Increasing walking and bicycling: Community-based approaches

Communities across the country are using tools to improve conditions for walking and bicycling. This presentation draws from successful examples of three community-based programs that help communities transform their polices, practices, and programs; change their built environments; and increase the number of people choosing active ways to travel on foot or by bike.

*The Complete Streets workshops developed through the National Complete Streets Coalition, helps communities create or implement customized policies and specific strategies to routinely design, build and operate streets to serve all users of all ages and abilities, including pedestrians and bicyclists. Seattle, WA, adopted a complete streets ordinance that established new principles for street design based on moving people and goods rather than vehicles alone.

* The Bicycle Friendly Communities program developed by the League of American Bicyclists, provides community benchmarks, assessments, and tools for effective bicycle planning. This program has helped Louisville, KY adapt a bike plan with specific performance measures to improve conditions.

* Safe Routes to School federal policy and funding programs in every state offer communities resources and funding to assess neighborhood conditions surrounding schools, and to develop and implement action plans to eliminate barriers to children walking and bicycling to school. Through community education and parent and student encouragement programs in Arlington, MA most elementary school children now walk to school.

Learn how one region, Martinsville/Henry County, VA , is combining all three of these programs to improve quality of life and economic vitality.