Each year, Polco is proud to celebrate local governments with the Best in Governance Awards — the nation's only awards program honoring communities for both resident experience and measurable outcomes. These awards shine a light on the jurisdictions that stand out as the most effective, innovative, and community-centered across the country, as measured through national data.
We're continuing our series recognizing the Top Performers across essential areas of community livability. Today, we're spotlighting the Mobility category.
About the Mobility Category
Mobility is the lifeblood of a community. It shapes how residents get to work, school, and play; how businesses connect with customers; and how people experience the daily rhythm of their lives. Great mobility isn't just about keeping cars moving. It's about giving people choices — whether that means a smooth commute by bus, a safe bike lane for a ride to the park, sidewalks that make a neighborhood walkable, or carpools that bring neighbors together.
The Best in Governance Awards celebrate communities that are excelling in these vital areas of livability. Based on extensive, high-quality data from the National Community Survey (The NCS) and national indicators from Government Performance Action Lab (GPAL), the awards highlight the communities that are both listening to their residents and achieving measurable progress on the issues that matter most.
Because Mobility is measured through both lenses, this year's honorees are recognized across three groups: Community Impact — Excellence highlights the top performers on measurable, public-data outcomes; Voice of the People — Excellence recognizes the communities with the highest resident ratings nationwide; and Voice of the People — Transformation celebrates those that achieved the biggest improvements in resident ratings over time.
2026 Top Performers: Mobility
Community Impact — Excellence
- City of Champaign, Illinois
- City of Urbana, Illinois
- City of West Lake Hills, Texas
Voice of the People — Excellence
- Gunnison County, Colorado
- City of Mountlake Terrace, Washington
- City of Shoreview, Minnesota
- Town of Telluride, Colorado
- City of Wilsonville, Oregon
Voice of the People — Transformation
- City of Durango, Colorado
- Town of Estes Park, Colorado
- City of Kearney, Missouri
- City of Plymouth, Minnesota
- City of Redwood City, California
What's Next
The communities recognized as Top Performers represent the very best in making it safer, easier, and more reliable for residents to get around. The National Champions in each category will be announced in October.
Congratulations to all of this year's Top Performers. We're honored to showcase your leadership in building stronger, smarter, and more connected communities. Visit our awards page for more information about Polco's Best in Governance Awards.
