Challenge

In 2009, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter issued an executive order, ensuring that the city’s streets would accommodate “all users of the transportation system, be they pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit users, or motor vehicle drivers.” In doing so, he made a promise that all of the city’s streets would be designed, built, and maintained as “Complete Streets.”

Solution

Kittelson led an effort for the Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Transportation and Utilities to develop a Complete Streets Handbook, updating the City’s street design policies and standards to incorporate best practices for accommodating pedestrians, bicyclists, transit, and motor vehicles. The project included extensive research and stakeholder outreach to identify existing barriers to developing Complete Streets, local facility needs and preferences, as well as national and international best practices.