collaborated on local Complete Streets initiatives. Representatives from Minnesota, Chicagoland, and San Diego will share how they have worked with transportation professionals to develop policies build support in general community and its leaders.