A complete street is one that follows the 8-80 rule—whether you are 8 or 80 years old, the road is safe for you to use. The intersection of West San Carlos Street and South Bascom Avenue in San Jose is far from safe.
Imagine being blind and crossing the intersection of West San Carlos Street and South Bascom Avenue, pictured above. People do it often, as the Santa Clara Valley Blind Center is just two blocks away. Imagine encountering this intersection with a child or a pet in tow. Would you feel safe getting across?
The harsh reality of incomplete streets came to light when Greenbelt Alliance Regional Director Michele Beasley had the opportunity to audit this neighborhood’s streets with a team of San Jose State University urban planning graduate students. On a block by block basis, the team noted details about each street such as the number and location of garbage cans, bike racks, and trees. West San Carlos and South Bascom are designed for cars, but there is a significant number of people using these streets without a car.
To read more check out:
https://www.greenbelt.org/blog/complete-streets-audit/