FHWA RELEASES NEW WALKABLE COMMUNITIES GUIDE
Guide available to improve neighborhood walkability
June 24, 2008
CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety has released a new guide, A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities, to help residents, parents, community groups, and others make their communities better environments for walking.
A walkable community is one where it is easy and safe to walk to goods and services (i.e., grocery stores, post offices, health clinics, etc.). Walkable communities encourage pedestrian activity, expand transportation options, and have safe and inviting streets that serve people with different ranges of mobility. Sidewalks, trails, and street crossings provide a safe, accessible, and comfortable walking environment for people of all ability levels. Walkable communities have many benefits, including safer environments for walking and bicycling; better access to more places; more opportunities to be physically active; and opportunities for people with all levels of mobility.
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities is a user-friendly resource that includes information, ideas, and references to help residents learn about issues that affect walking conditions; find ways to address or prevent these problems; and promote pedestrian safety. It provides several community success stories that highlight successful community-oriented pedestrian safety projects and programs.
The Guide also contains several Resource Sheets, including fact sheets, worksheets, and sample materials. These materials can be adapted to meet the needs of a particular community, or distributed to others working to improve pedestrian safety. The Guide provides a thorough introduction to pedestrian safety and includes many references to other resources and materials for those interested in more in-depth information.
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