From Bluffton To Boca Raton, US Communities Take On Road Safety Crisis

Forty-three towns and cities across the country have been cited for “standout” efforts to confront the dangers to roadway safety in their communities. Both urban and rural areas were evaluated and ranked based on their successful adoption of proactive policies in recent years to address the road safety crisis.

Those are highlights of a new report released on Wednesday by Smart Growth America, a nonprofit focusing on housing and land use, transportation, and economic development, in conjunction with the National Complete Streets Coalition, an alliance of public interest organizations and transportation professionals that is a program of Smart Growth America.

“Complete Streets policies reflect the vision each community has for its future,” Heidi Simon, director of Thriving Communities at Smart Growth America, said in a statement. “The strongest policies lead to changes that make it safer and easier for people to get where they need to go—whether they’re walking, driving, biking, or taking transit.”

The report, Best Complete Streets Policies 2025, details the actions taken by communities “to develop strong and effective policies” in 2023 and 2024 using the Complete Streets Policy Framework, a strategy and blueprint for organizing a community’s commitment to safety, accessibility, and equity for all. Included are details for all aspects of street development, from the planning and design phases through building and maintenance.

The approach involves practical and often easy to implement changes, like sidewalks, raised crosswalks and bicycle infrastructure.

“The 2025 report demonstrates that well-designed, context-sensitive policies are being adopted in communities of all sizes,” the report said. “Top-ranked policies came not only from major urban centers but also from places like Clyde, Ohio, a community with a population of roughly 6,000, demonstrating that no matter the size or setting, policies that produce streets that are safe and accessible for everyone are a critical step toward healthier, more connected communities.”

The top-scoring communities and their scores are:

1. San Antonio, TX (96/100)
2. Nashville, TN (89/100)
3. Clyde, OH (85/100)
4. Bluffton, OH (81/100)
5. Boca Raton, FL (80/100)
6. East Baton Rouge Parish, LA (78/100)
7. Appleton, WI (74/100)
8. Rockford Metropolitan Planning Organization, IL (72/100)
9. Asbury Park, NJ (70/100)
10. Red Bank, NJ (69/100)

Case studies from three communities that adopted “exemplary policies and overcame unique barriers” are presented in the report. The background, challenges to adoption, highlights of the specific policy, implementation, and lessons learned are detailed.

Over the past two decades more than 1,700 Complete Streets policies have been adopted across the United States, the group said, “for communities to develop new transportation solutions.”

“We applaud communities like Clyde and San Antonio for crafting thoughtful, actionable policies that reflect their local realities and are poised to deliver real, on-the-ground improvements,” Simon added.

For more information and to access the report, click here.