The City of Evanston’s Complete and Green Streets policy has been ranked second in Illinois and among the best in the nation by Smart Growth America, the nation’s leading developer of locally-driven community solutions.
Earning 94.4 points out of 100, Evanston achieved the second highest score in the state behind only Calumet City, which had a score of 96.0. Evanston also improved significantly from its previous Smart Growth America Complete Streets Policy score of 60.8 in 2014.
Of the more than 40 Illinois municipalities participating in the evaluation, the next highest rated towns were Park Forest and Peoria, which were tied at 92.8 points. Oak Park scored 80, Skokie 76 and Chicago 39.
Complete streets are designed to increase the livability of communities by enabling the safe and convenient movement across all modes of transportation by people of all ages and capabilities, including pedestrians, mobility assistance device users, motor vehicle users, and public transit users.
Evanston updated its policy last year to provide an implementation framework and metrics to ensure that complete streets principles are incorporated during planning, design and construction phases for all projects involving rights-of-way and public spaces.
“Evanston is on a mission to create the most livable city for everyone,” Mayor Stephen Hagerty said in a statement. “The City’s updated Complete and Green Streets policy paves the way for all community members to safely access Evanston’s excellent transportation networks, visit our beautiful public spaces, and enjoy all our city has to offer.”