Complete Streets and the Transit Paradox

It is well understood that access to reliable and affordable transportation is essential to addressing poverty, unemployment, obesity, and a variety of other social ills. Unfortunately, in many Midwestern cities, priority is often given to those who can afford transportation, leaving those on limited income without reliable transportation to jobs, school, medical appointments, and other resources.

Compounding the problem is an absence of safe multi-modal alternatives. A lack of bike lanes and neglected sidewalks and roads cause safety issues for pedestrians and bikers by forcing them into potentially dangerous situations. These issues are present in Warren which has seen turmoil at the Trumbull County Transit Board, slow installation of sidewalks in busy areas, and lack of protected bike lines.

What happens now? Can Warren establish a transportation system that provides equal, meaningful modal choices, enabling access to jobs, healthcare, education, and opportunity? What efforts have proven successful and what challenges remain?