Oct. 29, 2013
Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center names eight new Walk Friendly Communities
CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is excited to announce 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. As part of its commitment to pedestrian safety, FedEx supports Walk Friendly Communities, a national recognition program of the PBIC at the University of North Carolina that encourages cities and towns across the United States to create safe walking environments.
PBIC recognizes these eight communities for their commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety:
Silver Level
Bronze Level
“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, Wash., is the only Platinum-level Walk Friendly Community.
The program will begin accepting applications for the seventh round on Nov. 1, 2013, with the deadline for submission on Dec 15, 2013. Interested communities are encouraged to visit www.walkfriendly.org to learn more about the program and review the community assessment tool.
Applicants use a web-based program that asks a comprehensive set of questions and provides communities with 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.
“FedEx remains committed to promoting safe and walkable communities throughout the country,” said Rose Flenorl, manager of FedEx Global Citizenship. “We fully recognize the value of walking trails, sidewalks and other pedestrian amenities, which is why we continue to sponsor this program. With more than 90,000 vehicles on the road daily, we understand FedEx has a critical role to play in actively promoting a culture of safety around the world.”