Advocacy & Safety - Complete Streets, no prescribed design.

The definition of a Complete Street is a roadway that accomidates cyclists, motor vehicles
& pedestrians. Yet there is no prescribed design for one. Why? If there were, wouldn't it help with funding if there were a prescribed design to go by so whom ever the money is being requested from knew what it was going to be allocated for? Or do they not need to know?

Try the AASHTO guidebook. If you cannot find it online, PM me for a copy. Be forwarded: it's several megs.

From the FAQ section of http://www.completestreets.org/

What does a complete street look like?

Since each complete street is unique, it is impossible to give a single description. But ingredients that may be found on a complete street include: sidewalks, bike lanes, plenty of crosswalks, wide shoulders, medians, bus pullouts, special bus lanes, raised crosswalks, audible pedestrian signals, sidewalk bulb-outs, and more. A complete street in a rural area will look quite different from a complete street in a highly urban area. But both are designed to balance safety and convenience for everyone using the road.

The definition of a Complete Street is a roadway that accomidates cyclists, motor vehicles
& pedestrians. Yet there is no prescribed design for one. Why?

Because it is entirely possible that a well-functioning "complete street" where you live would be a horrible one where I live and vice versa. North America is far too diverse in topography, climate, human culture, lifestyle choices, and infrastructure planning for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Welcome to our federal system and its decentralized planning.

Check out the redesign of St. George street through the downtown U of T campus. They used the 'dutch model' of no rules to calm traffic. It works really well, though the surface has degraded due to recurrent incursions from the utility companies.

I studied street design for my engineering degree and in training for my Professional Engineers Liceinse.
The term Complete street seems a bit fuzzy. Is it supposed to have separate lanes for each type of vehicle? Each vehicle needs different types of construction. Almost all streets seem complete to me.

I studied street design for my engineering degree and in training for my Professional Engineers Liceinse.
The term Complete street seems a bit fuzzy. Is it supposed to have separate lanes for each type of vehicle? Each vehicle needs different types of construction. Almost all streets seem complete to me.

Did you check the web site? Plenty of streets seem INcomplete to me. For example, there is a street nearby without sidewalks, so pedestrians have no access, hardly a complete street.