Complete Streets Policy

Longwood's Complete Streets Policy

As part of a continued commitment to providing safe transportation options for all users, the Longwood City Commission has adopted a “Complete Streets” policy that has been in place since 2015. Longwood joins agencies nationwide in an effort to integrate people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation networks.

Longwood's Complete Street Policy has led to a number of noteworthy projects to improve the quality of life for residents and visitors in the City of Longwood:

• Installation of sidewalks to the Florida Central Commerce Park area, the City's largest employment center.
• Construction of the Cross-Seminole Connector, a section of shared-use path that connects to the Cross-Seminole Trail through Arbor Park and Grant Street.
• The Ronald Reagan Boulevard project, which reduced lane widths and created on-street parking near the Church Avenue intersection to help increase pedestrian safety and encourage development in the City's walkable downtown.
• The Warren Avenue Complete Street Project, which recently completed a Planning and Engineering study and will soon enter the design phase.

Bicyclist & Pedestrian Safety

The adoption of this policy comes after the U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx challenged city leaders nationwide to raise the bar for bicyclist and pedestrian safety by joining the Mayors' Challenge for Safer People and Safer Streets. In March, the USDOT and cities from across the nation, including the City of Longwood, accepted the Challenge during the Mayors' Summit for Safer People, and Safer Streets at the USDOT headquarters in Washington, DC.

What is a Complete Street?

A "Complete Street" is one planned, designed, and maintained to comfortably accommodate pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, and motorists of all ages and ability levels. Complete Streets feature elements such as sidewalks, bicycle lanes, full-featured transit stops, pedestrian and bicycle-oriented traffic signals, medians, pedestrian crossing islands, curb extensions, and more. There is no single design for a Complete Street - each one is unique and tailored to the community context.

What does the Complete Street policy do?

The policy calls for the City to integrate Complete Streets design principles from the inception of any city construction project, review and improve development design guidelines, and report annually to the City Commission on progress made under the policy.