Complete Streets

Increasing Safe and Accessible Transportation Options

As host to the Housatonic Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (HVMPO) and the South Western Regional Metropolitan Planning Organization (SWRMPO), WestCOG actively supports safe and accessible transportation options for all roadway users. The Connecticut General Statutes § 13a-153(f), which applies to WestCOG, requires that “accommodations for all users shall be a routine part of the planning, design, construction, and operating activities of all highways.”

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law) was signed November 15, 2021 and defines “Complete Streets standards or policies” as “standards or policies that ensure the safe and adequate accommodation of all users of the transportation system, including pedestrians, bicyclists, public transportation users, children, older individuals, individuals with disabilities, motorists, and freight vehicles.”

The MPOs support Complete Streets standards and policies as part of the transportation planning and programming process. These activities are outlined in each MPO’s Unified Planning Work Program. The MPOs also conduct transportation plans and studies which evaluate accommodations for all users. Periodically, as funding becomes available, the MPOs also solicit, evaluate, and prioritize transportation projects.

WestCOG has developed a Complete Streets Prioritization Plan that identifies a specific list of Complete Streets projects in HVMPO and SWRMPO to improve the safety, mobility, or accessibility of a street.