More than 70 years ago, the construction of the U.S. interstate system paved the way for an automobile-centric society. While U.S. society has historically prioritized automobile transportation, aging populations and up-and-coming generations alike are demanding a new approach.
Research from AARP found that more than 87% of Indiana adults age 45 and older want to stay in their homes as they age, and 84% desire independence in local travel. Meanwhile,
a report released by the U.S. Department of Transportation in 2024 showed that members of Generation Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) are less likely to have driver’s licenses than the generations before them. Since 2000, the number of 16-year-olds with driver’s licenses has decreased by nearly 27%. More than
one-third of the nation’s residents don’t even have a driver’s license.
Whether it’s the desire to age in place, a physical disability that prevents driving, or simply a preference for alternative modes of transportation, a growing number of people need safer options for getting from one place to the next.
In urban communities like Fort Wayne, where a growing subset of the population has expressed a desire for more connected, pedestrian-friendly roadways, the push for a concept known as Complete Streets has gained some traction.
What are Complete Streets?
In 2003, Barbara McCann coined the term “Complete Streets” as an alternative phrasing to “routine accommodation,” or the practice of incorporating bicycle accessibility into street projects. McCann worked for America Bikes at the time, but she quickly realized the concept of Complete Streets extended beyond cyclists. She envisioned a more holistic approach to infrastructure development that didn’t just prioritize automobile transportation, but all modes of transportation—including walking and cycling. McCann would later become the founding executive director of the
National Complete Streets Coalition, backed by organizations like Smart Growth America (SGA) and AARP.
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Heidi Simon, director of thriving communities at Smart Growth America“Complete Streets look to meet the needs of all community members in the way they want to travel and engage with their community—regardless of their location, background, age, or other demographics,” says Heidi Simon, director of thriving communities at SGA. “People want to be able to access resources and maintain their independence. All the things that make life worth living—maintaining our relationships, volunteering with causes that matter to us—those things all depend on the sidewalks and roads under our feet.”
SGA’s website defines Complete Streets as “an approach to planning, designing, building, operating and maintaining streets that enables safe access for all people who need to use them, including pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and transit riders of all ages and abilities.”
A Complete Street might include wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes or even separate trails altogether. The increased accessibility and interconnectivity brought by this method in a metropolitan area can drive the development of a more vibrant community.
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Emily Gorman, AARP Indiana
“Our entire country’s infrastructure was built with cars in mind, and we kind of left behind the needs of other users,” says Emily Gorman, director of community engagement for AARP Indiana, which has been a dedicated supporter of Complete Streets initiatives since they first began to develop. “The Complete Streets initiative is an approach to planning that encourages city leaders to take a step back and evaluate every part of a street—sidewalks, curbs, crosswalks, bike lanes, and more.”
Since the Complete Streets concept was first introduced, SGA has been dedicated to helping communities across the country develop their own policy frameworks for making streets more accessible. According to SGA, there are
10 components to an effective Complete Streets policy. The components highlight the importance of a clear vision, a focus on underserved communities, specific criteria for exceptions, measurable goals and actionable implementation plans—among other key focus points.
One of the biggest challenges in developing Complete Streets is the diverse nature of existing infrastructure. A Complete Street in a high-traffic, downtown corridor will look different from one in a quiet neighborhood.
Large highways and interstates are never going to be Complete Streets; cars are going 75 miles per hour, and you don’t want people walking or riding alongside them,” says Marjorie Hennessy, program and policy manager at Health by Design, a non-profit dedicated to supporting infrastructure for safer, healthier communities in Indiana. “We’re more focused on daily destinations at a neighborhood and community level. In a main travel corridor, with higher speeds, you ideally want separated bike lanes and clear sidewalks with shade and a buffer separating them from the street. When you get into neighborhood traffic where speed limits are lower, a bike lane with a little bit of space is okay, and the sidewalks might not have buffers. Comfort and safety are all contingent on the context.
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A permeant curb extension at Edgewater Avenue and Tecumseh StreetWith the support of organizations like AARP, SGA and Health by Design, local advocates and leaders have taken significant steps toward making Complete Streets in Fort Wayne a focal point of the city’s future.
Complete Streets in Fort Wayne
In 2016, Fort Wayne’s Board of Public Works adopted a
Complete Streets Resolution, which has helped inform local development projects for the past decade.
“I utilize the Public Works resolution on Complete Streets as a guiding principle in my decision-making,” says Philip LaBrash, a traffic engineer with Fort Wayne Public Works. “The current resolution contains the framework for creating a safe transportation network that seeks to accommodate all users—vehicular, transit, movement of goods, pedestrians and bicyclists.”
After nearly ten years of Fort Wayne operating with its existing resolution, local advocates like Maddie Miller have stepped up to encourage continued conversation around Complete Streets. Miller, an avid cyclist, is a volunteer with the
Active Transportation Coalition, which was established in 2018 to enhance mobility and connectivity in Allen County.
Miller’s interest in Complete Streets first ignited around 2022, when she took a trip to Montreal for work. While there, she experienced the city’s bike-friendly infrastructure, which includes more than 100 miles of barrier-protected bike lanes. She didn’t have to use a car at all during her trip.
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Maddie Miller with other members of Three Rivers Active Streets“I felt so safe and impressed in Montreal, and I came back wondering how I could start advocating for that level of safety and connectedness in Fort Wayne,” says Miller. “I got involved with the Active Transportation Coalition, and I attended a meeting by Smart Growth America that went over their 10 recommendations for an effective Complete Streets framework. Our existing resolution meets the basic needs of what should be included in a Complete Streets policy, and we just want to continue improving that.”
Miller and other local leaders hope to see the Complete Streets Resolution become an ordinance enforced in all city planning initiatives. In its current state, the resolution is not enforceable by law. An ordinance would reflect a long-term commitment from Fort Wayne leaders.
“Our Public Works Department is great, and they’re already thinking about a lot of the elements of Complete Streets in their projects,” says Miller. “One of the best examples from recent years is the corner of Columbia Avenue at Conjure Coffee. What started as a temporary project with paint and barricades has become a permanent curb extension and a new crosswalk that’s a lot safer for pedestrians. Those are the types of improvements we want to continue to see in the long term.”
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A pedestrian crossing at the corner of Columbia Avenue at Conjure Coffee.One reason an ordinance is so important to local advocates is the message it sends to residents and tourists about Fort Wayne’s commitment to accessibility and diversity. While current leaders and City employees may prioritize the Complete Streets framework, there’s no guarantee that future leaders will do the same. Establishing an ordinance enforceable by law ensures that Complete Streets will be part of all future conversations as Fort Wayne grows.
“At Smart Growth America, we think an effective Complete Streets framework involves changes made across an entire community, not just project by project,” says Simon. “Complete Streets design elements should be institutionalized in a way that if someone goes to work somewhere else or if there’s a leadership change, the approach and vision of Complete Streets is still so well entrenched in the policies that the progress wouldn’t stop.”
As Fort Wayne becomes identified on a national level as a place where young people want to live and senior citizens want to retire, having an ordinance shows residents that Complete Streets are important to the community. According to Gorman, studies from AARP show how important aging in place is for senior adults. They want to see a commitment to walkability and accessibility that transcends any singular administration or employee.
Supporting economic development with a Complete Streets framework
The demand for safer, more accessible infrastructure reflects a value shift in the U.S., both for aging adults and younger generations. If a city like Fort Wayne can rise to meet the demand, residents aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit.
“This isn’t just an issue for elected leadership or safety advocates,” says Hennessy. “This is a topic that should interest large employers and community developers that want to attract and retain talent in their area. If your transportation network doesn’t serve members of your population who don’t want or have cars, then those people will move to a community that can better accommodate them with safer transportation options.”
Walkability and accessibility can also drive economic development, according to Joe Giant, community development administrator at the City of Fort Wayne.
“If you think about a really good downtown space, you’ll probably envision storefront businesses, outdoor seating and displays, landscaping, pedestrians walking, strollers, bike lanes, on-street parking—all the things that seem automatic in a thriving downtown area,” says Giant. “That’s what Complete Streets can and should look like.”
Although Fort Wayne has several unique destinations and attractions throughout the city—from the riverfront to Parkview Field to Electric Works—it can sometimes be difficult to see how all these locations relate to each other. Without a car, it can be difficult to get from one end of downtown to the other. One of Fort Wayne’s largest Complete Streets initiatives in recent years, the
Urban Trail, is set to simplify that challenge. When completed, the Urban Trail will consist of a ten-foot-wide path stretching along sections of Superior Street and Harrison Street, as well as Washington and Broadway, and run all the way to Electric Works.
“The idea behind the Urban Trail is a streetscape treatment that links our most important assets together,” says Giant. “We’re also interested in the perception of safety downtown. If an area doesn’t feel safe to walk or ride, people stay away from it. Then you get a cascading effect of negative outcomes: Businesses become less successful and the area starts to deteriorate. By reinvesting in the streetscape, we’re making the area more comfortable for all users and making it a better place to do business.”
Fort Wayne has already seen the effects Complete Streets can have on economic development in other areas of the city, most notably in the Pontiac Street Corridor, where revitalization efforts took place over the last several years.
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Pontiac Streets, after elements of Complete Streets were implemented “For the last few decades, Pontiac Street was really wide,” says Giant. “It wasn’t clear where parking spaces were supposed to begin and the street was supposed to end, and people drove really fast. It felt dangerous to walk along that road. But narrowing travel lanes, adding some landscaping, rebuilding sidewalks, and creating some places to sit turned it into a really beautiful area.”
City leaders hope the Urban Trail will drive the same success as the Pontiac Street project—and maybe even more, considering the wide range of assets the trail will connect. Currently, one main barrier stands in the way of the trail’s completion: Washington Boulevard. At peak traffic hours, the four-lane street almost resembles a highway that bisects the city. The proposed solution involves eliminating the northernmost lane on Washington and using the space to continue development of the Urban Trail.
To address concerns that losing the lane would exacerbate traffic problems downtown, Philip LaBrash went before the City Council to explain the proposal. According to LaBrash, studies across the country show that reducing the number of lanes on a street can improve traffic flow, rather than inhibit it. By eliminating the single lane, Fort Wayne can open the door for the completion of the Urban Trail and provide more accessible options for people who aren’t using cars to travel.
“If there’s no sidewalk, people won’t walk,” says Giant. “The idea is that the availability will inspire people to use it. The same is true of good bike networks: Ridership follows availability. By creating the opportunity, along with increasing safety, we also hope to activate some underutilized areas of land downtown to develop a thriving scene.”
What’s next for Complete Streets?
Advocates for Complete Streets want to see safer roadways that can accommodate cyclists and pedestrians without sacrificing convenience for drivers. The community-led push for a binding ordinance shows how important street design is for Fort Wayne residents.
“We want to see Complete Streets built into the development process for the City so we know all people and modes of transportation are taken into consideration,” says Miller. “We know we can’t flip a switch and create a perfect, accessible environment, but it’s important for accessibility and safety to be thoughtfully considered in all projects.”
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Maddie Miller, local active transportation advocate, participating in a bike audit in Fort Wayne.Miller and other volunteers with the Active Transportation Coalition, supported by AARP and SGA, hope 2025 will be the year when the Complete Streets Resolution will become an ordinance, cementing the value of accessibility for the next generation.
“Our streets are what connect us within the city, and we’re all pedestrians at some point or another,” says Miller. “A lot of people do not have access to automobile transportation, so it’s really important that we provide safe infrastructure for all of our visitors and residents. We as citizens are experts on the areas where we live. That’s why it’s so important to attend public meetings and engage with city staff, council members and our mayor.”
The continued development of Complete Streets depends on community members who voice concerns and highlight areas that need attention. However, even as the City embraces improvements, there is no single model for an effective Complete Street because the needs of the roadways are largely dependent on context.
“We are sensitive to the right application in the right place,” says Giant. “There’s no one-size-fits-all solution because we want to make sure we’re creating better and safer situations across the board. A Complete Street in a downtown area might look and feel different than a Complete Street in a more suburban location. We’re focusing on the engineering and planning of the City—Complete Streets, yes, but also complete neighborhoods.”
To learn more about the movement for Complete Streets,
watch the video from Smart Growth America and AARP that highlights the work being accomplished in Fort Wayne. You can also visit the
Active Transportation Coalition’s website to learn how you can get involved.
Join the Active Transportation Coalition on March 8 at 3 p.m. at The Forum at Electric Works for a Q&A with experts and community members and the premiere of a video that explains the need for an updated Complete Streets policy in Fort Wayne.
Click here to RSVP to the event.
This story is made possible by AARP Indiana.