On July 28, 2014, Capitol Heights became the first municipality in Prince George’s County (MD) to adopt a Complete Streets policy. Mayor Marnitta King led the effort, stating, “”Having Complete Streets in Capitol Heights is essential to moving our changing Town forward. We have to make sure that all residents are safe in their abilities to … travel the Town!” The Town’s policy articulates a clear vision, and heralds its unique location in the County, “As a gateway to our nation’s capital, and a vibrant, urban community, it is the vision of the Town of Capitol Heights, to create a community in which all residents and visitors, regardless of their age, ability, or financial resources, can safely and efficiently use the public right-of-way to meet their transportation needs regardless of their preferred mode of travel.”
Mayor King and colleague Councilman Darrell Miller attended the May 2014 Complete Streets workshop sponsored by the Greater Washington DC Safe Routes to School Regional Network and the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign for the Mid-Atlantic. This workshop featured a nationally certified Complete Streets trainer, as well as a panel of local experts from Maryland State Highway Administration, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Maryland-National Capital Parks and Planning Commission, and Prince George’s County Department of Public Works and Transportation. At the workshop, participants were introduced to the concept of Complete Streets, and equipped with tools and resources to support their effort to advance a policy in their municipality within six months. Following the workshop, Mayor King participated in “office hours” phone calls, and worked with Greater Washington DC network and HEAL on various drafts of the policy.
Both the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign and the Greater Washington DC network applaud Mayor King and the Town of Capitol Heights for passing a strong Complete Streets policy, and encourage other Prince George’s County municipalities to do the same.
The Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Cities & Towns Campaign is an initiative of the Institute for Public Health Innovation. The Campaign supports municipal leaders to create healthy, prosperous communities by adopting policies that enable residents to eat better and move more. Follow the HEAL Cities & Towns Campaign’s progress at: www.healcitiesmidatlantic.org or on Twitter @HEALMidAtlantic
This post is cross-posted on the HEAL Cities and Towns of the Mid-Atlantic and the Greater Washington DC Safe Routes to School regional network websites.