Ten years ago, Complete Streets was an empty promise on a sheet of paper. Citizens across the city lacked access to reliable and safe transportation. Poor road construction led to numerous bike injuries. Cyclists and pedestrians alike were vulnerable and unprotected. And these issues considerably worsened in formerly red-lined communities of color.
We knew that if we wanted a better city for bicycling, we needed to strengthen Complete Streets. So that’s what we began working on: in 2016, we partnered with Councilman Ryan Dorsey to create an equity-oriented, safer, and more efficient piece of legislation.
This led to one of Baltimore City’s largest re-write of city laws ever. We started by completely changing the hierarchy of the street, placing pedestrians, cyclists, and public transit before cars. This eventually became the Complete Streets manual, a legal street design document that places safety and equity first. Yesterday, the manual was finally adopted as law under Mayor Scott’s leadership.
This manual, developed by Graham Young in Baltimore City Department of Transportation alongside transportation consultants and using the guidance of the National Association of City Transportation Officials is one of the most progressive Complete Streets documents in the country.
Complete Streets was a huge overhaul, and we didn’t do alone. Residents spoke up and shared how safe and accessible stress were crucial to their neighborhoods. A massive coalition of other organizations helped us reach out to new neighborhoods and gather more support. And most importantly, Bikemore supporters like you helped to fund the entire journey.
We wanted to share this story with you, because we would not have won Complete Streets without you. All of our work coalition building, lobbying, strategizing with legislators through our 501(c)4) was completely and only funded by individual supporters like you. Your support has led to protected bike lanes, new bike trails, dedicated transit lanes, and demanded citywide improvements that benefit everyone in Baltimore. You are the author of this story.
Without your support, we would have no victory story to tell.
Can you help us keep pushing for change?