Mayor Wharton signs the Memphis Complete Streets Executive Order!

Mayor Wharton recently signed the Memphis Complete Streets Policy as an Executive Order! This is great news: it means that from here on out, our streets will be designed and retrofitted to accommodate all user. We will post a link to the official executive order once it's on the City's website.

Here is a photo of Mayor Wharton signing the order. 

Call to Action:
Please take a few minutes to send Mayor Wharton a thank you. Send him an email at AC.Wharton@memphistn.gov. Use your own words or use this draft as a guide:

Dear Mayor Wharton, 

Thank you for signing the Memphis Complete Streets Policy Executive Order. I'm so proud of you for being a champion for safe streets that accommodate all users. While I frequently drive my car, I am also a pedestrian, cyclist and transit user. I am eager for streets that provide me with many safe and pleasant options for how to get around.

I'd like to walk, bike, or take transit to ____________________ more often. Complete Streets will make it easier for me to get there. Thank you again for encouraging a vibrant street life, providing healthy lifestyle choices and making Memphis more livable.

A special THANK YOU to all of the members of the Policy Development Team for all of your hard work in drafting the order. 

Next steps: creating the Street Design Manual....stay tuned!

Presentations Update

As part of the effort to make our streets and our transportation network more complete, we have been taking the conversation to the community and engaging on what the Complete Streets policy effort is all about and the pressing issues behind it.  These events usually consist of a viewing of our twelve-minute promotional video followed by a power point presentation on the status of the local effort, why Complete Streets is good for our city and county, and how people can be supportive.  We're glad that through this process the Complete Streets message appears to be very well-received.  We just want to continue to get in front of more people.  Thus far, organizations that have hosted a presentation include:

• Great Streets Health Communities conference
• Livable Memphis - Pizza with Planners
• Community Development Council of Greater Memphis
• Collierville Planning Commission
• Memphis Area Association of Realtors
• Crye-Leike Realtors
• Memphis Regional Design Center - Urban Design 101
• Let's CHANGE Summit with Health Memphis Common Table
• Smith & Nephew
• Shelby County Health Department
• Memphis Housing Authority and Department of Housing and Community Development
• Sierra Club

Presentations are also soon to be made at ULI - Memphis and USGBC - Memphis.  Over 300 people have been exposed to our Complete Streets effort from these presentations, and as of today, 148 people have signed Complete Streets Coalition pledges of support.

Thank you to everyone who has hosted a presentation, taken part in the conversation, and signed a pledge of support.  The feedback we have received has been tremendous and we greatly appreciate your support in making Memphis a better place to live!

We continue to reach out to business, community, and civic organizations of all kinds, so if you are a part of an organization that would like to host a Complete Streets presentation, or know of one you'd like to suggest, please contact us and let us know.