I have enjoyed walking as long as I can remember because it’s a way to connect with friends, think, be outside, and get exercise.
One of my top walking locations to do all that is A1A in Boca Raton, Florida. It is a beautiful walk, but I needed to drive to get there because of safety and infrastructure problems. I promised myself that when I relocated to Arlington, Virginia and then later to Austin, Texas that I would live in a pedestrian-oriented development.
I became spoiled in Arlington with its transit system, real-time apps, sidewalk gaps, crosswalks, and yield signs. I wanted Austin to be the same if not better than Arlington.
I assumed that Austin is a walkable city as it’s often included in many Top 10 lists related to city living. But with some investigation – doing walking audits and co-organizing CarFreeDayATX – I found out why the city didn’t make the lists. I also found out there wasn’t an established pedestrian non-profit organization, no dedicated City of Austin staff member working solely on pedestrian issues, and lack of Americans with Disabilities Act infrastructure.
About a year ago, I had a great conversation with Scott Bricker, executive director of America Walks, which receives support from the National Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase walking and walkability of local communities. Scott suggested that I apply for a grant to have a pedestrian workshop in Austin. I received the grant and hosted the America Walks/CDC Walkability 1.5 Day Workshop in Austin back in early May. To prepare for the workshop, I:
- Recruited 15 volunteers and a leadership team that would help draft a Walkability Action Plan post-workshop. (A “big thank you” goes out to all the volunteers and in-kind contributors. The workshop couldn’t have been made possible without you.)
- Received support from Austin City Council Member Chris Riley and the Austin Planning Department to have the workshop included in the Imagine Austin Speaker Series.
- Managed and developed a strategic plan of action to ensure that the cost of the event would be free for the 60+ attendees.
- Secured donations from venues, food and drink, and solicited guest speakers.
- Helped create a walkability campaign with social media, newsletters, and media outreach.
The leadership team has been diligently working on the plan, gaining more support, and recruiting additional team members. City Council Member Riley is meeting with the Bicycle Advisory Council and the Urban Transportation Commission this month, with the hope that the Austin City Council will soon pass a resolution to form a Pedestrian Advisory Council.
Photo of Austin pedestrians by Dave Elmore