Dear John, The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is proposing to dramatically ease restrictive federal design standards that make it difficult to design and build safer, more complete streets for all users. Scores of communities small and large are attempting to capitalize on their streets as economic assets and boost the bottom line by making them safe and attractive for almost anyone of any age to use them — whether driving, biking or walking. Outdated federal guidelines get in the way, but FHWA is proposing to scrap most of them. For these proposed changes to go ahead, FHWA needs to hear that they have strong support. Can you take just one minute to generate a letter that we’ll personally deliver to FHWA for you? Sign this letter telling FHWA that their proposal is a smart change. 
Currently, local communities and states must adhere to a long list of federal design criteria, or face an arduous and costly process of requesting exceptions to do simple things like line a downtown street with trees or use design cues to slow traffic to the community’s desired design speed and make streets safer for people in cars and on foot. In this proposed rule, FHWA decided after a thorough review to scrap 11 of 13 current design criteria for most roads and streets with speed limits under 50 mph. Many of the streets that fit this description often serve as a town’s main street or are where a large share of pedestrian fatalities occur. According to the proposed rule, these criteria have “minimal influence on the safety or operation on our urban streets” and are more useful for designing freeways, highways and higher speed urban arterials. We agree — do you? It doesn’t make much sense to design a street that passes through the center of a community’s downtown the same way we would the 50 mph highway that carries commuters from that city to another. This move will liberate local communities that have been working hard to make their roads safer for everyone that uses them, and rid them of the need to petition FHWA for exceptions to do exactly that. We need to make sure FHWA moves forward with this proposed rule. Sign this letter thanking FHWA for their great work and endorsing this proposed rule. We’re going to compile all of your letters and deliver them in person before the December 7th deadline. FHWA will absolutely take notice of the feedback they get during this open comment period, so it’s critical to make our voices heard. And after you sign the letter, please spread the word! Thanks for your time, Stephen Lee Davis
Director of Communications
Transportation for America | 
