title: Diffusion of Complete Streets policies Across US communities.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Complete Streets policies guide planning in communities by making the transportation system accommodating to all users including vehicle drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists, as well as those using public transportation. While the number of Complete Streets policies has increased over the past decade, no research has explored the factors attributing to the widespread diffusion of these policies.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to apply concepts of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory to data related to Complete Streets policies in order to identify potential patterns and correlates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main outcome of this study was policy adoption. Using the Diffusion of Innovation Theory and results from previous literature, we identified several factors that had the potential to affect the rate of Complete Streets policy diffusion: rural/urban status, state obesity rate, state funding for transportation, state obesity prevention funding, percentage of people who walk or bike to work in the state, presence of a state Complete Streets policy, and the number of bordering communities with Complete Streets policy. We used event history analysis as the main analysis method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data from 49 community-level policies were analyzed, with a "community" defined as a city, a county, or a regional/Metropolitan Planning Organization. Three variables were significant predictors of Complete Streets policy adoption: state obesity rate (odds ratio [OR] = 1.465; confidence interval [CI] = 1.10-1.96) percentage of people who bike or walk to work in the state (OR = 1.726; CI = 1.069-2.79), and presence of a border community with a Complete Streets policy (OR = 3.859; CI = 1.084-13.742).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Communities with Complete Streets policies varied in geographic and sociodemographic factors. Information about communities that are more likely to adopt a policy can be a tool for advocates and policy makers interested in this topic. Because adoption does not imply implementation, further research is needed to study outcomes of Complete Streets policies.
authors.affiliation: Center for Public Health Systems Science, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St Louis, MO 63112, USA. srussell@gwbmail.wustl.edu
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moreland-Russell
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Eyler
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbero
authors.forename: J Aaron
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hipp
authors.forename: Heidi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling; D002958:City Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D006801:Humans; D011640:Public Policy; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D014186:Transportation; D014481:United States; D016138:Walking