Sponsors (5)
The bill shifts federal transportation policy and some funding toward multimodal, accessible 'complete streets'—improving safety and equity for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and people with disabilities—while increasing upfront costs, administrative burdens, and the potential for constrained state funding, project delays, and uneven rural implementation.
All roadway users (drivers, cyclists, pedestrians) across urban and rural areas will see safer street designs because States, MPOs, and project sponsors must adopt standards and fund multimodal complete-streets elements that explicitly accommodate motorized and nonmotorized users.
People with disabilities and older adults will gain stronger, legally backed accessibility protections (adoption of PROWAG-style guidance and design requirements), improving safe access to sidewalks, crossings, and other public rights-of-way.
State DOTs and local governments receive dedicated funding, technical assistance, and federal design/cost guidance to plan and build multimodal complete-streets projects, accelerating construction of sidewalks, bike lanes, and multimodal corridors.
States must obligate a set-aside (5% of certain federal apportioned funds annually) to complete-streets activities, which reduces available funding for other state road priorities and could constrain overall state transportation budgets.
Covered projects will face higher upfront design and construction costs (stronger accessibility elements, additional multimodal features, and compliance with federal standards), increasing project budgets and potentially requiring more state/local matching funds.
States, MPOs, and local governments will incur added administrative and compliance burdens to develop/implement new design standards, apply for grants, and manage appeals, increasing planning costs and staff time.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Requires states and MPOs to adopt complete-streets standards, directs federal design guidance, and phases in multimodal requirements for many federally funded projects.
Introduced June 4, 2025 by Edward John Markey · Last progress June 4, 2025
Requires states and metropolitan planning organizations to adopt and implement “complete streets” design standards so roads safely serve people who drive, walk, bike, or use transit. It creates a federal framework with definitions, guidance, and deadlines; directs the Secretary of Transportation to issue model design standards quickly; and requires states to run competitive programs that provide technical assistance and grants for designing and building complete streets. Key deadlines: design standards within 180 days; states must set up programs within two fiscal years and begin grants by the third; many federally funded projects must meet complete-streets requirements starting two years after enactment (with a statewide phase-in by five years).