Baltimore, MD (October 30, 2019) – Earlier this month, Mayor Young signed into law an extension of the deadline to deliver the Complete Streets Manual after the previous administration failed to meet the original deadlines. We now expect to see a draft of the Manual by April 1, 2020 and for the Manual to be adopted by July 1, 2020. While the delay is disappointing, AIA Baltimore is pleased to see the current administration and new BCDOT Director Steve Sharkey commit to implementing this important ordinance, last year recognized as one of the best Complete Streets initiatives in the country. Here is our letter to Councilman Dorsey and the Transportation Committee:

Dear Councilman Dorsey:

The Baltimore Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Baltimore), on behalf of our 1,300 architect and allied industrial members, expresses our continued support of the Baltimore City Council Transportation Committee to implement the Complete Streets Ordinance and the plan to adopt a Complete Streets Manual by July 1, 2020.

Community outreach is crucial to creating a Complete Streets Manual that ensures everyone in Baltimore has safe, comfortable, and convenient access to transportation. A network of connected facilities that improve mobility and quality of life for all will create safer streets for children, improve access to jobs, and transform the street into an extension of the community.

As architects, we know the tremendous value of an integrated design process that brings together people and place in the planning, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of transportation networks. This is an opportunity for Baltimore to lead the way in best urban design practices. It will be a leap forward towards an interconnected city that promotes equity, prosperity, public health, safety, and overall livability.

We offer our expertise as a resource for the Committee if requested and look forward to seeing the manual next April.

Thank you,

Kathleen Lane, AIA
AIA Baltimore Executive Director