Texas Becomes First State To Adopt New Smart Street Rules

Big news – Texas has become the first state to officially adopt the new complete streets-based road design manual Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities, written by the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. Kaid Benfield at the NRDC Swithcboard blog has a great post on the subject:

Texans are going to get more walkable, transit- and bike-friendly streets in their cities, towns and neighborhoods, thanks to an important new decision by the state’s Department of Transportation.

In particular, Texas has become the first state officially to adopt a new, comprehensive set of progressive street design guidelines written by the Congress for the New Urbanism and the Institute of Transportation Engineers. The new manual, Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities, which has been years in the making, advances the successful use of appropriate and thoughtful solutions in the planning and design of urban roadways for walkable communities.

The result should be better sidewalks, more appropriate vehicle speeds, safer and more frequent pedestrian crossings, increased visibility between drivers and other users, landscaping (including street trees) that is both beautiful and functional, safer intersections, green stormwater management, and other aspects of “complete streets.”