So what is "Complete Streets"?

Complete Streets is an urban-planning approach that aims to redesign roadways so they accommodate all users—not just drivers, but also pedestrians, cyclists, and users of alternate transportation.  The concept is derived from Vision Zero; a Swedish-born safety philosophy that was first introduced in mostly west coast U.S. cities about twenty years ago. Under Complete Streets/Vision Zero programs, cities often implement road diets which remove or narrow vehicle lanes to make space for bike lanes and wider sidewalks.  These road changes are intended to slow traffic and encourage more bicycling and walking.  

While the goals of Complete Streets are safety and multimodal access, the approach is controversial. Many communities report that road diets lead to increased congestion, more idling and air pollution, loss of parking for local businesses, slower emergency response times, and potential challenges during large-scale evacuations. Residents also frequently express frustration that projects are presented by city planning to the public as simple “street improvements,” only later discovering that the actual result is reduced roadway capacity and increased traffic spillover into neighborhood side streets. 

Complete Streets is promoted nationally by advocacy organizations, including Smart Growth groups, and has received substantial funding and institutional support. This has driven widespread adoption across the country, including in many municipalities in Massachusetts such as Medford, Revere, and Brookline—which are now rolling out “Walk, Roll, and Bike” plans rooted in Complete Streets principles.

The Complete Streets model can work under the right conditions, but its effectiveness depends heavily on local context—street geometry, traffic volume, land use, and regional travel patterns. Boston and its surrounding suburbs are seeing an increase in traffic congestion as they implement more road diets.  As a result, it is increasingly clear that Complete Streets cannot be applied as a one-size-fits-all solution for traffic calming and safety.

See below on methods for traffic calming: https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/traffic-calming/traffic-calming-measures/