Walk Friendly Communities encourages towns and cities to support safer walking environments

USDOT Secretary LaHood's "Fast Lane" Blog: November 01, 2010

In an interview with Grist last week, I talked about livable communities. And one of the central features of livability is that you can get where you need or want to go without having to get into your car. For many reasons--the hassle of congested roadways, the need to reduce carbon emissions, the desire for better health--that's what Americans have said they want.

Making a community safer for walking is one way to improve livability. And a new program called Walk Friendly Communities encourages towns and cities across the country to make safer walking environments a high priority.

The Walk Friendly Communities program will recognize communities that are working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access, and comfort. It is sponsored by DOT’s Federal Highway Administration along with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center and FedEx.

As FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez said, "Walk Friendly Communities will show how cities and towns across the country are creatively improving walkability and demonstrating leadership in addressing pedestrian safety concerns."

To continue reading the story, click here.

Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. The WFC program will recognize communities that are working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access, and comfort. It offers a comprehensive assessment tool to evaluate community walkability and pedestrian safety. Questions in the online survey cover a community's efforts in engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation, and planning. The program will accept applications until December 15, 2010. Click here for the assessment tool.