Complete Streets Sample Letter

Dear Legislator,

Wherever we live, our roadways are central to our communities. They connect us to our schools and our jobs as well as to neighbors and local businesses. As such, the streets in our communities should be designed not just for motorists but for users of all kinds. Unfortunately, many roadway projects add capacity for automobiles and help increase vehicle speeds but do nothing to address the negative effects of those changes on other roadway users. As a result, communities across the country have built miles and miles of roads that are unsafe for or inaccessible to pedestrians, bicyclists, and riders of mass transit.

It’s time for a change. It’s time that all roadway projects that receive federal aid incorporate “complete streets” policies to ensure that they are designed and built with everyone in mind, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transportation. In addition to improving safety and accessibility for all roadway users, a federal complete streets mandate would also make walking, bicycling, and riding public transportation more attractive transportation options, which in turn would help the United States in its efforts to green its energy economy and reduce its dependence on fossil fuels.

I urge you to support the Safe and Complete Streets Act of 2011 (H.R. 1078/S. 1056) to ensure that all federal aid roadways incorporate complete streets policies in order to make them as safe and accessible for all users as possible and hope that you will do everything in your power to ensure that your colleagues in Congress will do the same.

Complete our streets!

Thank you,