Complete Streets and freight

Complete Streets is an approach to the design and management of streets and roads that enable multimodal transportation needs of livable communities. Livable communities also require access to a multitude of services, activities, and opportunities, including housing, offices and factories, hospitals and clinics, dining and shopping, parks, and recreational opportunities, all of which require a constant supply of goods and services to operate. The freight and service trips generated within these communities are conventionally performed by a heterogeneous fleet of trucks and vans carrying anything from mail and parcels to construction materials and waste.

Overlooking the needs of these vehicles–including navigating the road network, en-route parking and accessing buildings, overnight parking, and storage–within Complete Streets planning and design hinder the purpose of Complete Streets itself in serving the needs of livable communities. It can also generate dangerous conditions for freight vehicle operators and other delivery staff, who themselves typically become vulnerable pedestrians during the last-50-ft of their delivery, in addition to all other vulnerable road users. Moreover, freight inefficiencies also contribute to externalities, including increased vehicle miles traveled, noise and air pollution, and economic loss.

The objective of the project is to develop a comprehensive guide on the integration of freight into Complete Streets policy and design. The project is sponsored by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) no. 08-176