Squashed ped sign on Park Ave

Squashed Pedestrian Sign on Park Ave.

Last week, the U.S. Surgeon General called on the nation to make walking and physical activity a part of its daily routine by making communities more walkable. His Step It Up Call to Action acknowledges that a huge barrier is simply having safe and convenient places for people to walk. “Building communities where it is safe and convenient to walk, bike, or wheelchair roll is part of the solution.”

In January, DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx unveiled the Safer People, Safer Streets Initiative to address “non-motorized safety issues and help communities create safer, better connected bicycling and walking networks.”

I see a trend here… Will Congress be next?

Stop in at any gym before work in the morning, and you’ll see it packed with people exercising. Yet, we as a nation have become more sedentary than ever before. Americans walk, bike and take mass transit the least of anyone in the world. We’ve sprawled, built residential streets without sidewalks and engaged in terrible community planning. In many places, our kids can’t walk to school or safely walk or bike to do things, so are stuck relying on a ride from adults (and vice-versa).

Why? Because we have built our communities for driving above all else. Driving is one of the most dangerous things we do everyday, yet few politicians and community leaders talk about or take steps to design our streets and communities so that people have to drive less. (see crash data for Monroe County here).

Our car-centric built environment and our more sedentary habits are taking their toll on our health as a country. This spring, Gov. Cuomo declared that obesity rates in the state of New York had reached epidemic proportions. People who live in walkable neighborhoods weigh 6-10 pounds less than those who live is places where you have to drive to do anything. Walking to take care of daily errands, as part of our commutes and for leisure is an easy way to get in extra exercise without even trying! You don’t need to even look at your Fitbit to know the benefits of walking instead of driving to a restaurant.

And let’s talk about our connections to our communities and our quality of life. People who say they feel their neighborhoods and streets are clean, beautiful and safe to walk around in at night report being happy more. And for every 10 minutes a person spends commuting daily by car, he or she spends 10% less time engaging in community activities. It’s hard to know your neighbors when your only interaction with your neighborhood streets is driving to and from your garage.

Let’s not forget the health of the planet. Traffic in urban metro areas (like ours) was responsible for 63% of the increase in CO2 emissions in 2012. Any solution for reducing pollution and will have to involve providing better alternatives to driving everywhere all the time.

Walkability and the nation’s health go hand in hand. As Smart Growth America asked: “What if we labeled unwalkable neighborhoods like we do cigarettes?”

Every 8 minutes a pedestrian is hit by a car in this country. Getting Americans to walk more as part of their daily lives requires more than people just committing to get out and walk. It requires rethinking and redesigning communities that have been disconnected by decades of putting driving before other uses of our streets.

Skaneateles crosswalk photo

Crosswalk in Skaneateles, NY

And the Surgeon General is asking everyone to be a part of the solution — from the media to politicians/leaders and our schools. It begins with individual citizens and their families making their needs known and participating in public meetings for their local comprehensive plans, transportation plans and other developments that impact quality of life. And citizens vote for leaders who share their values for their communities.

Want to get involved in making your neighborhood more walkable? 
Join our conversation at Reconnect Rochester and Streets for the People.

Want to know more about plans in your town/village/city? Here are some places to start (my apologies if I left any out):

City of Rochester Walkability Audit
City of Rochester Center City Master Plan
City of Rochester Complete Streets Policy
Town of Brighton Comprehensive Plan — Envision Brighton
Town of Brighton Comprehensive Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
The Village of Pittsford Pedestrian Safety & Traffic Calming Plan
Town of Pittsford Comprehensive Plan
Irondequoit Comprehensive Master Plan
Town of Greece Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan
Town of Henrietta Active Transportation Plan
Village of Webster Comprehensive Plan
Town of Webster Comprehensive Plan
Penfield Comprehensive Plan
Victor Comprehensive Plan
Village of Fairport Comprehensive Plan
Perinton Comprehensive Plan

What about at a national level?
Smart Growth America makes it easy for you to contact your representatives to let them know you support provisions in the transportation bill that will improve the quality of life and health of our citizens and communities. All you have to do is type in your address:
“Congress is about to have a critical opportunity to take action on this issue. Legislators are currently working on a multiyear federal transportation bill which will shape communities and transportation programs for years to come. As representatives negotiate the bill in the coming weeks, will they make walkability a priority?”