Complete Streets are projects that are being implemented throughout San Diego to improve mobility and safety for multiple modes of transportation. Many common improvements for the projects include widening sidewalks, reducing traffic lanes and creating bike lanes. Not only do the Complete Streets projects benefit pedestrians and bikers but they also benefit transit riders as well as drivers.

 (Mission Ave., Oceanside)

Some of the benefits of Complete Streets include:

»Designing streets primarily to reduce traffic delay has had numerous unintended consequences. Complete Streets treatments offer a way to keep traffic moving while providing for other modes and meeting other community values.

» For the municipality, Complete Streets investments can increase tax collections and jobs, reduce road building and maintenance costs, reduce emergency response costs, and improve air and water quality.

» “Green street” techniques such as bioswales and porous pavements can reduce the costs of constructing roads, managing stormwater, irrigating landscaped areas, and heating and cooling.

» For the individual, Complete Streets provide cost effective health and mental health benefits,reduce transportation costs, provide safe travel for non-drivers, reduce all types of crashes, reduce noise-related stress, and create more opportunities for local shopping and entertainment.

» The health and safety benefits of Complete Streets are especially noteworthy. Every $1 spent on walking and bicycling facilities can yield between $5-$100 in benefits, depending on which benefits are counted.

 (From Policy to Pavement: Implementing Complete Streets in the San Diego Region)

Circulate San Diego, a regional transportation education and advocacy organization, would like your input regarding the street improvements that took place on Third Avenue from 2012 to 2015. The Third Avenue Village Streetscape is one of San Diego's featured Complete Streets projects. This project is split into a total of three phases, two of which are reported as being completed as of December 2015. So far, the first phase of improvements has stretched from H Street to Madrona and the second phase will pick up where Phase I left off and continue from Madrona to F Street. 

The improvements from these two phases have included traffic calming measures such as the reduction of 4 travel lanes to 2, the addition of bike lanes and expanded bicycle parking, widened sidewalks, new median landscaping, relocated transit stops and new transit shelters, and the creation of the Third Avenue Plaza.

Your feedback will help us understand the benefits of these types of projects. We appreciate your support and value your input!