Complete Streets Bill Passes in St. Louis: What it Says and What it Doesn’t

St. Louis City passed a "Complete Streets" bill June 11 (complete bill below). It's without a doubt good news and something we should celebrate. Getting a bill written and passed is a real achievement. But what does it mean and what doesn't it mean?

In some ways the bill falls far short of what some of us would want. The bill does not require the accommodation of cyclists, pedestrians or transit. The bill "does require the City to consider complete street elements in the design, construction and maintenance of public transportation projects" while balancing complete street objectives with the "cost of improvements, budget for the project, space and area requirements and imitations and legal requirements and limitations." What this means is that the City will not be required to implement any specific element or design for a project.