Complete Streets is an approach to road planning and design that considers and balances the needs of all transportation users. The program is about the basics: improving the transportation system’s safety and functionality for all users regardless of age, ability, or mode of travel (car, truck, walking, biking, or transit). Its main premise simply involves getting people around safely and efficiently from point A to point B, using whatever mode of travel they choose.
INDOT has adopted a Complete Streets Guideline & Policy that builds upon multiple efforts and promotes an integrated multimodal transportation system that sustains land use developments.
Programs and Activities
Complete Streets provides many benefits to residents, business owners, developers, and communities. Over the years, INDOT has been involved in various state programs and activities that tie into the Complete Streets concept.
Indiana Programs
- Trails & Greenway Program (DNR Managed)
- Bicycle & Pedestrian Program
- Stellar Communities
- Open Roads (Practical Design)
- Access Management
INDOT Activities
- Sidewalks/Crosswalks
- Paved, wide shoulders to accommodate bicycles
- Access Management Strategies
- Roundabouts
- Traffic Signal Timing
- Pedestrian Crossing Signals
- ADA Transition Plans
Complete Streets Benefits
Complete Streets encourages street connectivity and the creation of a balanced, comprehensive transportations system for a ll modes of travel. By providing safe, accessible, and efficient connections between destinations, INDOT ensures that a number of benefits are realized for Indiana residents:
- Safety: Complete Streets can serve as an efficient countermeasure to minimize pedestrian and vehicular crashes in addition to injuries and fatalities.
- Economic Development: Complete Streets enhances mobility, connectivity, and accessibility to businesses, offices, retail destinations, schools, parks, residences, and to public transportation. These enhancements often lead to an increased sense of place and community revitalization, including increased commercial and business activity, and tourism and increased property values and land development opportunities.
- Reduced Transportation Operating Costs: Complete Streets can reduce operating costs for both the user and departments of public works. Integrating sidewalks, bike facilities, transit amenities, and/or safe crossings can encourage mixed-use developments and walking, and biking activities. These activities can lower vehicle ownership costs/needs and reduce peak-hour congestion in select areas that minimize capacity demands. Considerations of connected systems can also minimize risks for cost increases and delays due to missed opportunities and spare the expense and complications of retrofits later as right-of-way is constrained.
- Environmental: Complete Streets can result in activities that encourage healthier, active lifestyle choices, such as biking and walking. Supporting these activities benefits the environment by reducing noise and harmful vehicle emissions, but can also improve public health and fitness when safe places to walk and bike are available.
INDOT’s Approach
Although there is not just one prescription for Complete Streets, INDOT will consider Complete Streets options during the planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation of new and reconstructed transportation facilities. Therefore, INDOT will assess the context of each possible highway improvement and address the needs of all transportation users. Appropriate options will be based on:
- Community context/Stakeholder input
- Road function/area type (urban, suburban, and rural)
- Traffic speed/volume
- Project purpose and need
- Freight volumes
- Pedestrian and bicyclist demand
- Transit activities
Options that may or may not be selected, depending on each project’s unique situation, could include:
- Sidewalks/Crosswalks
- Dedicated or shared bicycle lanes
- Pedestrian crossing accommodations
- Truck mountable curbs in roundabouts
- Signal retiming
- Paved widened shoulders
- Bus stop access/shelters
- Access management strategies
- Traffic-signal timing
- Road diets (lane reductions, road
rechannelization, etc.) - Roundabouts
- On-street parking
- Transit stop accommodations
Tell Us What You Think
Indiana citizens play an important role in shaping the transportation decisions that will affect their communities. INDOT is constantly looking for and receiving comments and input from citizens, elected officials, and transportation professionals to support our transportation planning process. INDOT’s public involvement procedures provide opportunities for early and continuing engagement of public and community stakeholders in developing transportation plans, programs, and projects.
Please provide comments either by completing and submitting the Public Comment Form, by email, or by writing to:
INDOT Technical Planning Section
Division of Planning & Asset Management
100 North Senate Ave. Room N955
Indianapolis, IN 46204-2217
Related Links
- Indiana Healthy Weight Initiative
- Health By Design
- Indiana State Department of Health Division of Nutrition & Physical Activity
- Indiana State Department of Health: Complete Streets Presentation
- Federal Highway Administration: Complete Street Design
- Federal Highway Administration: Bicycle & Pedestrian Resources
- Evaluating Complete Streets-Victoria Transportation Policy Institute
- AARP Planning Complete Streets for an Aging America
- National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)