Philadelphia’s connected street grid. Photo by elizabethps on Flickr.

There has been a great deal of outcry over Obama’s transportation stimulus plans once word got out that the plan would prioritize money for roads. But not all road projects are the great Satan. The Congress for New Urbanism (CNU) is proposing that the federal stimulus invest specifically in areas with highly conected, walkable street grids (via Laurence Aurbach).

The proposal (PDF) would fund all roads in a “qualifying network,” including local roads that generally don’t receive federal funding but are integral to quality street networks. Local and state governments could use the funding for projects that improve multi-modal transportation, traffic circulation, and the streetscape itself.

This outside-the-box policy planning is a major switch from the federal government’s traditional investment approach, which focuses on one road or corridor instead of on a network. Instead, the road projects CNU prefers would distribute traffic throughout the network and eliminate some of it in the process. This is a far cry from traditional projects to widen a single corridor, which often has destructive consequences for adjacent development.

CNU’s proposed qualification criteria comes from the LEED for Neighborhood Development standards, which set a standard of 150 intersections per square mile. Areas that do not meet the threshold would be eligible so long as the investment increased the number of intersections per square mile to 150 once the project is completed. Better connected streets generally generate fewer automobile trips. They have shorter blocks, which makes them much more walkable, and in turn more desirable to live.

Instead of adding lanes on a freeway, we could use the stimulus money to connect roads over a freeway, thereby reducing the need to get on the freeway. Technically that would be a “freeway project,” but one that would actually reduce traffic, VMT, and car trips. It increases accessibility and mobility at the same time. This would be a great measure to petition your congressman to support.

Imagine if there was more street connectivity near Pentagon City Metro station. Or near New Carrollton station. Or Greenbelt station. Or Van Dorn Street. Imagine if the Shirley Highway were less of a barrier for southern Arlington and Alexandria, and instead had more streets crossing over it. Imagine it over 295 in Deanwood. Imagine if we reconnect truncated streets in the L’Enfant city. Or if we improve traffic circulation in Georgetown. This measure could apply to projects like Tyson’s Corner and North Bethesda. It can help reverse some of the most destructive planning policies of the past half century.