Feature Story

November 2013

Are You Walk-Friendly?

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announced eight new Walk Friendly Communities. The "Walk Friendly" title means a city or town is being recognized for its success in working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort. The national recognition program is supported by FedEx and located at the University of North Carolina.

PBIC recognized eight communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety: Asheville, N.C.; Burlington, Vt.; Montclair, N.J.; Tallahassee, Fla.; Atlanta; Bloomington, Ind.; La Crosse, Wis.; and Sitka, Alaska.

"Cities of all sizes continue to realize the importance of being walkable. The latest eight communities to earn the Walk Friendly designation are representative of nearly all cities in the U.S., ranging from a major metropolitan area to mid-sized college towns to one of the nation's oldest communities," said Carl Sundstrom, WFC program manager. "The rate at which the program continues to grow is exciting, and I look forward to sharing the successes of communities across the nation with each additional application round."

There are now 44 Walk Friendly Communities across the nation. To date, Seattle is the only Platinum-level Walk Friendly Community.

Does your community have what it takes? The program will be accepting applications through Dec. 15. Interested communities can visit www.walkfriendly.org to learn about the program. Applicants use a web-based program to answer a comprehensive set of questions. The program provides feedback and ideas for promoting pedestrian safety and activity. The questions examine engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation and planning. Officially launched in October 2010, the WFC program is funded by FedEx and the Federal Highway Administration.