CSLA Complete Streets Leadership Academy 

The Town of Bel Air has partnered with MDOT and SGA to improve the 

Main Street and Bond Street Intersection

Blog & Comments

MDOT's Complete Streets Leadership Academy Hub

Summary

The Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MDOT) is launching a Complete Streets Leadership Academy (CSLA) to address known dangers on state-owned roads as part of its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. Supported by Smart Growth America, the CSLA model combines a series of virtual sessions and in-person workshops to develop and deploy community-led quick build projects on state-owned roads. Three communities in Maryland will partner with MDOT and the State Highway Administration (SHA) to design, implement, and measure the effectiveness of quick-build projects to identify long-term changes to improve transportation safety across the state, including the Town of Bel Air.

Objectives

• Design, implement, and measure the effectiveness of a quick-build demonstration in three communities across Maryland
• Build state and local capacity on topics related to Complete Streets, pedestrian safety, and quick-build demonstrations
• Foster collaboration and improve communication between Maryland’s Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions
• Develop recommendations to support quick-build demonstrations being more broadly used across the state

Expectations

• Contribute to the design and scope of the quick-build demonstration
• Provide support for community outreach and engagement 
• Evaluation and analysis of the quick-build demonstration
• Coordinate with Maryland’s Department of Transportation

Final Report

• The Maryland Department of Transportation released Smart Growth America's final report on the impacts of the Complete Streets Leadership Academy in Bel Air and other Maryland communities in April of 2025. A copy of the report is available here.