Tucson’s Complete Streets Policy Ranked in Top 3 Best in the US

Published on May 17, 2023

Tucson, AZ.— Mayor Regina Romero, then the Ward 1 Council Member, requested that the City of Tucson begin work on creating a Complete Streets policy in 2018, with advocacy and guidance from the local nonprofit organization, Living Streets Alliance.

The policy was adopted unanimously by Mayor and Council in February 2019. In early 2020, shortly after taking office as Mayor, Romero changed the name of Tucson’s transportation department to the Department of Transportation and Mobility, coinciding with the launch of the Move Tucson comprehensive transportation planning process. This name change, and subsequent policy actions, have been part of a collective effort to shift the city’s transportation planning focus to mobility for all people.

The City of Tucson’s Complete Streets Policy, adopted in 2019, has been evaluated and ranked as one of the top 3 best in the U.S. in a new report from the National Complete Streets Coalition, a program of Smart Growth America. “This recognition of Tucson’s Complete Streets Policy by Smart Growth America is a strong signal that we’re on the right path with the transportation and land use policy changes we’ve made over the last few years,” said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. “We are continuing this work by investing over $150 million in bicycle and pedestrian safety infrastructure improvements, along with changes to our development policies, to help us meet our goals for eliminating severe traffic injuries and fatalities, achieve our climate action and adaptation goals, and improve quality of life and mobility for all Tucsonans.”

The report, Best Complete Streets Policies 2023, ranked 157 policies from across the country since 2019, scoring policies based on elements such as having a clear community commitment and vision to create a complete, connected transportation network that considers the needs of all users, prioritizing underinvested and underserved communities, adopting excellent design guidance, and requiring proactive land use planning.

When we started our Complete Streets policy development journey back in 2016, we understood that Complete Streets are not just about moving people from point A to point B. It was, therefore, our top priority to bring together a diverse group of partners representing different sectors and issue areas such as affordable housing, public transit, disability rights, green infrastructure, and food justice,” said Evren Sönmez, Director of Strategic Policy and Practice at the Living Streets Alliance. “Our policy was greatly enriched by these perspectives which undoubtedly is one of the biggest reasons why we are honored to be receiving this national recognition today.”

Press/Media Contact:

Victor Mercado
Communications and Policy Advisor
Victor.Mercado@tucsonaz.gov

For questions about the Mayor's schedule, please contact:

Juan Francisco Ramirez
Juan.Ramirez@tucsonaz.gov

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