A Resident’s Guide for
 

Creating Safer Communities
 

for Walking and Biking
 

January 2015 
NOTICE
 

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Transportation in the 

interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for the use of the information 

contained in this document. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. 

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names 

appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the objective of this document. 
1. Report No. 

FHWA-SA-14-099 

2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. 

4. Title and Subtitle 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

5. Report Date 

Januar y 2015 

6. Performing Organization Code 

7. Author(s) 

Laura Sandt, Libby Thomas, Kristen Langford, and Dan Nabors. 

8. Performing Organization Report No. 

9. Performing Organization Name and Address 

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700

Vienna, VA 22182 

10. Work Unit No. (TR A IS)

XXX 

11. Contract or Grant No. 

DTFH61-10-D-00022 

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 

Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Washington, D.C. 20590 

13. Type of Report and Period Covered 

Final Guide; 2014-2015 

14. Sponsoring Agency Code 

15. Supplementar y Notes 

The contract manager for this report was Tamara Redmon (FHWA Office of Safety). Highway Safety Research Center

(UNC-HSRC) were subcontractors to VHB; Laura Sandt was the Principal Investigator from UNC-HSRC. Gabe Rousseau

(FHWA), Leah Walton and Paula Bawer (NHTSA), and other USDOT staff reviewed the guide and provided valuable feedback. Authors of the original guide, A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities, upon which this guide

is based, include: Laura Sandt, Robert Schneider, Dan Nabors, Libby Thomas, Colleen Mitchell, and RJ Eldridge. Credit goes

to NHTSA for its contributing role in the education and enforcement section of the original guide and for funding pilot-testing

of the original guide with 15 community groups across the U.S. The purpose of that testing was for community groups to assess

pedestrian safety needs in their community and develop and implement educational, engineering, or enforcement projects to

address those needs based on information provided in the guide. The feedback and findings from the effort contributed greatly

to improving the content for this current version, including incorporating the lessons learned into useful community success stories. Images are from the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Image Library (taken by Dan Burden, Ryan Snyder, Mike

Cynecki, Michael Ronkin, and guide authors), the National Center for Safe Routes to School, project staff (including HSRC,

Toole Design Group, and VHB), Dan Gallagher, the City of Seattle, the City of Boulder, the NC Complete Streets Planning

and Design Guidelines, and the contributors credited in the community success stories. 

16. Abstract 

This guide is intended to assist residents, parents, community association members, and others in getting involved in 

making communities safer for pedestrians and bicyclists. The guide includes facts, ideas, and resources to help residents 

learn about traffic problems that affect pedestrians and bicyclists and to find ways to help address these problems and 

promote safety among all road users. The guide includes information on identifying problems, taking action to address 

pedestrian and bicycle concerns, finding solutions to improve safety, and resources to get additional information. 

17. Key Words: 

Pedestrian, safety, education, enforcement, engineering, 

community action, local partnerships, walkable, bikeable 

18. Distribution Statement 

No restrictions. This document is available to the public 

through the National Technical Information Service, 

Springfield, Virginia 22161. 

19. Securit y Classif. (of this report) 

Unclassified 

20. Securit y Classif. (of this page) 

Unclassified 

21. No. of Pages 22. Price 
 

ABOUT THIS GUIDE
 

People need and want communities where streets 

are safe, accessible, and comfortable for all users, 

including those traveling by car, foot, bike, or mass 

transit. Streets that are pedestrian- and bicyclefriendly have many benefits, including: 

• Safer environments, where you are less likely to 

be in a traffic collision or get injured. 

• Better access to more destinations, providing 

more choices in how you can get where you want 

to go without relying on a car. 

• More opportunities to be physically active, 

which can improve your health and overall 

quality of life. 

• Opportunities for everyone, which includes 

people with disabilities. 

It takes the commitment and involvement of 

many people to build and maintain places that are 

safe and friendly for walking and bicycling. This 

guide is designed to be used by anyone looking 

for ways to improve the safety and comfort of 

their neighborhood streets, whether they are 

just beginning to learn about traffic safety or are 

already part of an established community safety or 

advocacy group. Residents can make a difference 

by raising awareness of pedestrian and bicycle 

safety issues and pushing for change. 

This guide provides examples from other 

communities working to improve pedestrian and 

bicycle safety. It includes ideas and resources 

to help residents learn about issues that affect 

walking and bicycling conditions, find ways to 

address or prevent these problems, and promote 

safety for all road users. The Resource Sheets 

at the end of the guide contain checklists, tip 

sheets, worksheets, and sample materials — these 

materials can be adapted to meet the needs of 

your community, or distributed to others working 

to improve pedestrian and/or bicycle safety. The 

guide provides an introduction to common safety 

issues and includes references to other resources 

and materials for those interested in more indepth information. 

Keep in mind that pedestrian and bicycle safety 

improvements often happen in stages. Even minor 

changes take time and may require effort from 

various individuals or agencies. This guide is a 

starting point and will help you be more efficient 

and effective, but patience and follow-through are 

crucial to your success. 

Communities need “Complete Streets” that are safe and 

accessible for everyone. 

RESOURCE 1 

A Resident’s Quick Guide for Creating Safer 

Communities for Walking and Biking follows along 

with this guide and highlights some key activities that 

you and your community group can implement to help 

improve safety for all road users in your community. 

Use it as a quick reference of ideas to help you plan 

your role as an active participant in efforts to improve 

pedestrian and bicycle safety. 
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 The guide is organized into six sections to lead you through your efforts to improve safety in 

your community. Depending on your needs, you can start with any of the sections below. 

Section One: What’s the problem here? 

This section will help you learn how to identify and document pedestrian and bicycle safety issues in 

your community. 

Types of Pedestrian and Bicycle Problems 2 

Ways to Assess Problems 5 

Linking Problems to Solutions 6 

Section Two: Who can help me? 

This section provides ideas on groups and individuals that can help improve walkability or bikeability in 

your neighborhood and offers information on how to expand your partnerships. 

Engage Residents and Raise Awareness 7 

Identify and Collaborate with Agencies Responsible for Making Improvements 10 

Engage with Elected Officials 13 

Connect with the Media 14 

Section Three: What can be done? 

This section describes different fixes for improving traffic safety conditions in your community and how 

community groups can support or initiate improvements. 

Engineering, Plans, and Policies 16 

Education 21 

Enforcement

Encouragement

Section Four: I need more information! 

This section includes important resources to help you find more detailed information on making 

pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. 

 23 

 25 

National Bicycle and Pedestrian Clearinghouses 27 

National Coalitions and Alliances 27 

National Transportation Agencies 28 

Resources and Research 29 
 

 

 

Section Five: Community Success Stories 

Communities large and small are taking actions to improve the safety and mobility of pedestrians and 

bicyclists and are getting great results. Visit this section to learn what they’re doing, how they’re doing 

it, and get inspiration and tips for replicating efforts in your own neighborhood. 

Creating a Plan for Pedestrian Improvements in Washington, DC 34 

Working Together to Define the Issues in Duck, North Carolina 36 

Promoting Physical Activity in Rural Wabasha, Minnesota 38 

Partnering with the Disability Community to Improve Accessibility in Tulsa, Oklahoma 40 

Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure through Advocacy in Memphis, Tennessee 42 

Engaging a Changing Urban Community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 45 

Integrating Health Equity into Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning in New Orleans, Louisiana 47 

Making Connections Between Health and Transportation in Brownsville, Texas 50 

Aligning Community Values with Funding Priorities in Charleston, South Carolina 52 

Mobilizing Community Leaders and Volunteers for Safe Routes to School Programs in 

 Corrales, New Mexico 53 

Leveraging Community Member Expertise to Advance Bicycle Safety in Newport,

 Rhode Island 55 

Improving Health and Safety in a Low-Resource Community in Baldwin Park, California 58 

Section Six: Resource Materials 

This section includes detailed tip sheets, checklists, ways to take action, and sample materials that can be 

used to generate ideas and improve the walkability and bikeability of your community. 

Resource 1: A Resident’s Quick Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 62 

Resource 2: Tips for Planning a Walkabout to Identify Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Concerns 64 

Resource 3: Local Sources of Information Worksheet 68 

Resource 4: Tips for Working with Social Media 70 

Resource 5: Engineering Concerns and Treatments to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety 72 

Resource 6: Sample Fact Sheet: Making the Case for Walking and Bicycling 84 

Resource 7: Sample Community Resolution 86 

Resource 8: Tips for Traffic Safety 87 

Resource 9: Enforcement Contact Worksheet 88 

Resource 10: Sample “Warning” Letter to Drivers 89 

Resource 11: Tips for Event Planning 90 

Resource 12: Tips for Fundraising 91 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Section One: What’s the problem here? 

You may feel afraid to cross a street to walk to a 

nearby store, be nervous for your children to ride 

their bikes in your neighborhood, or face obstacles 

when traveling using a wheelchair or stroller. 

If you have concerns but are unsure what the 

problems are, the information in this section can 

help you identify and describe them. 

To be able to travel safely in their community, 

pedestrians and bicyclists need: 

• Access to destinations — Pedestrians and bicyclists 

need direct, convenient routes to access important 

facilities, such as schools, businesses, healthcare 

facilities, and transit facilities. 

• A safe space to travel — For pedestrians, this 

may include a smooth, unobstructed walking 

surface at least wide enough for two wheelchairs 

to pass each other, such as a sidewalk or a path 

that is separated from traffic. For bicyclists, it 

may include a bike lane, shared lane, or separated 

facility. In places with slow speeds or very little 

traffic, a paved shoulder or the roadway itself 

may be safe enough for walking or bicycling. 

Both pedestrians and bicyclists need safe street 

crossings with appropriate crosswalks, signs, and 

signals. 

• The ability to see or detect traffic — Pedestrians 

and bicyclists should also be able to be seen by 

oncoming vehicles, both day and night. 

• Access to sidewalks and crossings — This 

includes having well-designed curb ramps to 

ease changes in elevation. 

• Enough time to cross streets — Pedestrians 

should have time to cross at intersections and 

crossings with or without pedestrian signals. If 

there are no signals at the crossing, there must 

be adequate gaps in traffic to safely cross. 

• Continuous facilities — Sidewalks, trails, and 

bicycle facility networks should be free from 

gaps, obstructions, and abrupt changes in 

direction or width. 

• Signs and markings designating the route — 

This includes crosswalk markings, pedestrian 

way-finding signs, bicycle route markers, and 

detour signs in construction areas. These signs 

should be understandable to those with limited 

English language skills. 

Meeting the needs of more vulnerable people, such as 

children and pedestrians with disabilities, can make the 

walking environment safer for everyone. 

Also, different people have different traveling needs

Pedestrians and bicyclists have various levels of 

physical and cognitive abilities that affect their 

ability to walk or bike safely in certain conditions. 

For example: 

. 

• Children may have more difficulty seeing (and 

being seen by) drivers of all types of vehicles, and 

often have trouble deciding when and where it is 

safe to cross the street. They have trouble with 

peripheral vision and gauging speed, and they 

may also walk or bike at a slower pace than adults. 

• Older pedestrians may have reduced motor skills 

that limit their ability to walk at certain speeds, 
 

 

2 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

so they may need more time to cross a street. 

They also may have trouble getting oriented and 

understanding traffic signs, so they may need 

more information on how to get around safely. 

• Recent immigrants may have little 

understanding of English and may not know the 

bike laws or customs in the U.S., or understand 

the traffic and pedestrian signals that indicate 

when to walk. 

• People with disabilities (e.g., people using 

wheelchairs, crutches, canes, or those with 

visual or cognitive impairments) may be more 

affected by surface irregularities in the 

pavement, changes in slope or elevation/grade, 

lack of accessible curb ramps, and sidewalk 

width restrictions. 

Some communities lack sidewalks, curb ramps, and other 

facilities, making it difficult for people to travel safely and 

easily on foot or by bike. 

TYPES OF PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLIST 

SAFETY PROBLEMS 

Understanding and properly identifying issues 

that can cause pedestrian safety problems is an 

important part of finding a solution. If the problem 

is not accurately identified, the wrong solution 

may be applied and the problem could continue. 

Some typical problems that affect pedestrian and 

bicyclist safety include: 

Poor walking or bicycling accommodations 

• No place to walk or bike — There are not enough 

sidewalks, paths, bike facilities, or trails. Existing 

facilities do not connect to schools, transit 

stations, parks, churches, etc. Dirt paths may 

show where people are walking or biking and 

that more sidewalks or paths are needed. 

• Not enough space — Sidewalks are not wide 

enough for people to walk comfortably or pass 

each other, or roadway shoulders or travel lanes 

are too narrow for a bicycle to comfortably share 

the road with a motor vehicle. 

• Poor surfaces — Sidewalk surfaces are uneven, 

broken, or covered with debris; bike lanes contain 

potholes or debris such as leaves or gravel, or 

dangerous drain grates or utility covers. 

• Blocked pathways — Sidewalks, bike lanes, or 

other paths are blocked by barriers such as 

vehicles, trash cans, vegetation, snow, utility 

poles, mail boxes, benches, etc. 

• No buffer — There is not enough space between 

the sidewalk or bike facility and the roadway, or 

this space lacks trees or landscaping to make 

pedestrians and bicyclists feel comfortable. 

• Difficult street crossings — There are long 

crossing distances and wide intersections that 

allow cars to turn at higher speeds. There are 

intersections with no pedestrian signals, curb 

ramps, median crossing islands, or markings to 

indicate where bicyclists should ride or wait. 

The signal at the intersection doesn’t change 

for a bicycle, or doesn’t give enough time for a 

bicyclist to get through the intersection. 

• Poor connectivity — There are many deadend streets, bike lanes that end unexpectedly, 

few available roadway crossings, and indirect 

pedestrian or bike paths. 

• Insufficient lighting — There are not enough 

streetlights to help pedestrians, bicyclists, and 

drivers see each other at night. 
 

 

Section One: What’s the problem here? 3 

• Poor guidance — There are not enough signs or 

roadway markings to help pedestrians or bicyclists 

find important destinations or know where to 

bike, walk, or cross safely in construction areas or 

through complex intersections. 

• No bike racks — There are not enough safe and 

secure places to park a bicycle at important 

destinations. 

• Conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists 

— Bicyclists riding on the sidewalk (possibly 

because they do not feel safe in the street) or 

even using the same shared-use path may cause 

conflicts with people walking. 

Poor conditions at bus stops 

(including school bus stops) 

Many bus stops are located in places that are 

difficult to reach by foot or bike, or are not safe 

and accessible for people of all abilities. Some 

concerns that might be found at bus stops include: 

• Street crossings near the stop are dangerous — 

Crossings may be inconvenient or there are no 

obvious places to cross. 

• The sidewalk is blocked — The bus shelter, 

seating, or other barriers block the sidewalk. 

• Seating/waiting area is too close to vehicle 

lanes — There is not enough room for 

pedestrians to safely wait. 

• There are no sidewalks or bike facilities — No 

sidewalks or curb ramps lead to the bus stop, or 

there are no bike facilities connecting to the bus 

stop. 

• People walking near the stop take risks — These 

may include crossing the street in front of the 

bus or running across the street to catch a bus. 

• There is insufficient lighting — The bus stop and 

nearby street crossings are too dark. 

• There are no bike racks — There are no bike 

racks or space to take bikes on the bus, or secure 

bike parking near the bus stop. 

• The stop lacks shelter and/or seating — Lack of 

shelter and/or seating at a bus stop reduces the 

comfort for patrons waiting for transit and may 

dissuade people from using the bus altogether. 

Lack of sidewalks and curb ramps can prohibit access 

to a transit stop for some users and make access more 

difficult for all users. 

The location of a bus stop (e.g., if it comes before 

or after an intersection or is in the middle of the 

block) plays an important part in how safe and 

convenient the stop will be for bus riders to 

access. Transit agencies and school districts often 

choose bus stop locations based on where it is safe 

for the bus to stop, but they may not consider 

where pedestrians can walk safely and easily. To 

further complicate matters, road agencies — not 

transit agencies or school districts — usually have 

the responsibility of providing pedestrian or 

bicycle accommodations near and at bus stops. 

For More Information: 

Refer to the Pedestrian Safety Guide for Transit 

Agencies (http://bit.ly/1xK3vNR) for details about how 

to address concerns related to transit stops. 

Unsafe driver behaviors or traffic characteristics 

• Drivers do not yield to pedestrians — Drivers do 

not stop or yield to pedestrians crossing the roadway. 

• Drivers speed or run red lights — Drivers 

drive too fast through neighborhoods, around 

schools, or near other places where people are 

walking and biking; red light or stop sign runners 

endanger pedestrians and bicyclists. 
 

 

4 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

• Too much traffic — Too many drivers take short 

cuts through neighborhoods to avoid traffic 

on major streets; or, there are too many buses, 

large trucks, or other vehicles for bicyclists and 

pedestrians to feel comfortable. 

• Illegal or unsafe passing — Drivers pass other 

vehicles stopped at crosswalks for pedestrians 

or pass stopped school buses; or, drivers cut 

off bicyclists or pass bicyclists too closely or 

without signaling. 

• Drivers are intoxicated, distracted, or 

aggressive — Drivers are distracted by cell 

phones, passengers, and other activities, or are 

driving under the influence; or, drivers harass 

bicyclsts and pedestrians nearby. 

Driveways can become points of conflict for pedestrians 

and vehicles. 

Unsafe pedestrian or bicyclist behaviors 

• Cross the road without looking — Pedestrians 

and bicyclists do not look in all directions before 

crossing the street, or do not check for cars 

turning in front of or behind them. 

• Act unpredictably — Pedestrians dart into the 

road or attempt to cross the street when traffic 

is approaching; bicyclists weave through traffic 

or do not use hand signals to indicate changes in 

their speed or direction. 

• Cross the road at unsafe locations — Pedestrians 

try to cross between cars at traffic lights and 

between intersections with traffic signals. 

• Do not obey traffic signals — Pedestrians cross 

against pedestrian signals; bicyclists ignore 

traffic signals and/or stop signs. 

• Distracted — As with drivers, pedestrians and 

bicyclists can be distracted by cell phones, music 

players, etc. 

• Hard to see — Bicyclists do not use headlights 

and reflectors when biking while it is dark outside 

(these are mandatory in most States). 

• Walk or bike in the wrong direction — Normally, 

bicyclists should be riding in the same direction 

as traffic while pedestrians should walk facing 

traffic; failure to do so can be dangerous, 

particularly for bicyclists at intersections and 

driveways where motorists may not be expecting 

people coming from the other direction. 

• Fail to wear a helmet when biking — While 

wearing a bike helmet won’t prevent a crash, 

it could reduce the likelihood of a life-altering 

head injury in the event of a crash; also, many 

cities and States have mandatory helmet laws 

for some age groups. 

Poor conditions at schools 

The issues listed above apply to schools as well; 

just be sure that you also consider the limitations 

of children walking and biking near and at the 

school (e.g., height and ability to see cars, mental 

development, and skills in judging traffic and making 

decisions). Additionally, you may want to consider 

the school pick-up and drop-off zones — these 

are places with a lot of potential conflict between 

children walking or biking and buses and cars. 

For More Information: 

To learn more about pedestrian and bicycle safety 

around schools, visit http://bit.ly/1yz9jGQ. 
Section One: What’s the problem here? 5 

Institutional barriers 

Sometimes, poor pedestrian and bicyclist 

accommodations or a “traffic culture” that is not 

conducive for walking and bicycling is a reflection 

of broader past or current institutional barriers 

or lack of support for improving walking and 

biking conditions in a community. In these places, 

it may be common to hear community members 

say things like: 

• Our community has a plan that they want to run 

with for expanding a roadway to accommodate 

more vehicles, but it doesn’t represent the values 

of our community. 

• Our elected officials are more concerned about 

other things, such as creating jobs or dealing 

with housing issues, than in making our streets 

safer for vulnerable users. 

• Our police want to focus on crime issues and 

won’t dedicate any staff to enforcing pedestrian 

and bicycle safety, even though just as many 

people are being killed in traffic crashes. 

• Our school administration says that they are 

too busy to teach children how to walk and bike 

safely, and that it can’t be part of the curriculum. 

As someone looking to improve conditions for 

walking and bicycling, it may seem like an uphill 

battle with such barriers in place. But, there are 

lots of ways that communities can work together 

to break down these barriers, refocus priorities, 

and work collaboratively to address the concerns 

that they identify. A key first step is to focus on 

understanding, documenting, and communicating 

the problems that exist and why they are 

important to resolve. 

WAYS TO ASSESS PROBLEMS 

You might begin by taking photos or videos, or 

simply writing down the problems you observe. 

This can be useful when trying to describe your 

concerns to decision-makers, local government 

staff, community members, and other interested 

people. Below are some other ways that you can 

assess and document pedestrian and bicycle 

safety problems in your community: 

Perform a walkabout 

Countless individuals and community groups 

across the U.S. have used “walkabouts” to assess 

the safety of their neighborhoods for pedestrians 

and bicyclists. Walkabouts can serve as a way 

to directly observe and document or inventory 

conditions, and also as a way to effectively engage 

and collaborate with residents, public works and 

planning staff, advocates, and elected officials to 

collectively identify problems and develop a plan 

to address them. 

Download a walkability checklist at http://bit.ly/1BaosUu. 

There are a number of tools available — such as 

walkability, bikeability, or bus stop safety 

checklists — that can be used to help guide your 

walkabout. And, walkabouts can be a great 

opportunity to capture concerns using photos and 

videos. For example, the Coalition for Livable 

Communities, in conjunction with the Memphis 

Center of Independent Living and Memphis 

Regional Design Center, conducted a video-based 

walkabout to illustrate where those with 

disabilities and/or in wheelchairs would have 

issues on local sidewalks. The videos were then 

posted on a YouTube channel called “Barrier Free 

Memphis” (http://www.youtube.com/user/ 

BarrierFreeMemphis) for broader distribution. To 
 

6 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

learn about more of Memphis’s efforts, visit the 

Community Success Stories section. 

 

RESOURCE 2 

Tips for Planning a Walkabout to Identify Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Concerns provides concrete steps 

you can take to help prepare for, participate in, and use 

the findings from a walkabout to improve conditions for 

walking and bicycling in your community. It also provides 

links to some useful assessment tools and checklists. 

Examine pedestrian/bicycle collision and injury data 

If you have time or access to someone with technical 

expertise, you can try to gather more information on 

pedestrian and bicycle crashes that have occurred 

in your community. These data are sometimes 

available through your State or local department of 

transportation (DOT) and can be a way to determine 

if an area has a history of pedestrian or bicycle safety 

problems. For example, the North Carolina DOT 

provides crash data through a web portal, in which 

anyone can download several years of data from 

their city or municipality and look at crash trends 

(http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pbcat_nc/). Often, 

you can request such information from a local 

police department (who fill out crash reports on the 

scene of any reported incident) or the county health 

department (who may collect statistics on trafficrelated injuries reported by local hospital emergency 

departments). You can also request that the local 

transportation agency review collision data. 

Chicago’s Complete Streets Chicago Design Guidelines 

and policy puts pedestrians first in the goal to balance 

streets for all users. For more information, see 

http://chicagocompletestreets.org. 

Talk with other community members 

This may be one of the best ways to help identify 

safety problems in your community and at the same 

time build a network of involved citizens who are 

willing to help you address your concerns. You can 

speak with neighborhood residents and community 

groups, your local pedestrian or bicycle advisory 

board, local public health and injury prevention 

leaders, emergency services professionals, and law 

enforcement officers. Section 2 gives more detail 

on ways to communicate and partner with other 

community members. 

RESOURCE 4 

Tips and Examples for Working with Social Media has 

ideas for how to use social media and other web-based 

tools to communicate with other community members 

and to pinpoint or map concerns. 

Find out what policies and plans are already in place 

Your town/city or county may already have a 

pedestrian or bicycle plan or other transportation 

plan to address problems in your neighborhood. Or, 

they may have adopted a Complete Streets policy 

or design guidelines or a school board resolution to 

support Safe Routes to School programs. If not, they 

need to hear from you! Talk to your local planning, 

transportation, or public works department or 

pedestrian or bicycle advocacy group to see if there 

is a list of upcoming transportation projects where 

you can provide input or find out if other residents 

have documented similar concerns. 

LINKING PROBLEMS TO SOLUTIONS 

Once you’ve identified and documented the 

problems in your community affecting pedestrians 

and bicyclists, you can start to discuss potential 

solutions and next steps to take to address your 

concerns. The next few sections will help you 

identify who to contact and will give you ideas for 

potential safety improvements. 

Remember that the best solutions usually use 

a combination of approaches — engineering, 

education, enforcement, and other ways — to be 

effective and long-lasting. 
Section Topics:

• Topic One

• Topic Two

• Topic Three

• Topic Four

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking
 

Section Two: Who can help me? 

Once you have identified and assessed a problem, 

it is time to take action. In rare cases, a pedestrian 

or bicyclist concern (such as a broken pedestrian 

signal or burned out light bulb) can be resolved 

with a simple letter or call to the right person. 

More likely, you will need to engage others and 

build support for an improvement, and work 

collaboratively with a range of people to find an 

appropriate solution. 

There are three key parties that can influence 

community change: 1) residents or community 

groups, 2) local government agency staff, and 

3) elected officials. To have a good chance of 

improving safety, all of the parties need to 

support and work for change. For example, if your 

neighborhood wants to make pedestrian crossings 

safer on a roadway, you could work closely with 

local transportation planning and engineering 

staff to get approval for appropriate engineering 

treatments. You can then work with agency staff 

to help educate elected officials on the benefits 

of these types of improvements and show your 

support for them. Alternatively, you could 

convince elected officials of the need to improve 

the safety of pedestrian crossings on the roadway; 

elected officials would then ask staff to come 

up with specific solutions to make the crossing 

safer. A fourth group, the media, can also serve 

as a mechanism for raising awareness of an issue 

and influencing local residents, agency staff, and 

elected officials. 

Community members can meet and talk about pedestrian 

issues with other residents to build support for change. 

This section provides several strategies to engage 

these four groups and build relationships that will 

help you to effectively address pedestrian and 

bicycle problems in your community. 

ENGAGE RESIDENTS AND RAISE AWARENESS 

Depending on the types of problems you’ve 

identified and how they affect other residents, 

you will likely want to talk with others in your 

community before taking steps to contact local 

agencies or other authorities. Find people with 

common concerns and build support for your 

projects. This can help you: 

• Exchange ideas with other concerned residents 

and identify additional pedestrian and bicycle 

safety issues. 

• Build the buy-in, support, energy, and power 

needed to address the problems. 

• Make other residents aware of pedestrian or 

bicycle safety issues and how they can help make 

the community more walkable and bikeable. 

• Discuss ways the community can help improve 

conditions for all road users. 

• Learn from others who have undertaken 

similar projects and gain knowledge from past 

experience. 

• Identify other expertise/skillsets and community 

assets you may have within your group that can 

help you to bring about improvements. 
 

8 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

• Form a coalition, which can strengthen the 

likelihood of success in working with city 

staff and elected officials to make pedestrian 

and bicycle improvements. Additional tips for 

starting or joining an advocacy organization can 

be found at http://w w w.americawalks.org. 

Identify partners 

You may find partners and support more quickly 

and easily by coordinating with established 

organizations or community groups. These could 

include: 

Walking groups, bicycling clubs, and advocates, 

such as America Walks (http://www.americawalks. 

org/) — a national coalition of local walking 

advocacy groups with links to local organizations 

around the country — or the League of American 

Bicyclists (http://www.bikeleague.org/). 

Members of these groups are particularly good 

at understanding the needs of pedestrians and 

bicyclists and organizing to provide support for an 

improvement. 

Service-oriented or civic groups, such as the 

Rotary Club, Lions Club, Boys and Girls Club, 

senior centers or local A ARP chapters, and YMCA. 

Retirees and club members often volunteer to 

support or help organize local events or collect 

data in a walkabout assessment effort. 

The disability community or providers of services 

for people with disabilities, including local 

chapters of the Center for Independent Living 

(http://w w w.cilberkeley.org). The Independent 

Living Research Utilization (ILRU) website hosts 

a directory of Centers for Independent Living 

around the U.S. at: http://bit.ly/11CJWsE. These 

organizations can help identify pedestrian 

accessibility issues and may have insights 

regarding resources for making improvements. 

Local businesses and developers, such as realtors, 

members of the chamber of commerce, local 

bike shops, and land developers. These may have 

a direct stake in making a community more 

pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly and a role in 

making improvements. They can support local 

efforts by providing funding or by learning more 

about the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists and 

making changes to their own policies, projects, or 

business practices. 

The art community, such as art centers, local 

artists, or performance groups. These creative 

folks can be brought in to help with neighborhood 

beautification projects, street or sidewalk murals, 

or to liven up local events or outreach efforts. 

School-based groups, such as parent teacher 

associations (PTAs) or the local Safe Routes to 

School coordinator. They can provide insights 

regarding child pedestrian and bicycle safety and 

make important connections with school projects 

and networks. 

Partner with school-based groups such as PTAs or Safe 

Routes to School coordinators to identify and improve 

child pedestrian and bicycle safety issues. (Bike to 

School Day event) 

Neighborhood and cultural groups, such as 

neighborhood and/or homeowner associations, 

cultural community organizations such as Latino 

or Native American organizations, or organizations 

that provide supportive services to immigrant 

groups. These groups may assist you in 

exchanging ideas and building diverse 

partnerships to support a cause. 

Health and safety groups, such as Safe Kids 

(http://www.usa.safekids.org/walk-way/), the 

American Heart Association 
Section Two: Who can help me? 9 

(http://www.heart.org), or community health 

programs. These groups may have funding to 

provide for walking or biking programs or ideas on 

how to connect with other health-based initiatives. 

Local universities are sometimes an important 

resource. If there is a faculty or department with 

a common interest, such as injury prevention, 

health, and physical activity, they may serve as 

a resource to provide your group with technical 

expertise or help make connections with other 

grants or opportunities for support. 

You may want to research other groups and 

organizations to identify ones that share similar 

interests and could provide resources and support 

for your efforts. Someone in your community may 

already have helpful knowledge and contacts. 

After you have figured out which groups to 

contact, try to set up a time to meet face-to-face 

to provide background information, discuss your 

concerns, and identify next steps, such as 

requesting to make a presentation or join the 

group’s next meeting. There is value to meeting in 

person, even if it’s just to make introductions over 

a cup of coffee, particularly when you are first 

establishing relationships with new groups. 

Speak with other residents and organizations to share 

interests and build partnerships. 

For More Information: 

Section 4 contains descriptions and contact 

information for many different organizations that may 

be able to help you address safety concerns in your 

community or identify local partners. 

Make it fun 

Another way to engage other residents and 

partner groups is to plan or host a community 

event. Engagement often happens spontaneously 

through fun and meaningful events such as bike 

rides or other events celebrating walking and 

bicycling. These can also be much more appealing 

to residents, who may eagerly join you on a 

walking tour or bike ride to discuss a problem 

area but would be disinclined to attend another 

evening town hall public meeting filled with 

people standing in line to voice angry concerns. 

Some neighborhood groups host “Cops and 

Coffee” hours at local diners, bringing together 

neighborhood law enforcement officers with 

residents to express thanks, share news, and 

brainstorm ways to work together. Others have 

organized neighborhood walk to school day 

parades or invited residents to participate in a 

“charrette” — a workshop to brainstorm solutions 

to a design problem. For more ideas on what types 

of events you or your neighborhood group can 

put on, see Section 3. Also check out Resource 11: 

Event Planning Tips. 

Leverage technology and social networks 

While meeting face-to-face with partners is 

helpful, there are a variety of technologies that 

can help you further your communication and 

outreach efforts to a wider audience. Consider 

following elected leaders on Twitter or Facebook 

so you know when important upcoming 

community meetings, ballots, elections, etc. 

are taking place, and can then share the news 

of upcoming events through your own social 

networks. You can join or start a neighborhood 

listserv, personal blog, community newsletter, or — 

if your organization has the resources — consider 

developing a website to serve as a communications 

hub. For more, see Resource 4: Tips for Working 

with Social Media. 
 

10 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Be inclusive 

Some communities, such as neighborhoods 

with large immigrant or non-English speaking 

populations, may be harder to engage through 

traditional means or may require special efforts 

to bring into the fold of a community dialogue. If 

you are working in an area where English is not 

the predominant language spoken, be mindful 

of the need to provide translation services for 

any communications or community events. Also 

consider partnering or engaging with trusted 

community partners. For example, there are many 

cultural resource centers or other organizations 

established to promote and support Latino 

communities. These centers may also be able 

to help you by offering translators or making 

connections with important community leaders. 

Section 4 also provides some links to Spanishlanguage resources that you may find useful. 

Similarly, it may take special efforts to reach out to 

or work within areas with high concentrations of 

impoverished families. Areas with low household 

incomes, high rates of unemployment, and low 

levels of education are, in particular, less likely to 

have access to choices in transportation (including 

owning a car) and may be most in need of safer 

facilities for walking and bicycling. There are many 

ways that you can be inclusive of such especially 

vulnerable populations, including: 

Minimize potential barriers — If you want to 

engage with low-resource neighborhoods and 

families, you will have to make it as easy as 

possible to participate. Hold events or meetings at 

times and places that will be most convenient for 

everyone to join, such as right after school when 

parents are picking up their children, or maybe 

on a weekend at a center or neighborhood park 

that is central to the community. If possible, make 

the event family-oriented so that children can be 

involved and parents do not have to find childcare. 

Make the connection relevant — The topic of 

sidewalks or bike lanes may not be at the top 

of the list of concerns for residents dealing 

with immediate or life-affecting issues such 

as homelessness, drugs, vacant properties, or 

neighborhood violence. However, bike lanes, 

sidewalks, and other facilities may in fact be very 

important for residents needing to safely access 

jobs, transit, healthcare facilities, and schools. 

Make the connection clear how walking and 

biking improvements affect issues that residents 

are concerned with, such as having “eyes on the 

street;” access to jobs, or improved lighting around 

a transit stop or high crime area. Emphasize that 

every resident’s voice can be heard and that small 

improvements to the street environment can 

empower communities to make bigger changes 

over time. 

Build on existing efforts — Seek to partner with 

groups already engaging in low-income areas. 

These may include partnership against crime 

groups, neighborhood watch groups, the church 

community, or interfaith council. You may use 

existing events, such as National Night Out 

(http://ww w.natw.org), as an opportunity to 

engage with residents and learn more about what 

pedestrian and bicycle efforts are needed. 

For More Information: 

The Community Success Stories provide several 

examples of how different communities have brought 

together diverse partners and worked in various ways and 

settings to improve conditions for bicycling and walking. 

IDENTIFY AND COLLABORATE WITH AGENCIES 

RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING IMPROVEMENTS 

Identify appropriate department and agency staff 

Decisions about roadway improvements and 

programs on public streets are usually made by 

the agencies that have jurisdiction over them. It 

is important to figure out which department or 

agency is responsible for maintaining the roads 

in your community. In the U.S., some roads are 

controlled and maintained by the State (roads 
 

 

 

Section Two: Who can help me? 11 

with State route numbers), while others are under 

the jurisdiction of counties, cities, or towns. Still 

others are privately owned and maintained. Your 

local planning or transportation department 

should be able to tell you who owns and maintains 

the road in question. In some cases, you will 

need to work with government staff outside of 

planning or transportation departments. Below 

are descriptions of various governmental agencies 

and the role they may be able to play in helping 

respond to pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns. 

Local transportation agencies — Your local 

transportation agency (these are also sometimes 

called public works, transportation, traffic, or 

street departments or public utility districts) is 

usually responsible for maintaining and operating 

local public streets and trails and developing plans 

for improvements. 

Regional transportation agencies/metropolitan 

planning agencies (MPOs) — Regional 

transportation agencies and MPOs represent 

one or more communities in a geographical 

region. These groups are typically responsible 

for developing and implementing long-term 

transportation plans, programs, and projects for 

the region. 

State or local pedestrian and bicycle coordinator 

— State DOTs (or highway departments) are often 

responsible for planning/designing, constructing, 

and monitoring improvements on State roadways 

(including sidewalks, crosswalks, and signals). 

Often these State roadways pass through local 

communities. Your State bicycle and pedestrian 

coordinator is a good person to contact for 

information about pedestrian safety statistics and 

ongoing State and local pedestrian programs (or 

links to others with this information). Your State 

coordinator should be able to answer questions 

related to pedestrian issues and direct you to 

appropriate contacts in your State or community. 

Find your State pedestrian and bicycle coordinator 

by visiting http://bit.ly/1tapnLD. Some cities and 

counties also have a local pedestrian and bicycle 

coordinator. Find out by contacting your local 

engineering or public works department. 

Pedestrian or Bicycle Advisory Board — While 

the board or council is not a governmental agency, 

it may have a staff liaison that could serve as an 

important connection to help get your issue on 

the city council agenda. Many communities also 

have separate disability advisory boards, or subgroups within the pedestrian or bicycle advisory 

board, concerned with issues related to children, 

bicyclists, older pedestrians, and people with 

disabilities. You can usually find the contacts 

for your local board through your city, town, or 

county website or phone directory. If your area 

does not have a pedestrian or bicycle advisory 

board, then you can work with your local elected 

officials to create one through an official action or 

resolution (see Section 3 for more). 

Transit agencies — Transit agencies are 

responsible for providing bus service to the local 

community. The agency plans bus routes, operates 

service, selects preferred locations for bus stops, 

and maintains the stops. The agency must work 

with the owner of the roadway (often a State or 

local agency or private entity) to install the bus 

stops and any associated amenities. 

School administrations — If the pedestrian or 

bicycle concern you have is on or near a school 

property, you may have to work with the individual 

school or broader school system to address the issue. 

A sympathetic school board member, a relevant 

school subcommittee or department (e.g., health, 

facilities, transportation, or curriculum), a school 

advisory board, PTA leader or member, or school staff 

member such as a principal or physical education 

teacher may be a potential partner or someone who 

can connect you to the appropriate person. 

Police departments — Police departments are 

responsible for enforcing local and State laws, many 

of which relate to pedestrian and bicycle safety. 

Depending on the size of the town, some police 
12 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

departments are divided into different districts 

(such as a downtown district) and some may have 

special units, such as a bike squad or traffic safety 

unit. Additionally, most police departments have 

School Resource Officers that work within schools. 

In some places, police departments are responsible 

for staffing and training school crossing guards. 

See Resource 9: Enforcement Contact Worksheet 

for more on reaching out to law enforcement 

personnel. If you are in a rural area, a county 

Sheriff ’s office or State Highway Patrol unit may 

serve as your primary law enforcement agency that 

oversees traffic-related concerns. 

Some police departments host bicycle skills training 

courses for children or other safety events. 

RESOURCE 3 

Local Sources of Information Worksheet will help you 

identify and organize important community contacts 

and agency staff. 

Collaborate and communicate 

Developing a relationship with government or 

transportation agency staff will help ensure 

that they understand the issues and have the 

information needed to make informed decisions. 

All public agencies in charge of roadway 

improvements have a public process that will 

allow you to participate in the decision-making at 

some level. Here are a few tips to ensure that your 

efforts are effective: 

• Make contact in person or via phone, even if you 

send a letter, email, or communicate through 

social media. 

• State a specific problem and describe how it 

affects your community. Be brief and to the point. 

Offer to provide the documentation or evidence 

you have collected related to the problem or 

to schedule a walking tour to illustrate your 

concerns (see Section 1 for details). 

• Listen carefully to any issues that others bring 

up and try to find common ground. 

• Be persistent in any requests, but have realistic 

expectations. Change takes time and follow-up 

and patience may be needed. 

Residents can talk with government staff, elected 

officials, and others about safety concerns. 

When you are coordinating or communicating 

with agency staff, it will help you to learn more 

about the process for making improvements, what 

upcoming opportunities exist to make changes, 

and the role that you can play moving forward. 

Some possible questions you can ask include: 

• Who is responsible for the road I’m concerned about? 

• Are other authorities involved (for example, 

transit, utility, law enforcement, or emergency 

medical service providers)? 

• Who are the responsible staff within the agency 

that can address my concern? 

• Does the agency have a pedestrian and/or 

bicycle coordinator? 

• What is the agency’s public involvement process 

(for example, is it during the project planning 
 

Section Two: Who can help me? 13 

phase, through pedestrian/bicycle coordinators 

or advisory boards, at public meetings, through 

email/phone)? 

• Does the agency have a pedestrian or bicycle 

plan in place? 

• Are there any policies related to pedestrian and 

bicycle facilities and safety? 

For More Information: 

See the Guide to Transportation Decisionmaking: 

http://1.usa.gov/1vwixpH. 

Be a resource 

Partnership is a two-way street. When working 

with agency staff, it is helpful to not only discuss 

your concerns but to also identify ways in which 

you or your community group can support the 

agency in making changes. You can offer to: 

• Collect data to document concerns or lead a 

walkabout with town staff, community members, 

elected officials, etc. 

• Collect data on pedestrian and bicycle facility 

usage (e.g., count trail users, etc.). 

• Review a plan or project to provide a perspective 

on the needs of pedestrians or bicyclists. 

• Write a letter of support for a grant that agency 

staff are submitting to help fund improvements. 

• Help recruit volunteers or other participants to 

support a community event led by the town or city. 

• Attend public hearings or write council members to 

express support for a project or recommendation 

from the transportation staff, such as the 

installation of new bike lanes on city streets. 

ENGAGE WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS 

Elected leaders (such as city council members, 

county commissions, board of supervisors, or 

school board trustees) can be important partners 

in advancing walking and bicycling issues. You can: 

• Write or call a member or the chairperson and 

discuss the issues one-on-one. 

• Request time at the next meeting of elected 

officials to speak about pedestrian or bicycle safety. 

• Prepare a brief presentation or handout that 

includes images that demonstrate your key 

points. For example, if you are explaining to the 

school board that the school pick up and drop 

off area is chaotic, provide photos or videos that 

support your assertion. 

• Invite officials on a walkabout to experience 

the conditions that you are tr ying to improve. 

This is often a ver y effective method of getting 

elected officials to recognize pedestrian 

and bicycle concerns and participate in the 

improvement process. 

Invite officials on a walking tour to experience the 

conditions you seek to improve. 

See Resource 6: Sample Fact Sheet: Making the 

Case for Walking and Bicycling, for some talking 

points you can use when talking to elected 

leaders, neighbors, or others about why it is 

important to make your community safe and 

inviting for bicyclists and pedestrians. 
 

14 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

CONNECT WITH THE MEDIA 

Savvy pedestrian and bicycle advocacy groups 

know how to leverage the local media to bring 

attention to their cause. Connecting with the 

media can help you to spread your message 

further in the community, or put a particular issue 

in the spotlight so that there is more pressure 

from agency staff and elected officials to address 

it. It can also be a way to build more community 

dialogue about a problem and potential solutions. 

There are several ways to make connections with 

the media, depending on what you are trying to do 

and what local media exist (e.g., television stations, 

newspapers, bloggers, etc.). You can write a letter 

to the editor, write a blog, or offer to be a “guest 

contributor” to another blog. If you are working 

with a governmental agency, you can work with 

their communication staff to issue a media alert to 

invite press to an event; or you can directly invite 

reporters or journalists that you know to attend 

and cover the event. Some tips for getting good 

media coverage include: 

• Be newsworthy — Show how your event or 

issue is relevant and timely. For example, does 

it involve a high-profile individual or project 

or occur in connection with an important 

community event? 

• Time it right — Give the media notice in advance 

(at least 24 hours). If you make direct contact, 

try calling between 1 and 2pm, which is usually 

not a time when reporters are working to make a 

deadline. 

• Be prepared — If the media do respond, be ready 

to go on record and have your key talking points 

prepared. 
 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Section Three: What can be done? 

It is not always necessary for community members 

to come up with a solution to the problems they’ve 

identified; typically, local agency professionals 

will be aware of several possible options. However, 

the following information will help build your 

vocabulary and understanding of the type of 

treatments or initiatives that may be available to 

help improve pedestrian and bicycle conditions in 

your neighborhood. This information will also help 

you more effectively communicate and collaborate 

with agencies and other groups. Finally, this 

section provides some tips and ideas for how you 

can take certain initiatives (or support others) to 

make improvements. 

Transportation improvements for bicyclists and 

pedestrians are often described in terms of the 

Four Es: 

1. Engineering — Physical changes to 

infrastructure (i.e., streets, sidewalks, traffic 

signals, bike lanes, signs, etc.) that affect the 

operation and movement of traffic, bicyclists, 

and pedestrians. These changes are also related 

to local plans and policies, which may guide how 

engineering changes are made. 

2.Education — Includes strategies that aim to 

educate pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, or other 

groups in order to motivate a change in behavior. 

3.Enforcement — Community-based or law-agencybased measures to enforce laws and regulations 

related to pedestrian and bicycle safety. 

4. Encouragement — Efforts to promote walking 

and biking in a community. 

A combination of the “Es” (e.g., making engineering 

changes as well as implementing education and 

enforcement campaigns) applied in the same 

area will likely be more successful at resolving 

problems than only using one approach. 

Celebrate partnership achievements. Local transportation 

agencies, school officials, and students “Rock the Hawk” 

(pedestrian hybrid beacon) and crosswalk improvements 

in Phoenix, Arizona 

Not every treatment or program described in this 

section will be appropriate for your particular 

situation; you should discuss these with your local 

transportation agency and other partners 

(pedestrian and bicycle advocates, health 

professionals, law enforcement officials, elected 

officials, etc.) to determine which improvement 

— or set of improvements — will best meet the 

needs of your community. Use these questions to 

guide your discussion: 

• What is the range of improvement options that 

might be considered in this situation? (Even if 

you’ve already developed a list of ideas, there 

might be others you haven’t considered.) 

• What is our community’s policy or guideline 

about installing or implementing these measures? 

• Do we have an ongoing procedure for 

maintaining this improvement? 

• Are there alternatives that should be considered? 

• How much of the budget is set aside for 

pedestrian and bicycle programs and 

improvements in my community? Can it be 

increased? 
16 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

• Is there a neighborhood advisory group that 

advises the department about traffic and 

pedestrian and bicycle issues? If not, can you 

form one? 

• Who else might share this concern? 

Collaborating with neighbors, groups, agencies, 

and elected officials; sharing research and 

information; respecting other’s perspectives; 

and seeking creative solutions can help you find 

reasonable solutions to traffic safety issues. 

Well-designed streets and crossings can help make 

walking and bicycling safe and enjoyable. 

ENGINEERING, PLANS, AND POLICIES 

More and more communities are recognizing 

the importance of having Complete Streets — 

streets that are designed to safely accommodate 

all road users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, 

drivers, transit users, and others. Whether you 

are looking to make safety improvements to an 

existing roadway or intersection, or are seeking 

to improve the design of future roadways to be 

built, it may help to have a better understanding of 

some common engineering concepts that can lead 

to more Complete Streets. This section provides 

you with an overview of various engineering 

treatments that may be used to improve 

pedestrian and bicycle safety, accessibility, or 

comfort in your community. It also describes how 

you can work to be sure that your community 

has the plans and policies in place to ensure 

that pedestrian and bicycle safety is routinely 

considered, as in a Complete Streets approach. 

Improving safety and access 

Lack of ability to access destinations safely is 

usually a top concern and is among the most 

common reasons that people report for not walking 

and biking more. Following are some common 

Complete Streets elements that your community 

could consider to improve access and safety at 

intersections or along other parts of the street. 

• Sidewalk — A paved walkway that allows 

pedestrians to walk along the roadway without 

interference from traffic. 

• Buffer or planting strip — A zone separating 

pedestrians on sidewalks from moving vehicles 

on the road. 

• Marked crosswalk — Areas on the street 

(delineated by pavement markings) indicating to 

pedestrians where they should cross the road. 

• Curb ramp or curb cut — A ramp providing a 

smooth transition between sidewalk and street. 

• Raised medians and crossing islands — These 

provide pedestrians with a safe place to wait 

while crossing a street in multiple stages. 

• Curb extension — An extension of the sidewalk 

into the street that reduces the distance 

pedestrians must cross. 

• Bike lanes — Striping and symbols are used to 

delineate the portion of the roadway that is for 

exclusive use by bicyclists. 

• Shared lane markings (sharrows) — A pavement 

marking that offers guidance to bicyclists on 

where to ride while alerting motorists to the 

presence of bicyclists within a lane shared by 

both bicyclists and drivers. 
 

 

Section Three: What can be done? 17 

• Separated bike lanes — Bicycle facilities that run 

alongside a roadway separated from automobile 

traffic by a physical barrier, such as parked cars, 

bollards, or a curb. 

• Traffic sign — An official device that gives a 

specific message, either by words or symbols, to 

the public. Examples are “stop,” “yield,” etc. 

• Traffic signal — A visual signal to control the flow 

of traffic. Pedestrian signals let pedestrians know 

when they can enter the street to start crossing. 

• Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon — An overhead 

beacon that assists pedestrians at crossing 

locations that do not have a traffic signal. 

• Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) — A 

bright, irregularly flashing beacon that is placed 

at crosswalks without stop signs or traffic 

signals to warn drivers about the presence of 

crossing pedestrians. 

• Traffic calming — Physical changes to a street 

to encourage drivers to drive slowly or to 

discourage cut-through traffic. 

• Road diet — Narrowing or eliminating travel 

lanes on a roadway to make more room for 

pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Roundabouts are circular intersections designed to 

eliminate left turns by requiring traffic to exit to the 

right of the circle. Roundabouts are typically installed 

to reduce vehicular speeds, improve safety, help traffic 

flow, and help create gateway treatments to signify the 

entrance of a special district. To learn more about this 

treatment, visit: http://1.usa.gov/13uwn06. 

• Overpasses/underpasses — A street crossing 

separating pedestrians from motor vehicle traffic 

(i.e., bridge or tunnel). 

• Street lighting — This illuminates the roadway 

and intersections to help motorists see other 

motor vehicles and pedestrians crossing the 

roadway. 

• Temporary walkways — These provide 

pedestrians with designated routes along a 

construction site when sidewalks and other 

pedestrian travel ways have been closed. 

You can learn more about all of the above 

in Resource 5: Engineering Concerns and 

Treatments to Improve Pedestrian and Bicyclist 

Safety, which describes each treatment and 

discusses common questions and concerns that 

your local agency or other residents may have. For 

even greater detail on each treatment, please see: 

• PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/PEDSAFE/ 

• BIKESAFE: Bicycle Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE/ 

• Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety 

Proven Safety Countermeasures 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ 

Improving access to transit stops 

(including school bus stops) 

Many transit access problems can be addressed 

by the methods described in the section above. 

In some cases, the transit agency or school 

district may need to review and modify their 

policies related to bus stop locations to ensure 

that pedestrian and bicycle safety is adequately 

incorporated into the decision process. In either 

case, partnerships between community members, 

road agencies, and transit authorities or school 

districts are crucial in identifying concerns 

and working to improve conditions. If you have 

concerns about the bus stops in your community, 

contact your local road agency to find out who 
 

 

18 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

has jurisdiction over the roadway and pedestrian 

or bike infrastructure in that area. You could also 

call the local transit agency or school district 

and encourage them to work more closely with 

the responsible road agency to make the needed 

improvements. School buses are often operated by 

school districts, individual schools, or contractors 

providing school bus service. Contact the school to 

find out who is providing service and who to call. 

Improving connectivity and providing access for 

pedestrians with disabilities 

Streets that are not well-connected can limit 

people’s abilities to travel in the most direct path, 

increase distances to destinations, require larger 

intersections to move vehicular traffic, increase 

exposure to vehicles (which increases the risk 

of being hit), and can discourage walking and 

bicycling. When a town or developer proposes 

a new plan or development project, you can 

attend public hearings, ask questions about 

street design and connectivity, and provide 

input that can influence the developer or town 

officials to improve connectivity for pedestrians 

and bicyclists. Find out about new proposals by 

regularly monitoring your community’s schedule 

for public hearings. 

For existing communities with poor connectivity, 

you can request that the town build sidewalks/ 

paths or purchase sidewalk easements — a limited 

right to use another’s land for the purpose of 

constructing, altering, relocating, extending, 

maintaining, or using a public sidewalk — between 

cul-de-sacs to better connect the pedestrian/ 

bicycle network, or work with neighbors to 

allow and ultimately develop informal paths/ 

trails. Sidewalk easements are often established 

in contracts between town agencies and private 

property owners in a cooperative effort to provide 

space for pedestrians. 

Sometimes, even with a connected network 

of facilities, not all road users can access the 

facilities. For example, a person in a wheel chair 

may not be able to access a sidewalk if there is 

not a well-designed curb ramp. The Americans 

with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 requires that 

all facilities covered by the law be “accessible” 

to people with all abilities. “Accessible” designs 

are covered by the U.S. Access Board’s ADA 

Accessibility Guidelines, which can be found at: 

http://1.usa.gov/1mEU8Ib. A key requirement is 

that newly constructed public streets must have 

proper curb ramps, sidewalks, driveways, and 

tactile warning strips at street crossings. The 

ADA requires that States and local governments 

have a plan (often called a transition plan) for 

upgrading existing facilities that do not meet the 

minimum requirements detailed by the U.S. Access 

Board. If you have concerns about accessing a 

facility, you can ask your local engineer about 

your community’s transition plan and what the 

schedule is for installing curb ramps or other 

treatments that may improve access. 

For More Information: 

For technical assistance regarding the ADA, visit the 

ADA homepage at http://www.ada.gov. 

Maintaining facilities 

Engineering facilities, such as sidewalks, bike 

lanes, bus stops, lighting, and signals, need to be 

maintained. Neighbors can assist with landscaping 

maintenance on private property near sidewalks, 

as well as with snow and debris removal. Neighbors 

can also help by not parking cars or placing trash 

cans or other barriers on bike lanes or sidewalks. 

Some communities have partnered with local 

businesses to develop an “Adopt a Bus Shelter” 

program, where businesses assist with maintaining 

the bus stops and clearing snow along the nearby 

pedestrian paths. For an example, see Raleigh, 

North Carolina’s program: http://bit.ly/1xWbsgo. 

The local transportation agency may have (or 

could establish) a sidewalk maintenance and 

improvement program. The program could include 

a periodic inventory of sidewalk conditions and 
 

Section Three: What can be done? 19 

responsibility for maintenance. A similar program 

may exist or be developed for maintaining bike 

lanes. Of particular importance is to be sure that 

sidewalks and bike lanes receive priority attention 

during snow removal efforts by the town. Contact 

your local agency to determine if what maintenance 

programs or policies exist, or where residents can 

go to request maintenance of pedestrian and bicycle 

infrastructure. Some cities have a simple process 

for residents to make maintenance requests, such 

as calling a 411 number or logging a problem on a 

website. Read more about maintenance issues in the 

Community Success Stories section or in FHWA’s 

A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for 

Enhanced Safety (http://1.usa.gov/1kaUyqB). 

Prioritizing sidewalk and bicycle facility snow removal can 

increase pedestrian and bicyclist safety during winter months. 

Slowing down drivers 

Even if adequate facilities are in place, pedestrians 

and bicyclists may feel uncomfortable traveling 

along a road with drivers moving at higher 

speeds (e.g., 30 mph or more). Residents are often 

particularly concerned about drivers speeding 

through neighborhood streets where children 

may be at play. These concerns are valid, as 

research shows that the higher the driver speed, 

the less likely his or her ability to stop in time for 

pedestrians (or bicyclists) and the more severe the 

injury in the event of a crash. “Traffic calming” is 

a term used to describe engineering approaches 

designed to slow drivers down. There may be 

many different design options, depending on 

the goal and the context of where they would be 

applied. Most States have adopted a traffic calming 

guide, so look for one on your State DOT website. 

Two great resources to help residents learn about 

traffic calming options and their role in making 

changes include: 

• Transportation Alternatives’ Streets for People 

http://bit.ly/1AtjnoS : a how-to manual available 

in both English and Spanish for people to bring 

traffic calming to their neighborhood. 

• Institute of Transportation Engineer’s (ITE) 

Traffic Calming website http://bit.ly/1vwiWZ7: 

a clearinghouse of traffic calming information. 

Prioritizing pedestrians and bicyclists in policies 

and organizational practices 

For lasting improvements to take place, pedestrian 

and bicycle safety must be a priority within the 

transportation planning and decision-making 

process. You can influence your transportation 

providers and decision-makers by advocating for 

policy or organizational changes that prioritize 

pedestrian and bicycle safety. Advocating for 

change is no small task for one person to do alone; 

you will be more successful if you work with others 

and have a strong network of support. Refer to 

section 2 for ways that you can build partnerships 

and support for addressing policy issues. 

Here are some policy-related items that you can 

ask for or work with your transportation staff and 

community leaders to implement: 

• Establish a pedestrian/bicycle advisory board if 

there isn’t one already. 

• Create a funded staff position for a dedicated 

pedestrian and/or bicycle coordinator. 

• Assess existing ordinances and policies related 

to pedestrians and bicyclists and ensure they 

support all modes of travel. 

• Establish a Complete Streets policy or ordinance, 

or include pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit issues 

in the master transportation planning process. 
 

 

Policy guidance and model policies are available from the 

National Complete Streets Coalition and Smart Growth 

America (http://bit.ly/1kS7Zv9). 

20 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

• Develop pedestrian and bicycle plans, complete 

with a vision, measurable goals and objectives 

(for safety, access, etc.), strategies for meeting 

those goals, and dedicated funding and staff to 

implement the plans. 

• Establish performance measures for safety, 

usage, facility installation, and other programs; 

these act like a report card for how well the 

agency is meeting its goals and objectives. 

• Establish procedures for performing roadway 

maintenance, installing sidewalks and bike lanes, 

and identifying and addressing pedestrian and 

bicycle problems. 

• Train agency transportation planners and traffic 

engineers in pedestrian and bicycle planning and 

design. 

• Collect data on pedestrian and bicycle facilities 

(e.g., sidewalk, bike lane, crossing, or lighting 

inventories) and usage (e.g., pedestrian and 

bicyclist counts). 

• Encourage projects and programs that can 

support and promote safe walking and safe 

walking environments. 

• Establish a community resolution to support 

pedestrians and bicyclist programs, such as Safe 

Routes to School. For an example, see Resource 

7: Sample Community Resolution. 

Visit ChangeLab Solutions’ Pedestrian Friendly 

Code directory (http://bit.ly/1p666yz) to learn 

how zoning and subdivision codes can create 

streets and neighborhoods that are safe, 

comfortable, and convenient for all road users. 

The group also offers a guide, Getting the Wheels 

Rolling: A Guide to Using Policy to Create Bicycle 

Friendly Communities, that provides information 

on policies that can support biking (http:// bit. 

ly/1duIVCN). Additionally, visit their Safe Routes to 

School Policy Workbook (http:// bit.ly/1v w jfmC) to 

learn more about school-based policy options. 

For More Information: 

To learn about the fundamentals of Complete Streets, 

how to change policies, and how to implement model 

Complete Streets policies, visit: http://bit.ly/1qj3SZc. 

Other ways in which you can support bicycling 

and walking infrastructure improvements include: 

Join or speak with your local pedestrian (and/or 

bicyclist) advisory board — Most medium to large 

communities will have such a board or committee. 

Members of community boards/committees can 

help you find out what opportunities exist to make 

improvements, serve as liaisons to local planning 

and engineering officials, and partner with you 

on advocacy efforts. As a member of such a board, 

you may be able to review local plans, weigh in on 

projects before they are developed, and help ensure 

that any new developments meet the vision and 

conform to the standards or regulations set by your 

community. The Federal Highway Administration 

(FHWA) guide, How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety 

Action Plan (http://bit.ly/1ujzbCp; see Appendix 

A on page 141) has information on the benefits and 

responsibilities of these boards and guidance on 

how to create and run an effective one. 

Hold events — Events (such as community walks 

or bike rides, neighborhood walk audits, health 

days or fairs) bring attention to bicycling and 
Section Three: What can be done? 21 

walking. In many cases, the event also raises 

funds that can be used for advocacy efforts or 

education campaigns. You can partner with 

national organizations or create your own event. 

One type of event in particular, often called a 

Better Blocks project, may be especially useful 

in highlighting the importance of engineering 

changes. In Better Blocks projects, the community 

temporarily installs engineering treatments (and 

other community improvements) to demonstrate 

a design solution, engage residents and decisionmakers, and provide feedback on the approach. 

The demonstration often leads the city to adopt 

the improvement permanently or make other 

changes to improve conditions for walking, biking, 

and general neighborhood livability. To learn 

more about staging a Better Blocks program, 

visit: http://bit.ly/1r57GfJ. Also, read about how 

communities such as Philadelphia, PA and others 

have held Better Blocks projects in the Community 

Success Stories section. 

Better Blocks project in St. Louis, Missouri. 

EDUCATION 

Education and public awareness strategies can be 

used to: 

• Provide information to help motivate a change in 

specific behavior. 

• Teach safety skills that can reduce the risk of injury. 

• Raise awareness and gain support regarding 

particular pedestrian or bicyclist issues. 

Education and public awareness initiatives must be 

sustained, concentrated efforts that target a specific 

community problem. A short or one-time effort 

will probably not have lasting results. To be more 

effective, education efforts should be combined with 

engineering changes as well as law enforcement. 

Educating people in the neighborhood 

Education begins at home — start by learning how 

you can be a safer pedestrian, bicyclist, and driver, 

and how you can better enable your children, 

family, and friends to be safe on the road. To 

expand education and public awareness efforts to 

the broader community, here are some activities to 

improve pedestrian safety that you can join or start: 

Yard sign campaigns — Slow down yard sign 

campaigns (such as Keep Kids Alive Drive 25®) 

allow residents with concerns about speeding in 

their community to help remind drivers to slow 

down and stop for pedestrians. Neighborhood 

leaders, safety advocates, and law enforcement 

officials work in partnership to identify problem 

areas, recruit residents to post yard signs, 

organize distribution of yard signs, garner media 

attention, and evaluate the effectiveness of the 

campaign. 

Pace car campaigns — Neighborhood pace car 

programs aim to make neighborhoods safer for 

pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers. Resident pace 

car drivers agree to drive courteously, at or below 

the speed limit, and follow other traffic laws. 

Programs usually require interested residents to 

register as a pace car driver, sign a pledge to abide 

by the rules, and display a sticker on their vehicle. 

Other campaigns — There are many other 

examples of community-initiated programs 

aimed at encouraging property owners to be part 

of the solution to create a safer, more pleasant 

environment for pedestrians and bicyclists. These 

range from efforts to get neighbors to clear their 

sidewalks of snow or turn on stoop lights to make 

walkways more visible at night. To learn about 
 

 

-

 

22 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

such efforts, read the Community Success Stories. 

For any type of neighborhood educational 

campaign you decide to lead or participate in, 

be sure to contact and work with established 

organizations mentioned in Section 2, such 

as A ARP or a bicycle advocacy group, which 

may already have a strong network with the 

community. Also try to plug into local media and 

coordinate your effort with other law enforcement 

programs or community events taking place. 

For More Information: 

See Resource 8: Tips for Traffic Safety, which you can 

share with family members and neighbors. 

Locally tailored campaign messages can be used on 

bumper stickers, bus ads, and yard signs. 

F

For More Information: 

Visit http://bit.ly/1F8UYTv for tips on implementing an 

education program. FHWA’s Planning a Pedestrian Safety 

Campaign website (http://1.usa.gov/13gucNA) contains 

downloadable posters, brochures, public service 

announcements, press releases, and other materials 

for English and Spanish speaking audiences. 

Educating children 

There are major differences in the abilities, 

behavioral patterns, and learning capacities of 

different road users at different ages. Efforts to 

educate children need to take into account these 

differences. For example, children under the age of 

10 may not be able to adequately judge the speed 

of traffic to know when it is safe to cross, even 

when they have looked both ways for oncoming 

cars, so it may be more important to teach them to 

stop at the corner and wait to cross with a parent 

or guardian. Children also benefit from having 

supervised, structured skills practice in a safe 

area, particularly when learning to ride a bike. 

If you are interested in teaching children more 

about safe walking and bicycling, consider the 

Pedestrian Safer Journey (http:// bit.ly/1hLyEZq) 

and Bicycle Safer Journey (http://bit.ly/1nIexxN) 

web-based resources. Each one provides tips and 

resources for parents and educators on teaching 

pedestrian and bicycle safety to children of 

different age groups, including ages 5-9, 10-14, and 

15-18. Also, the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) has several resources, 

including the Think Safe, Ride Safe, Be Safe Traffic 

Safety Campaign (http://1.usa.gov/1uO1vlo), 

which has information for parents and educators, 

pledges, activity books, and materials for children 

of various ages. 

For developing education programs within your 

schools, consider contacting the superintendent 

of public instruction, the State or school PTA 

president or other parents and PTA members, 

the school nurse, the governor’s traffic safety 

representative, or the district superintendent. 

Other venues, such as parks and recreation 

programs, after-school programs, and churches 

may also provide opportunities for both pedestrian 

and bicycle safety education. Some questions to 

ask school and after-school officials include: 

1. Is pedestrian and bicycle education a routine 

part of health and safety learning objectives for 

children in schools? 

2. If not, what steps can be taken to ensure that 

schools implement school-based training on a 

continuing basis? 

3.Does the school have a Safe Routes to School 

program, and if not, can we create one? 
 

 

-

_ _ -

 

 

Section Three: What can be done? 23 

4. What resources can parents and the community 

provide to assist schools in providing education 

or training regarding safe walking and biking? 

For More Information: 

Visit the National Center for Safe Routes to School 

website (http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/) for more 

information about educating children, parents, and 

teachers about pedestrian issues and starting a Safe 

Routes to School program in your area. 

ENFORCEMENT 

Pedestrian and bicycle safety laws 

An important first step in enforcement is to find 

out your State’s laws related to pedestrian and 

bicycle safety and where they apply (e.g., city, 

county, or specific roadway). 

All States have a website where they post their laws 

pertaining to pedestrians and bicyclists. NHTSA 

produced a compilation of State pedestrian and 

bicycle laws, available at http://1.usa.gov/1r5891A. 

It is a good place to start, but you may need to 

see if your State has passed any more recent laws 

since the NHTSA document was created. You can 

also contact your State’s DOT or read your State’s 

Motor Vehicle Code for a list of statewide statutes. 

For More Information: 

Many State DOTs have a bureau or division of bicycle 

and pedestrian transportation website that lists all of 

the pedestrian related laws for the State. For some 

examples, visit: 

• North Carolina DOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian 

Transportation (http://www.ncdot.gov/bikeped/ 

download/bikeped laws Guidebook Full.pdf). 

• Florida DOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program 

(http://www.dot.state.fl.us/safety/2A-Programs/ 

Bicycle-Pedestrian.shtm). 

• Washington State DOT Pedestrian Laws 

(http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/walk/Laws.htm). 

RESOURCE 9 

Enforcement Contact Worksheet can be used to help 

guide your discussion when contacting your local law 

enforcement agency. 

Strategies for local law enforcement 

There are a number of strategies that your 

local law enforcement agency can undertake to 

enforce laws that will improve pedestrian and/ 

or bicyclist safety. You should discuss these with 

law enforcement professionals to see which are 

feasible in your community: 

Targeted pedestrian safety enforcement 

operations — These are well-prepared and 

coordinated operations designed to warn 

motorists that the yield-to-pedestrian laws will 

be enforced at targeted locations, usually marked 

crosswalks where people need to be able to cross 

the street safely but drivers are not complying 

with yielding or stop laws. 

Law enforcement officers can help ensure that 

pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists abide by traffic laws. 

Photo enforcement — In States where automated 

photo speed enforcement is permissible, it can be 

used to concentrate speed enforcement in specific 

areas with high volumes of pedestrian crossings or 

bicycle traffic, such as near school zones. 

Radar speed trailers and active speed monitors — 

Radar speed trailers and/or active speed monitors 

can both alert drivers to their actual speed. 
RESOURCE 10 

Sample “Warning” Letter to Drivers can be distributed 

by law enforcement officers as part of an education or 

enforcement campaign. 

24 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Visible law enforcement presence enhances the and bicyclists. A zero-tolerance policy for speeders 

effectiveness of radar speed trailers, which may in these zones and an increase in fines for drivers 

not work on their own in all areas, such as rural who violate the posted speed limit are potential 

locations. approaches. 

Radar speed trailers can supplement motor officer 

enforcement of safe speeds. 

High visibility enforcement — Local agencies can 

help to improve driver, bicyclist, and pedestrian 

safety by publicizing enforcement efforts and 

conducting the enforcement where people will see 

it. Local news outlets often carry stories on these 

types of efforts. Highly publicized enforcement (of 

even low-level enforcement) targeted towards a 

specific behavior is likely to be most effective. 

Progressive ticketing — Progressive ticketing 

is a method for introducing ticketing through 

a three-stage process, to first educate, then 

warn, then ticket offenders. Issuing warnings 

allows police to contact up to 20 times as many 

noncompliant motorists, pedestrians, or bicyclists 

than the writing of citations does. In addition, 

the high frequency of stops ensures not only 

that many people directly make contact with law 

enforcement, but also that many others witness 

these stops and are prompted to obey the rules. 

Double fines in school zones and other special 

interest areas — Strict enforcement of speed laws 

in school zones and other special interest districts 

or areas is one law enforcement tool that can 

improve safety for pedestrians as well as motorists 

Strategies for community members 

You and other community members can also help 

improve driver, pedestrian, and bicyclist behaviors 

to improve safety in several ways. 

Neighborhood speed watch — Radar speed units 

are loaned to residents who are trained by police 

to collect speed data and vehicle descriptions. 

The local agency follows up and sends the vehicle 

owners a letter asking for voluntary compliance. 

This measure can educate neighbors about the 

issue (e.g., speeders often live in the neighborhood) 

and help boost support for long-term solutions, 

such as traffic calming. 

Adult school crossing guards — Adult crossing 

guards can play a key role in promoting safe driver, 

pedestrian, and bicyclist behavior at crosswalks 

near schools. Adult school crossing guards can be 

parent volunteers, school staff, or paid personnel. 

Annual classroom and field training, as well as 

special uniforms or equipment to increase visibility, 

are recommended (and in some locations required). 

Traffic complaint hotline — If an agency has a 

central hotline phone number (such as 411) or 

website to receive traffic complaints, you can log 

your concern and share the hotline with others in 

your residents to do the same. Each agency should 

have a transparent process for how they use 

community feedback to target their enforcement 

responses. 

Neighbor outreach and education — See the 

Education section above for ideas on how 
 

 

Section Three: What can be done? 25 

residents can serve as model citizens and also 

reach out to neighbors in campaigns to reduce 

driver speeds and improve safety behaviors of all 

road users. 

ENCOURAGEMENT 

When it comes to walking and biking, there 

may be safety in numbers. When walking and 

bicycling is commonplace in a community, drivers 

become accustomed to sharing the roadways 

with others and to anticipating pedestrians and 

bicyclists. By encouraging more walking and 

bicycling where it is safe to do so, you can gather 

support to make additional improvements as 

well as foster a safer and close-knit community. 

There are many different types of events that 

can help you encourage and celebrate the joys 

of walking and bicycling. These events can also 

be used to highlight the benefits of walking and 

bicycling, connect people to pedestrian and 

bicycle resources in the community, and showcase 

community support for changes that could 

improve conditions for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Some ideas for events that you could organize or 

participate in include: 

Car Free Day — Car Free Day is an international 

event, typically celebrated on September 22, in 

which people are encouraged to try walking, 

biking, carpooling, or using transit instead of 

driving. In some large cities, such as Washington 

DC, the day is celebrated with events, promotions, 

and other festivities. Learn more at: 

http://www.carfreeday.info/. 

Bike to Work Day or Week — May is National 

Bike Month, and a good time for employees and 

community groups to put on a Bike to Work event. 

For planning resources, visit: 

http://bikeleague.org/bikemonth. 

Walk/Bike to School Days — International Walk to 

School Day is held the first Wednesday of October 

each year. National Bike to School Day is held 

in early May each year. Many communities hold 

regular Walk/Bike to School days throughout the 

year. These are often part of a bigger Safe Routes to 

School program. To learn more or to register a local 

event in order to receive valuable resources, go to: 

http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/. 

Walk to School Day events can help encourage children 

and others to walk more often. 

Park(ing) Days — Held the third Friday in 

September, Park(ing) Day is an annual, 

international event where community members 

come together to transform parking spaces into 

temporary public parks. 

For more, visit: http://parkingday.org/. 

Open Streets — Open Streets, sometimes called 

Sunday Parkways or Cyclovias, are typically cityorganized events where streets are temporarily 

closed to cars to enable and encourage walking 

and bicycling-related festivities. Los Angeles’s 

CycLAvia, Portland’s Sunday Parkways, and New 

York City’s Summer Streets programs are among 

the most renowned in the U.S. for bringing 

out hundreds of thousands of bicyclists and 

pedestrians of all ages to celebrate and socialize. 

Learn more at http://openstreetsproject.org/. 
26 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Group Bike Rides — There are thousands of 

cycling clubs, bike shops, and bicycle advocacy 

organizations that host community bike rides for 

groups of different ages and skill levels. These can 

be used as opportunities to socialize and enjoy 

bicycling, to showcase local cycling conditions 

(both good and bad), and to raise the profile of 

cycling in the community. Find a local bike ride at: 

http://bikeleague.org/. 

RESOURCE 11 

Tips for Event Planning provides helpful information 

for planning walking and bicycling-related events. 

RESOURCE 12 

Tips for Fundraising has several ideas for how to raise 

money to support events and other efforts. 

Bike to Work Day group ride held in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Historic Walking/Biking Tours — Many 

communities large and small utilize walking or 

biking tours to connect residents and visitors to 

local historic sites and resources. You can join a 

tour, volunteer to be a group leader, or help 

develop a historic walking route or map. Think 

about partnering with your community’s tourism 

bureau, historic preservation committee, or 

chamber of commerce. 

Fun Runs or Community Fitness Challenges — 

Fitness challenge events often involve logging 

individuals’ or teams’ miles walked or biked to 

see who has traveled the furthest in a set amount 

of time. The National Bike Challenge is a great 

example: https://nationalbikechallenge.org/. Many 

communities also host local fitness walks, 5K runs, 

or bike rides, which can be used to raise money 

to support a local cause or pedestrian and bicycle 

advocacy effort. 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Section Four: I need more information! 

This section provides a listing of organizations and 

references that can help you find more in-depth 

information. 

NATIONAL BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN 

CLEARINGHOUSES 

Active Living by Design (ALBD) 

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Active 

Living by Design program has become a model 

for establishing community partnerships for 

active living. The ALBD Resource Center provides 

technical assistance to create active communities. 

http://www.activelivingbydesign.org 

National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) 

The National Center for Bicycling and Walking 

provides bicycle and pedestrian advocates and 

others with easy access to the information, 

training, tools, and experts they need to foster 

active living through community design. 

http://www.bikewalk.org 

National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS) 

The National Center for Safe Routes to School aims 

to assist communities in developing successful Safe 

Routes programs and strategies. The Center offers 

information on how to start and sustain a Safe 

Routes to School program, case studies of successful 

programs, as well as many other resources. 

http://www.saferoutesinfo.org 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) 

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center 

(funded by the U.S. DOT FHWA) provides 

comprehensive information on walking and 

bicycling issues, as well as resources for 

community members and professionals such as 

free webinars and information on how to find State 

and local support contacts and examples. 

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org 

NATIONAL COALITIONS AND ALLIANCES 

AARP 

A ARP, which formerly stood for the American 

Association of Retired Persons, works to enhance 

the quality of life for individuals over age fifty, 

often through advocacy and resource development. 

http://www.aarp.org/ 

Alliance for Biking and Walking 

The Alliance for Biking and Walking is a national 

coalition of State and local bicycle and pedestrian 

advocacy organizations. The group’s mission is 

to create, strengthen and unite State and local 

bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations. 

http://www.bikewalkalliance.org/ 

America Walks 

America Walks is a national coalition of local 

advocacy groups dedicated to promoting walkable 

communities and helping communities form 

advocacy groups. America Walks provides a 

support network for local pedestrian advocacy 

groups. The group offers advice about how to 

get started and how to be effective with public 

officials and engineering and design professionals. 

http://www.americawalks.org/ 

EveryBodyWalk 

This national campaign works to promote health 

by getting more Americans walking, and provides 

tools and resources to increase walking and make 

improvements to communities. 

http://www.everybodywalk.org/ 
28 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25® 

In most towns and cities throughout the U.S., 

the residential speed limit is 25 mph. A nonprofit 

organization founded in the summer of 1998, the 

Keep Kids Alive Drive 25® is a safety campaign 

targeting observance of the residential speed limit. 

The campaign goal is to unite neighborhoods and 

communities throughout the U.S. with a consistent 

message about safe driving. 

http://www.keepkidsalivedrive25.org/ 

League of American Bicyclists 

The League of American Bicyclists is a national 

organization devoted to improving conditions 

for bicyclists through advocacy, promotion, 

and information dissemination. Their website 

also provides information on how to find local 

chapters, rides, and other resources. 

http://www.bikeleague.org/ 

National Complete Streets Coalition 

The National Complete Streets Coalition works 

to promote the adoption and implementation of 

Complete Streets policies — those that address 

the needs of all road users in transportation 

decisions — at the local, State, and federal levels. 

Their website has information on model Complete 

Streets policies and resources for implementing 

such policies across the U.S. 

www.smartgrowthamerica.org/complete-streets/ 

Project for Public Spaces 

Project for Public Spaces utilizes education and 

outreach strategies to enhance public spaces 

and communities through planning and design 

improvements. 

http://www.pps.org/ 

Safe Communities America 

Safe Communities America, a project of NHTSA, is 

a national organization dedicated to creating local 

community coalitions to prevent motor vehicle 

injuries, the leading cause of death for each age 

group from five through 27. To find out if there is 

a Safe Communities Coalition in your community, 

contact your State Office of Traffic Safety. 

http://bit.ly/1uKg48d 

Safe Kids 

By working at a national level through grassroots 

community coalitions, Safe Kids, a campaign that 

aims to prevent the number one killer of children 

— unintentional injury — educates adults and 

children alike, provides safety devices to families 

in need, works to pass and strengthen laws to 

empower families and communities, and to protect 

children ages 14 and under. 

http://www.usa.safekids.org/ 

Safe Routes to School National Partnership 

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership 

works to expand opportunities for safe and 

active transportation for children through 

its network of advocates, policy makers, and 

transportation professionals. 

http://www.saferoutespartnership.org/ 

NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Program 

The FHWA is charged with administering federal 

funds for transportation improvements, and 

providing technical assistance to localities 

implementing pedestrian and bicycle projects 

and programs. Three Offices in FHWA address 

pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The Office of Safety 

and the Office of Safety Research work together 

to develop tools and technologies to reduce the 

number of pedestrians and bicyclists killed and 

injured on our nation’s roadways. The Pedestrian 

and Bicycle Program of FHWA’s Office of Office of 

Planning, Environment, & Realty promotes bicycle 

and pedestrian transportation accessibility, use, 

and safety. The FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle 

Program issues guidance and is responsible for 
Section Four: What can be done? 29 

overseeing that requirements in legislation are 

understood and met by the States and other 

implementing agencies. 

http://safety.f hwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ 

http://1.usa.gov/1xZsuLJ 

http://1.usa.gov/1iMSL9j 

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

(NHTSA) 

The National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration’s mission is to save lives, prevent 

injuries, and reduce economic costs due to road 

traffic crashes through education, research, safety 

standards, and enforcement activity. The agency 

collects and publishes State and national crash 

data, including data on pedestrian and bicycle 

crashes. NHTSA administers funding to support 

programs developed and implemented by State 

traffic safety offices. They also distribute to the 

general public free educational information and 

publications focused on many areas of traffic 

safety, including bicycling, walking, and driving. 

NHTSA usually communicates through the 

traffic safety offices rather than directly with 

neighborhood residents. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Pedestrians 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/Bicycles 

RESOURCES AND RESEARCH 

GENERAL RESOURCES 

Bicycle Friendly America 

The Bicycle Friendly Communities program 

recognizes communities, businesses, and universities 

that are promoting bicycling through engineering, 

planning, education, and other programs. 

http://bikeleague.org/bfa 

Walk Friendly Communities 

This national program recognizes communities in 

the U.S. that are leading the way in providing safe, 

accessible transportation networks for pedestrians. 

http://www.walkfriendly.org/ 

TRENDS, PROBLEM REPORTING, AND 

MAKING THE CASE 

Alliance for Biking and Walking Benchmarking 

Reports 

This report, updated every two years, provides an 

in-depth look at the state of bicycling and walking 

in the U.S. by examining trends in safety, mode 

share, policy, and funding. 

http://bit.ly/1t7NgHU 

SeeClickFix 

This interactive web tool allows citizens to report 

problem locations for bicycling and walking to 

municipalities responsible for making improvements. 

Cities and towns can also respond to complaints and 

respond when problems have been fixed. 

http://seeclickfix.com/ 

CHILD AND SCHOOL ISSUES 

ChangeLab Solutions’ Safe Routes to School 

District Policy Workbook 

This workbook can help school officials, parents, 

teachers, and administrators support active 

transportation to and from school through policy 

development and implementation. 

http://changelabsolutions.org/safe-routes/welcome 

Pedestrian Safer Journey and Bicycle Safer Journey 

These interactive web resources provide 

educational materials to help parents and teachers 

share important pedestrian and bicycle safety 

skills with children age 5-18. 

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/pedsaferjourney/ 

http://www.pedbikeinfo.org/bicyclesaferjourney/ 

Walk and Bike to School Day 

This website provides resources for teachers, 

students and community members interested in 

holding events to celebrate Walk to School Day 

and Bike to School day. 

http://www.walkbiketoschool.org/ 
30 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

SPANISH LANGUAGE RESOURCES 

FHWA Hispanic Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety 

This website includes links to research, materials 

to convey safety messages to Hispanics, and a 

marketing plan for communicating issues related 

to Hispanic pedestrian safety. 

http://1.usa.gov/1uwmrcZ 

National Center for Safe Routes to School Spanish 

Resources 

A collection of SRTS safety tip sheets and talking 

points, walkability checklist, helmet-fitting guide, 

and other resources developed for Spanish speakers. 

http://bit.ly/1qHMxxD 

NHTSA Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety among Hispanics 

This collection of pedestrian and bicycle safety 

print materials and radio ads was developed 

specifically for Spanish speaking audiences. 

http://1.usa.gov/1qHMzWb 

NHTSA Walk and Bike Safely Curriculum 

This curriculum is designed specifically for use 

by teachers and volunteers working with adult 

immigrants who are beginning English language 

learners. 

http://www.nhtsa.gov/ESL 

Pedestrian Safety Tips for Parents and Children 

A useful Spanish-language tip-sheet for caregivers, 

developed by the National Center for Safe Routes 

to School. 

http://bit.ly/1yzlHL0 

Spanish Language Webinars 

This two-part Spanish language webinar series 

provides important information and resources for 

planning for child pedestrian safety. 

http://www.rsa.unc.edu/webinars.cfm 

PLANNING, DESIGN, AND 

ENGINEERING ISSUES 

A Guide for Maintaining Pedestrian Facilities for 

Enhanced Safety 

This guide addresses common maintenance issues 

that impact pedestrian safety and mobility such as 

snow removal, sidewalk repair, and drainage. 

http://1.usa.gov/1kaUyqB 

BIKESAFE: Bicycle Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

BIKESAFE is intended to provide practitioners 

with the latest information available for improving 

the safety and mobility of those who bicycle. 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE/ 

A Guide to Transportation Decision Making 

This guide provides information on how 

transportation decisions are made at the local, 

State, and national levels. 

http://1.usa.gov/1AtnJfJ 

Proven Safety Countermeasures 

This FHWA website highlights countermeasures 

have demonstrated safety benefits shown through 

research, and also includes helpful links to case 

studies and design resources. 

http://1.usa.gov/1HvhEBv 

How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 

This is a comprehensive guide to provide a 

framework for State and local agencies to develop 

and implement a pedestrian safety action plan 

tailored to their specific problems and needs. 

http://bit.ly/11KSezy 

NACTO Urban Street Design Guide 

This interactive design guide highlights design 

improvements that can improve pedestrian, bicycle, 

transit and motor vehicle safety and mobility, along 

with case studies from communities around the U.S. 

http://nacto.org/usdg 
Section Four: What can be done? 31 

NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide 

This comprehensive design guide focuses on 

countermeasures that can improve safety and 

comfort for bicyclists, including some of the more 

innovative treatments found in the U.S. and abroad. 

http://nacto.org/cities-for-cycling/design-guide/ 

PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

PEDSAFE provides practitioners with a list of possible 

engineering, education, or enforcement treatments 

to improve pedestrian safety and/or mobility based 

on user input about a specific location. 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/PEDSAFE/ 

StreetMix 

Street Mix allows advocates, community members, 

and professionals to reimagine their streets 

as more walkable, bikeable places by offering 

visualization tools to support a variety of roadway 

cross-sections and user needs. 

http://www.streetmix.net 

TrafficCalming.org 

This comprehensive website provides information 

about traffic calming devices that can be used 

to reduce speeds, improve safety, and enhance 

communities. 

http://trafficcalming.org/ 

Road Diets 

This FHWA website highlights research, resources 

and case studies about lane reduction, or road 

diet, projects. 

http://1.usa.gov/1vwlFSn 

Walkability 101: The Walkability Workbook 

This web resource provides information about 

organizing community walkability workshops, 

audits, and field reviews. 

http://bit.ly/1xWf8yC 

Pedestrian Safety Guide for Transit Agencies 

This FHWA guide provides transit agencies with 

an understanding of pedestrian safety issues and 

information about how safety and accessibility can 

be improved through transit stop improvements, 

operations improvements, and policy changes. 

http://1.usa.gov/1xK8WML 

Context Sensitive Solutions in Designing Major 

Urban Thoroughfares for Walkable Communities 

This report from the ITE provides a comprehensive 

look at applying Context Sensitive Solutions in 

roadway improvement projects. 

http://www.ite.org/bookstore/RP036.pdf 

Bicycle Parking Guidelines 

This resource from the Association of Pedestrian 

and Bicycle Professionals provides guidance for 

communities in planning for, improving, and 

maintaining bicycle parking facilities. 

http://www.apbp.org/?page=publications 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Audit 

Guidelines and Prompt Lists 

These FHWA resources provide transportation 

professionals, community members, policy 

makers and others with the tools they need to 

perform field reviews to identify safety issues for 

pedestrians and bicyclists. 

http://1.usa.gov/1F8Ycqe 

http://1.usa.gov/1xyP65L 

Safety Effects of Marked Versus Unmarked 

Crosswalks at Uncontrolled Locations 

This FHWA study examines the relationship 

between crosswalks, both marked and unmarked, 

and other roadway factors such as number of lanes, 

vehicle speeds, and traffic volumes, leading to 

recommendations for crosswalk placement and design. 

http://1.usa.gov/1xWf h5d 
32 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Pedestrian Safety on Rural Highways 

This report explores pedestrian safety issues 

and concerns along rural highways and identifies 

solutions to these problems. 

http://bit.ly/14X J6ZI 

WEB-BASED TRAINING AND VIDEOS 

Taking Action to Make Your Neighborhood Safe 

and Walkable 

This interactive web-training provides community 

members with information about safety issues, 

strategies for community organization and tips for 

communicating with transportation officials. 

http://www.rsa.unc.edu/ped_safety/ 

Pedestrian Safety Workshop: A Focus on Older Adults 

This website provides information about a 

short workshop covering safety issues for older 

adults, and also provides tools and resources to 

help individuals share the training in their own 

communities. 

http://www.rsa.unc.edu/psw/ 

Enforcing Laws for Bicyclists: NHTSA Law 

Enforcement Roll Call Video 

This video highlights common safety problems 

for bicyclists and provides law enforcement 

professionals with the information they need 

to identify these problems and enforce laws to 

improve safety for bicyclists. 

http://1.usa.gov/1ujCLwf 

Streetfilms 

This website catalogs short promotional and 

educational films on a variety of topics related 

to transportation issues, specifically bicycling, 

walking, and transit. 

http://www.streetfilms.org/ 
 

-

 

 

 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Section 5: Community Success Stories 

Communities large and small are taking actions in a variety of ways to improve the safety and mobility 

of pedestrians and bicyclists and are getting great results. The table below provides an overview of 12 

different communities and how they are working to make both quick and lasting improvements. Formed a coalition Conducted a walkabout or collected data Held events to educate, encourage, or engage Made a plan Focused on health Focused on accessibility Raised money Promoted policy or engineering changes

Used social media 

Urban or Large City Examples 

Washington, DC (pg 34) • • • • • • 

Philadelphia, PA (pg 45) • • • • • • 

Tulsa, OK (pg 40) • • • • 

New Orleans, LA (pg 47) • • • • • • 

Suburban or Medium Sized City Examples 

Memphis, TN (pg 42) • • • • • • 

Baldwin Park, CA (pg 58) • • • • • • 

Brownsville, TX (pg 50) • • • • 

Charleston, SC (pg 52) • • • • 

Rural or Small Town Examples 

Duck, NC (pg 36) • • • 

Wabasha, MN (pg 38) • • • • • 

Corrales, NM (pg 53) • • • 

Newport, RI (pg 55) • • • • 

Read their success stories to learn what others are doing, how they’re doing it, and get inspiration and tips 

for replicating efforts in your own neighborhood. 
34 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Creating a Plan for Pedestrian Improvements 

Washington, DC 

BACKGROUND 

Iona Senior Services is a non-profit organization 

in Washington, DC with one staffed position, two 

active senior leaders, and multiple community 

volunteers. For the past several years, Iona staff 

have partnered with community members to 

focus on improving the walkability of a four-mile 

stretch of Connecticut Avenue, a major six-lane 

commuter route from Maryland into Washington, 

DC. The route travels through some of the highest 

concentrations of older adult (65+) residents in the 

DC region. These older residents mostly live in 

apartment buildings, retirement homes, assisted 

living facilities, and nursing homes. Connecticut 

Avenue is also a major commercial corridor with 

transit and bus stops and small businesses that 

rely largely on pedestrian traffic. More than a 

dozen schools are also located on or within a 

block of Connecticut Avenue, from pre-schools to 

Universities, all of which have people of all ages 

trying to cross Connecticut Avenue during rush 

hour and non-rush hour traffic. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

In past years, Connecticut Avenue has been lined 

with wreaths marking the deaths of pedestrians, 

some of whom were older neighbors who were 

hit attempting to cross the street to access local 

businesses and healthcare facilities. More than 50 

pedestrian crashes occurred on this street in the 

period from 2000-2006. Many crosswalks were at 

intersections without traffic lights or at midblock 

sites leading to bus stops, where drivers rarely 

yielded to pedestrians attempting to cross. Where 

traffic lights existed, there was often inadequate 

time allotted for pedestrian to cross streets safely. 

Motorist speeds were high, and speed limits and 

the law requiring drivers to yield to pedestrians 

in crosswalks were only sporadically enforced. 

As a result of these concerns, Iona staff and 

local community members decided to form a 

community group to help examine the problems 

on this corridor. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND 

OTHER OUTREACH 

Three community members initially came 

together, including a pedestrian advocate, the 

coordinator of a local Safe Routes to School 

(SRTS) program, and the chair of an advisory 

neighborhood commission (ANC) — a government 

body established to advise government entities on 

local issues — who was also the vice president of a 

neighborhood alliance. These three activists began 

engaging others, such as neighbors in nearby 

Chevy Chase and Cleveland Park communities 

and the Coalition for Smarter Growth, to support 

efforts to improve the environment and safety for 

pedestrians along Connecticut Avenue. They also 

reached out to the Pedestrian Coordinator of the 

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to 

learn about what efforts were already underway. 

The effort grew from there into an official ninemember steering committee the group called 

Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action (CAPA). 

Committee members included local residents, 

chairs/commissioners of three of the local ANCs, 

citizen associations, SRTS coordinators, Ward 

Council members, the DC chapter of A ARP (the 

American Association for Retired Persons), the 

Coalition for Smarter Growth, the Director of 

Planning for DDOT, and the Metropolitan Police 

Department (MPD) Commander of the Second 

District. The committee held monthly meetings 

and rallied around three goals: 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 35 

1)	 Making the case for a pedestrian safety plan, 

which included gaining support of DDOT, 

multiple council members, and local police; 

2) Engaging the public, including raising funds 

to support their work, distributing surveys, 

hosting focus groups, and conducting an audit 

of Connecticut Avenue; and 

3) Supporting the development and 

implementation of a pedestrian safety plan. 

Figure 1. Map of Pedestrian Crashes and Other Key 

Features on Connecticut Ave. 

RESULTS 

The group raised $34,080 from local donations and 

in-kind contributions, including funds provided by 

the local ANCs, Citizen Associations, the Family 

Foundation, individuals, and the DC A ARP. The 

group received in-kind donations for the graphic 

design and printing of a brochure, free use of 

meeting rooms for training sessions with audit 

volunteers, and food from local restaurants for a 

kickoff event. Raised funds were used to support 

outreach to the community (such as printing signs 

and brochures), and to hire a consultant. The 

consultant, from a local planning and design firm, 

helped the group develop a customized pedestrian 

safety assessment tool, train volunteers to conduct 

walkability assessments using the tool, and create 

a temporary website which was used to conduct 

an online survey and host an interactive map 

community members could use to log concerns 

about Connecticut Avenue. 

The CAPA steering committee recruited and 

trained more than 80 volunteers to perform 

audits along Connecticut Avenue (including 23 

blocks and 39 intersections) and collect, enter, and 

summarize pedestrian safety concerns identified 

during the audits (see Figure 1). They also 

conducted three focus groups at senior residential 

communities, to hear community members’ 

concerns about pedestrian safety in the area. 

Using the data gathered from the audits, focus 

groups, and online-surveys, the group developed 

a pedestrian safety plan for the corridor. The 

plan highlighted key concerns, made the case for 

pedestrian safety improvements, and presented 

a unified community vision for the changes the 

coalition wanted to see. 

Group leaders presented their plan’s 

recommendations to neighbors in community 

meetings, to council members, and to DDOT. 

They coordinated with DDOT to incorporate the 

recommendations of their plan into an ongoing 

planning effort, the Rock Creek West Livability 

Study, which was being led by DDOT. They were 

also successful in engaging with the local media to 

highlight their work and plan, including getting a 

positive editorial, two new articles, and an op-ed 

in a local newspaper, “The Current.” 
36 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

To date, the group meets monthly to move the 

CAPA plan forward and to advocate for funding 

from DDOT, the DC Council, and MPD to implement 

the recommended improvements and engage in 

an effective public education program to address 

pedestrian safety. They continue to collaborate 

with the MPD for the enforcement component of 

the effort, in part by adding a member of the police 

force to the CAPA steering committee. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Laying the ground work is important but takes 

time. Making pedestrian improvements is as 

much a political process as it is a technical one. 

The community spent a year organizing the 

community and building political support before 

doing the audit. Although it seemed like a long 

time when first starting the initiative, it was well 

worth it in the end. This effort has been well 

publicized and the group has gotten support 

in many ways from different segments of the 

community.
 

• The group played to their strengths, and brought 

in reinforcements when needed. Steering group 

members had much experience interacting 

with government agencies and the DC Council, 

and community ties run deep in the respective 

neighborhoods. These personal connections 

helped the group to more easily get the support 

of Council members, MPD, DDOT, and local 

community groups. Using funds raised to hire 

a consultant helped the group obtain additional 

expertise in planning and engineering, which 

group members thought helped bring clout to 

their efforts and credibility to their pedestrian 

safety plan. 

CREDIT 

The information above was provided by Marlene 

Berlin, former staff member with Iona Senior 

Services. 

Working Together to Define the Issues 

Duck, NC 

BACKGROUND 

North Carolina Route 12 (NC 12) is a two-lane 

road that passes through the Town of Duck, 

a seaside resort village on the Outer Banks of 

North Carolina. Duck is home to approximately 

500 permanent residents. However, during the 

summer peak vacation season, Duck hosts more 

than 25,000 people. During tourist season, there 

is a significant volume of vehicle, pedestrian, and 

bicycle traffic. NC 12 also serves as a commuter 

route, providing access to Corolla (north of Duck) 

and to Nags Head and Manteo (south of Duck). 

Currently, all traffic coming from or going to 

Corolla must pass through Duck, since the only 

bridge crossing (Wright Memorial Bridge) is 

located to the south of town. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

Pedestrians were having difficulty crossing the 

busy two-lane highway, which was lined with 

both businesses and residential property. There 

were designated crossings in the town, but there 

were not always crossings in the most convenient 

locations to where pedestrians or bicyclists 

wanted to go. Furthermore, there were many 

conflicts between motor vehicles accessing the 

driveways and side streets and the numerous 

pedestrians and cyclists walking or riding on 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 37 

the shoulder. There were also conflicts on the 

shoulder among pedestrians and cyclists. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND OUTREACH 

The town began working with the community 

to find out more about where bicyclists and 

pedestrians were coming from and where they 

wanted to go, to help make decisions on crosswalk 

placement. This included talking with committee 

members working on a Comprehensive Pedestrian 

Plan, business owners, residents, and elected 

and appointed officials. In addition to providing 

information to support the development of the 

Comprehensive Pedestrian Plan, the effort helped 

generate interest in and support for the plan. 

In August 2009, town volunteers helped count 

pedestrians and bicyclists traveling on Route 12. 

The road was divided into ten, 200-300 foot long 

zones (see Figure 2). One person was assigned 

to each zone to count pedestrians and cyclists 

entering, exiting, or crossing the road within 

each zone in 15-minute intervals for a two-hour 

period. One observer could see and accurately 

record all pedestrian and bicycle activity in each 

zone. Combined, the six zones extended the 

entire length of the rural village and captured the 

areas of highest pedestrian and bicycle activity. 

Observers were field-trained in data collection. 

Data collection included the following: 

• Where bicyclists and pedestrians came from and 

where they were going. 

• Direction of travel if walking or riding on the side 

of the road. 

• Whether cyclists and pedestrians were traveling 

in the right or wrong direction (the correct 

direction of travel for cyclists is with traffic, and 

for pedestrians, it is against traffic when there is 

no separated facility). 

• Whether cyclists and pedestrians were crossing 

within or outside of crosswalks. 

Figure 2. Data Collection Zones along NC 12. 

RESULTS 

The data showed that the highest concentrations 

of entering and exiting pedestrians and bicyclists 

in the study area were along the east side of 

the corridor. The pedestrian and bicycle counts 

showed that crossings occurred frequently 

at unmarked locations as well as at marked 

crosswalks throughout the study area (see Figure 

2). While some crossings were used regularly, 

others were rarely used. Several desired crossing 

locations were identified from the count 

information, and along with town input, were used 

to identify enhanced crossing treatments. This 

information was used in conjunction with a road 

safety audit (RSA) — an assessment of roadway 

design features by a group of transportation 

professionals following a formal set of procedures 

— which resulted in crossing improvements 

that were made along NC 12 (see Figure 3), and 

identification of additional measures to be 

implemented). The needs identified in the road 

safety audit report also led the town to pursue 

and receive a grant from the North Carolina 

Department of Transportation (DOT) to fund the 

development of a pedestrian master plan. The 

town conducted additional data collection and 

identified further needed improvements during 

master plan development. These improvements 

were subsequently funded and are in the process 

of being implemented. The Duck Town Council 

also recently approved the Comprehensive 

Pedestrian Plan. 
38 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Engaged citizens represent a valuable community 

resource to support the town in data collection 

to identify pedestrian and bicycle issues. 

Although the town initiated outreach in Duck, 

citizen groups in other communities could take 

the initiative to reach out to the Town to raise 

issues, help collect data such as walking and 

bicycling counts, or perform walkability audits. 

• Volunteer data collection efforts help to emphasize 

key issues and foster consensus for action. 

Training, and especially in-field orientation, of 

volunteer data collectors is necessary. 

Figure 3: Crossing Improvements Included Pavement 

Markings and Signage for Drivers and Pedestrians at 

Crosswalks. 

Promoting Physical Activity 

Rural Wabasha, Minnesota 

BACKGROUND 

Wabasha is a historic, small, rural community 

in southeastern Minnesota with a population of 

around 2,800. Nearby communities, including 

Kellogg, bring the area population to around 

5,000. The city is fortunate to perch between 

majestic bluffs and the Mississippi River, which 

contributes to a beautiful environment for active 

transportation and recreation, but also creates 

some challenges relating to steep topography 

in some areas. Wabasha is a thriving town that 

provides a number of services and basic needs 

of its residents and tourists. As in many rural 

communities, though, street designs, dispersed 

development, and distances between communities 

diminish the opportunities for accessing schools 

and businesses by walking or biking. It was widely 

thought that a car was essential for reliable 

transportation in the area and, until recently, 

there had been little emphasis on creating a better 

environment for walking and biking. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

High rates of obesity and low levels of physical 

activity among the city’s population called 

attention to the need for residents to increase 

activity levels. Local public health workers, the 

city, and other partners resolved to address these 

public health issues. They formed a coalition, Fit 

City Wabasha (http://bit.ly/15o3nYw) to begin 

to address these concerns. The coalition was 

originally composed of staff from Saint Elizabeth’s 

Medical Center, Wabasha County Public Health 

Department, the City of Wabasha, local business 

owners, and other volunteers with an interest in 

promoting a healthy community. Fit City has no 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 39 

separate legal status, staffing, or budget. 

The impetus for the community to address 

walkability concerns in Wabasha was to enhance 

opportunities for physical activity. Local 

businesses were also interested in improving 

walkability for visitors to this historic community. 

At first, the view was that hardly anyone walked 

in Wabasha because developing a walking/biking 

friendly community just had not seemed to be a 

priority earlier. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND OUTREACH 

Community-led walkability assessments were used 

as a starting point to engage residents and the City 

Planning Commission about walkability issues. 

Data gathered from residents who completed 

the audits suggested that there was much more 

walking occurring than realized, including 

among senior residents and in some areas where 

walking was unexpected. Although the average 

audit generated a “pretty good” score, the audits 

helped to identify safety issues on key roads and 

neighborhood streets, including a road adjacent to 

a public park. The auditors identified instances of 

incomplete sidewalks, sidewalks that were blocked 

or in disrepair, and streets that lacked crossing 

infrastructure. 

Subsequently, Fit City’s promotions focused on 

increasing physical activity. Fit City Wabasha 

hosted a “Walk to Win” 10-week Challenge 

competition between Wabasha and nearby Lake 

City (see Figure 4). Nearly 400 Wabasha residents, 

14 percent of the town’s population, and another 

300 Lake City residents participated, logging more 

than 1 million miles walked altogether. Fit City in 

partnership with the City Historic Preservation 

Commission and the Wabasha-Kellogg Chamber 

of Commerce also unveiled four new historic 

walking tours in brochure form; these have been 

distributed at some of the area events and are 

included in tourist information, including on 

internet outlets. Saint Elizabeth’s Medical Center 

also hosts a Wabasha Walking Routes brochure, 

which highlights four different walks for fitness 

(http://bit.ly/1zV07O1). 

Figure 4: Community Walking Event in Wabasha, Minnesota. 

RESULTS 

The Walk to Win challenge and continuing events 

(such as an annual Fit City Kids’ Triathlon), the 

audits, and the walking brochures have generated 

visibility and increased attention to walkability 

issues in the community. There is increased 

collaboration, discussion, and actions among City 

commissions and varied City departments including 

planning, transportation, law enforcement, and 

health. There is also more engagement with the 

County and other nearby cities. 

The City Planning Commission began work on 

a subdivision ordinance that will help to make 

new developments, and the Town overall, more 

walkable. A Complete Streets type of policy 

statement has also been drafted to include in the 

new ordinance. A new law enforcement focus on 

pedestrian safety is also underway. Additional 

funding was obtained from a Statewide Health 

Initiative Program to help promote non-motorized 

transportation by marking and signing a bike route 

and share the road banners, to mark portions of 

a five-mile multi-use trail, and to conduct other 

outreach activities. 
40 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

LESSONS SHARED 

• The focus on physical activity, including walking, 

running, and biking, has raised the profile of 

walkability issues in the City. It also allowed the 

coalition to pursue health-related funding sources. 

• Events such as triathlons, walking challenges, 

community-led walk audits, and historic walking 

tours help keep the community and decisionmakers engaged in discussions about the 

importance of and popularity of walking and 

biking, which can lay the groundwork for making 

policy and infrastructure improvements. 

CREDIT 

The information above was adapted from a report, 

Encouraging Physical Activity and Safe Walking 

in Wabasha, MN, by Molly Patterson-Lundgren, 

a planner contracted by the City of Wabasha 

planning department. 

Partnering with the Disability Community to 

Improve Accessibility 

Tulsa, Oklahoma 

BACKGROUND 

The Pearl District neighborhood in Tulsa, 

Oklahoma is located directly east of the downtown 

central business district and one mile west of 

the University of Tulsa. Historically, the area was 

known for its mix of industrial and residential 

uses, but had the basic structure of a walkable, 

urban neighborhood. In recent years, significant 

redevelopment and a resurgence of interest 

among residents and business owners has revived 

the urban fabric of the neighborhood. The Pearl 

District represents significant potential for 

pedestrian activity in central Tulsa. In 2005, the 

neighborhood adopted the 6th Street Infill Plan 

(http://bit.ly/1pDAaLL), intended to guide the 

further redevelopment of the area. One of the 

principal tenets of the Infill Plan is pedestrian 

orientation. The Infill Plan aims to reduce 

automobile dependency through increased 

transit use and to provide bicycle and pedestrian 

facilities. A sizeable population of residents with 

physical disabilities lives adjacent to the Pearl 

District, and this population receives services by 

the Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges 

(the Center). The Hillcrest Hospital complex is 

also just two blocks south and attracts many 

pedestrian trips. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

In a recent year, one-third of all traffic fatalities 

in the city were pedestrians, and pedestrian 

fatalities are approaching the number of homicides 

in the city. Pedestrian safety is a major concern 

for the Pearl District area, especially as it begins 

redevelopment and as walking becomes more 

common. With an active freight railroad running 

through the area as well, pedestrian safety is a 

priority. The poor physical condition of existing 

sidewalks and lack of connected facilities presents 

safety and accessibility concerns and detracted 

from pedestrian activity. The City of Tulsa has a 

reporting system and a ranking system for needed 

repairs or sidewalk additions, but the system is not 

easily accessible or transparent for citizens. 

As reported in Tulsa People (http://bit.ly/1uCQLRZ), 
 

Section Five: Community Success Stories 41 

a local store owner became concerned watching 

residents attempting to navigate Utica Street to 

the Center and other destinations. She watched 

pedestrians struggle through the grass: “The baby 

strollers wouldn’t roll, the wheelchairs would 

get stuck, the journey was exhausting.” For the 

residents of Murdock Villa, an apartment building 

serving people with physical challenges, it was not 

only exhausting and inconvenient, but also unsafe 

and limiting. According to the executive director 

of the Center, which provides support services to 

help individuals with physical challenges maintain 

independence, “For the approximately 40,000 

Tulsans with disabilities, sidewalks are often the 

deciding factor in whether they can go to the 

grocery store, get a haircut, attend classes, and have 

freedom.” 

A group began meeting to focus attention on 

the needs of disabled residents, especially 

on the need for sidewalks along Utica Street, 

across from the Center. During these meetings 

between representatives from the Pearl District 

Association and the Indian Nations Council of 

Governments (INCOG), it became apparent that 

there was a need for better grass-roots advocacy 

for pedestrian accessibility. INCOG provides local 

and regional planning, information, coordination, 

implementation, and management services to 

Tulsa metropolitan area member governments. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND OUTREACH: 

THE EARLY DAYS 

From the early meetings, the Pearl District 

Association, The Center, and INCOG launched 

the Alliance for an Accessible City (Alliance) 

to advocate for pedestrian improvements. The 

mission for this group was to “be Tulsa’s leading 

grass-roots advocacy group for safe, accessible, 

attractive sidewalks.” Beginning in November 2010, 

the Alliance met monthly to discuss strateg y and 

invited City of Tulsa Public Works leadership to 

take part in those meetings. Using funding from a 

small grant, INCOG created a temporary website, 

which was used to convey information about 

traffic calming strategies, ways to contact local 

officials about pedestrian safety issues, and recruit 

new members for the Alliance. 

RESULTS: SUCCESSES AND EVOLUTIONS 

Some of the early successes of the Alliance 

were the sidewalks that were, in fact, installed 

along Utica Street, across from the Center for 

Individuals with Physical Challenges (see Figure 

5). This was the Alliance’s first victory and led to 

a more concerted effort to advocate for sidewalks 

in other parts of the city. However, this effort 

evolved into new forms. The leaders of the initial 

coalition proved to be focused on the particular 

goal for sidewalks leading to the Center, and 

once that success was achieved, the Alliance lost 

momentum. However, many of the people involved 

in the initial Alliance became members of a new 

citywide Accessible Transportation Coalition 

(ATC). This group was fostered by an INCOG 

mobility manager with a strong personal interest 

in accessible transportation and access to transit. 

The new ATC attracted the attention of the Tulsa 

County Wellness Partnership (http://bit.ly/1thbSKb), 

an outreach arm of the Tulsa County Health 

Department. The Wellness Partnership has many 

community health goals, and their aim in partnering 

with the ATC was to facilitate active travel and 

lifestyles in the interest of community health and 

well-being. The Tulsa County Wellness Partnership 

has funded several initiatives of the ATC, including 

Sidewalk Stories (http://bit.ly/1pkezOE), a series 

of personalized videos bringing attention to 

area access and mobility issues and the benefits 

of pedestrian improvements. The Wellness 

Partnership is also sponsoring a “Walk to the 

Future” summit organized by the ATC. Thus, 

although the new ATC lacks a formal structure or 

dedicated funding, they have found a partner that 

does have resources, and supports the objectives 

of improving access and walkability for health. 
Figure 5: NewSidewalk Along Utica Avenue. 

42 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Other momentum was more indirectly spurred 

by the presence of the original Alliance. Members 

were tapped to serve on the City’s Transportation 

Advisory Board (an official board), and a Bicycle 

and Pedestrian Advisory Board, a board established 

by a city council member to provide advice and 

advocacy on pedestrian and bicycle issues. The 

activities of these boards have led to further bicycle 

and pedestrian planning efforts and adoption of 

a Complete Streets resolution by the Tulsa City 

Council, and the subsequent development of a 

Complete Streets guide for the city. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Leaders of the original partnership were focused 

on a particular objective: the sidewalks across 

from the Center. Once that achievement was 

attained, the group’s purpose diminished. 

Residents may have difficulty focusing on 

larger, longer-term objectives, but a diverse 

coalition, connected to a stable partner such 

as a Department of Public Health or a regional 

planning commission, can help an organization 

have greater long-term impact. 

CREDIT 

The information above was adapted from a 

report, Fostering Advocacy and Communication 

in Tulsa, OK, by James Wagner, Senior 

Transportation Planner, INCOG, and 

supplemented with information collected through 

a follow-up interview. 

Improving Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure 

through Advocacy 

Memphis, Tennessee 

BACKGROUND 

The Livable Memphis program 

(http://bit.ly/1xYnR5W) is a grassroots program 

begun in 2006 by the Community Development 

Council of Greater Memphis (CD Council). Livable 

Memphis advocates for healthy, vibrant, and 

economically sustainable communities through the 

development and redevelopment of neighborhoods. 

Walkability and bikeability are seen as critical 

components of a livable neighborhood and city. The 

organization works by building a shared vision and 

promoting public policies to further that vision. 

Livable Memphis represents over 125 neighborhoods 

from across 32 zip codes across the entire Memphis 

area. With the first paid staffer brought on in 2008, 

there are now three full time staff with another hire 

imminent. The organization engages neighborhood 

groups on a grassroots level, takes advantage 

of many partner organizations and dedicated 

community volunteers for help with events, provides 

consulting, and carries out direct advocacy. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED: SYSTEMIC PROBLEMS 

Long-term neglect of sidewalks and other 

infrastructure, auto-centric sprawl, low density 

development, and road design practices that 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 43 

increase exposure risk for pedestrians had led to 

systemic problems and Memphis being ranked 

as one of the most dangerous large metropolitan 

areas (of a million or more residents) for child 

pedestrians. Driving became the default for many 

residents due to the impracticality of walking 

great distances and the barriers to safe pedestrian 

movement. Some residents were, however, deemed 

“captive” pedestrians and bicyclists, including 

those with disabilities and those who do not 

own cars or are unable to drive. The pedestrian 

infrastructure that did exist was often crumbling 

or did not meet accessibility and mobility needs of 

all types of pedestrians. 

In addition, the city sometimes did not follow its 

own ordinances and other legal obligations that 

have a direct bearing on pedestrian and bicycle 

infrastructure and safety. A “perfect storm” for 

progress formed when the combination of new 

local vision among elected leaders and residents 

encountered a bicycling advocate with an interest 

in policy. The bicyclist noticed that projects 

planned to be funded with Federal stimulus 

dollars (American Recovery & Reinvestment Act 

or ARRA, signed into law in February 2009) did 

not meet legal requirements for considering 

the needs of pedestrians and bicyclists. Livable 

Memphis, bicycle advocates, and other partners 

brought this information to the attention of the 

City Council with a letter-writing campaign. The 

council immediately required that bicycle lanes, 

which could be implemented without major redesign, be incorporated into all the planned 

ARR A projects. These actions helped to avoid lost 

opportunities to improve bicycle infrastructure 

in those project locations; new curb ramps were 

also installed with the new projects. However, 

Memphis’ ordinance that required property 

owners to maintain adjacent sidewalks had not 

been enforced for decades. Crumbling sidewalks, 

poor driveway crossings, and other issues created 

barriers and safety impediments for pedestrians 

traveling between intersections, and the ARR A 

projects provided little mobility improvement 

for pedestrians. Numerous wide, high-volume 

roadways radiating from the city center also 

dissected neighborhoods and acted as barriers 

for residents to access commercial centers, 

schools, and other neighborhoods. These problems 

provided other opportunities for concerted action. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND OUTREACH 

Since its inception, Livable Memphis has identified 

and cultivated effective partnerships wherever 

they could be found. The volunteer policy guru 

and cycling advocate became an important ally 

and resource, and early on, bicycling advocates 

helped clamor for change. There is now a 

statewide advocacy organization, Bike Walk 

Tennessee, and Livable Memphis is a member. 

Another ally was found in the city’s engineering 

department. A deputy engineer proved to be a 

receptive audience at a time when others were 

not necessarily listening, and this relationship was 

cultivated over time. Now, this person is the city’s 

chief traffic engineer and works well with Livable 

Memphis and partners. Other partners include 

the Healthy Memphis Common Table, a public 

health non-profit that supports many of the same 

goals of Livable Memphis. These and other diverse 

stakeholders write letters and show up to Council 

meetings and other events to advocate for specific 

policies and solutions to identified problems. 

A variety of outreach methods are also used to 

directly engage community members. MemFix 

(http://on.f b.me/1CbsjB7) is a fun community 

event that features neighborhood-based 

temporary streetscaping and treatments (see 

Figures 6-7). 

Besides in-person events, Livable Memphis uses 

a number of technologies to educate and rally 

the community. In conjunction with the Memphis 

Center of Independent Living and Memphis Regional 

Design Center, Livable Memphis sponsored narrated 

video audits of important pedestrian corridors 

illustrating where those with disabilities and/or in 
44 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

wheelchairs would have issues on local sidewalks. 

The audit videos were then posted on a YouTube 

channel, “Barrier Free Memphis,” for broader 

distribution (http://bit.ly/1vKHU7b). A newly 

launched effort, the Create Memphis initiative, 

uses ioby, an online tool for people to share and 

develop ideas (http://bit.ly/1uUqWSk). Recently 

Livable Memphis completed a locally-tailored 

walkability audit tool, and is promoting its use 

through presentations and other actions among the 

neighborhood groups. 

Figure 6: MemFix Event that Created Temporary 

Improvements on a Roadway. 

Figure 7: MemFix Temporary Intersection Improvements, 

Including Crosswalk Markings and Curb “Bulbouts” to 

Provide Safer Spaces for Pedestrians Waiting to Cross. 

RESULTS 

An early success was getting bicycle lanes 

incorporated into the planned ARR A-funded 

projects. A city attorney-led initiative to enforce 

the sidewalk maintenance ordinance was also 

making significant progress in getting sidewalks 

repaired before being challenged by a small but 

outspoken group. Livable Memphis continues 

to advocate to Council for enforcement of the 

maintenance ordinance. Among a number of 

other accomplishments, Livable Memphis was also 

successful in promoting the hiring of a Memphis 

Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and 

is a driving force behind the Memphis Complete 

Streets initiative, successfully advocating for an 

executive order, and facilitating the creating of a 

Memphis Complete Streets Design Manual and a 

Street Regulatory Plan. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• The group did their homework and spoke to the 

right people, meaning those who could influence 

solutions to the problem at hand. It also looked 

for ways to take advantage of opportune timing, 

such as the ARRA funding of new facilities. 

• Cultivating extensive partnerships, including 

those that may, at first, seem unlikely, can help 

to find common ground with others and build a 

base of support for mutual goals. 

• Having a variety of methods to reach and engage 

residents in the community can help to build 

partnerships and identify alternative solutions 

that may suit the community. 

CREDIT 

The information above was adapted from a report, 

Advocating for Pedestrian Issues in Memphis, 

TN, by Sarah Newstok, Livable Memphis Program 

Manager, and supplemented with information 

collected through a follow-up interview. 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 45 

Engaging a Changing Urban Community 

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 

BACKGROUND 

The South of South neighborhood comprises 

70 dense, urban blocks of south Philadelphia. 

Since the 1980s, rehabilitation and renovation 

of properties and new construction projects 

have affected most blocks in the neighborhood. 

Significant private investment in the neighborhood 

has improved housing conditions and attracted 

new businesses. Property values have risen by 

150 percent in ten years, despite the nationwide 

economic downturn. These activities have shifted 

the neighborhood demographics. According to a 

report by the University of Pennsylvania, many 

of the neighborhood’s newer residents are young 

families who value the area’s walkability. The 

area is experiencing some pains of its age and 

evolution, along with opportunities to enhance 

walkability for all residents. 

The South of South Neighborhood Association 

(SOSNA) is served by one paid staffer and a 

volunteer board of directors made up of 15 

neighbors. The membership theoretically includes 

all residents in the neighborhood, but most 

activities are carried out by a core group of around 

100 dedicated volunteers. Operational funding is 

provided through a business tax credit partnership 

program. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

In 2009, SOSNA published the South of South 

Walkability Plan (http:// bit.ly/11SY khj). The 

Walkability Plan was the culmination of a yearlong planning effort managed by the Philadelphia 

City Planning Commission (PCPC), and funded by 

a Transportation and Community Development 

Initiative (TCDI) through the Delaware Valley 

Regional Planning Commission. The Walkability 

Plan described the current conditions and 

outlined planned improvements appropriate for 

each type of street and intersection throughout 

the neighborhood. Problems identified in the plan 

included aging infrastructure and street designs 

that affect walkability, issues related to the ongoing re-development of the neighborhood, 

and security issues. Contractors involved in the 

numerous construction projects underway on 

almost every block frequently blocked sidewalks 

with dumpsters for long periods. Other barriers 

included cars illegally parked, street trees, and 

light and telephone poles. Aging infrastructure, 

patchy maintenance, and tree roots had also 

caused sidewalks in some areas to be uneven 

or broken. While curb ramps existed in many 

locations, none were compliant with the 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which 

requires streets and public buildings to be 

accessible. 

Street design and enforcement issues included 

cars parked too close to intersections. Many 

stop-sign regulated intersections, particularly 

on one-way streets, were treated by drivers 

to the “South Philly slide.” Drivers roll through 

these intersections looking only in the expected 

direction of motor traffic, risking crashes and 

conflicts with pedestrians or bicyclists coming 

from the other direction. Few on-street bike 

facilities also resulted in cyclists regularly using 

the sidewalks, creating conflicts with pedestrians. 

Many of these issues required action by the City 

to improve the infrastructure and implement 

other suitable treatments, and SOSNA sought to 

help coordinate actions to get the Walkability Plan 

implemented.

 Some of the problems identified in the Walkability 

Plan included crime, perceptions of crime, and a 
46 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

lack of pedestrian lighting on most streets. The 

number one concern of surveyed residents was, 

however, trash and litter. These issues affected 

the personal security, comfort, and attractiveness 

of walking in the neighborhood. To some extent, 

these types of issues could be addressed creatively 

at a neighborhood level. 

COMMUNITY OUTREACH 

SOSNA created a Pedestrian Advisory Committee 

(PedAC) to contribute to the Walkability Plan and 

guide priorities. Thirteen dedicated neighbors 

formed the core of this new committee. Among 

the priorities of the PedAC were improving 

education, awareness, and communication with 

property owners to address chronic problems 

including sidewalk obstructions, lack of lighting, 

and trash dumping. The SOSNA Safety Committee 

also meets regularly with the Philadelphia police 

district, and works closely with the TownWatch 

community initiative. Following some of these 

activities, the community sought low-cost, 

practical, and immediate solutions to improve 

pedestrian-oriented lighting throughout the 

neighborhood and to address other safety and 

security issues. 

PedAC members thought that the objective of 

safer nighttime streets could be achieved in the 

short term by encouraging all neighbors to turn 

on their stoop lights at night. The initiative was 

named Lights ON! Southwest Center City. The 

PedAC applied for and received a donation of more 

than 500 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) 

from the Philadelphia Electric Company, which 

they distributed through a special event at a local 

pub. PedAC also created post-it notes (see Figure 

8) to distribute door-to-door, especially on some 

of the neighborhood’s darker blocks, to advertise 

the light give-away event. The bulbs continue to be 

distributed at police district community meetings 

and other community safety events. 

Figure 8: Pre-printed post it notes used to share 

information with neighbors about the Lights ON! Effort. 

Another initiative undertaken, SeeClickFix & Philly 

311, was intended to make it easier for neighbors to 

record complaints and report nuisance issues on 

their block that required City action. Although any 

resident could do this directly, the SOSNA 

program coordinator became a neighborhood 

liaison available to convert the complaints and 

requests into Philly311 service requests. The 

SOSNA Clean and Green committee also leads a 

number of programs designed to make the 

neighborhood more attractive and 

environmentally pleasing to its current and 

potential residents and businesses. 

RESULTS 

The Lights ON! initiative has led to better 

nighttime lighting of dark blocks, according to local 

SOSNA members. Since the SeeClickFix program 

was initiated, neighbors have identified obstructed 

or broken sidewalks, illegal trash dumping, and 

other pedestrian-safety-related issues. New 

waste receptacles are being installed at strategic 

neighborhood locations. New recycling programs, 

Neighborhood Clean-Up Days and other activities 

also help to create a more pleasant environment. 

More recently, SOSNA, and the PedAC have 

successfully implemented street improvements 

through a Better Blocks Philly demonstration 

project (see Figures 9 and 10). For more on the 

Better Blocks event, visit: http:// bit.ly/1yTwk7J. 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 47 

Figure 9: Temporary Road Diet and Crosswalk Created 

for the Better Blocks Philly Event. 

Figure 10: Temporary Traffic Calming Devices Created 

for the Better Blocks Philly Event. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• A variety of communication tactics, including 

going door-to-door with “post-it” type invites, 

using tech-savvy social media tools, and hosting 

creative and interactive events such as Better 

Blocks demonstration programs, has allowed 

the SOSNA group to engage area residents on a 

variety of topics. 

• Through smaller, community-oriented successes, 

the PedAC is gaining confidence and authority 

that is helping the group to continue to serve to 

implement other aspects of the Walkability Plan, 

including improving area infrastructure. 

CREDIT 

The information above was adapted from a report, 

Engaging Residents in Pedestrian Safety Issues in 

Philadelphia, PA, by Andrew Dalzell, former staff 

member of SOSNA. 

Integrating Health Equity into 

Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

BACKGROUND AND ISSUES 

Louisiana consistently ranks among the States 

in the U.S. with the highest rates of childhood 

obesity. Within New Orleans, there is a more than 

25 year difference in life expectancy between 

individuals living in the zip code area with the 

highest socio-economic indicators and those 

living in the zip code with the lowest indicators 

(see Figure 11). 
48 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Figure 11: 25.5 Year Life Expectancy Difference between 

High- and Low-Income Areas in New Orleans. 

PARTNER FORMATION AND TECHNICAL 

ASSISTANCE MODEL 

The KidsWalk Coalition in New Orleans was the 

brainchild of a former epidemiology professor at 

Tulane University’s Prevention Research Center 

(PRC). Concerned about childhood obesity and 

equity issues in New Orleans, she realized that 

infrastructure improvements were a key to 

unlocking children’s travel mobility and providing 

options for kids to be active in their travel to 

school daily journeys and at other times. An initial 

partnership was formed between the PRC and 

the City of New Orleans and other public health 

partners to work on improving infrastructure. 

One of these partners, the Louisiana Public Health 

Institute (a statewide nonprofit), funded a traffic 

engineer from 2003 to 2008 as part of the Steps 

to a Healthier New Orleans program, which was 

funded by the Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention (CDC). This traffic engineer focused 

on pedestrian and bicycle issues and helped to 

ensure that Federal funding was leveraged to 

enhance active transportation and recreational 

opportunities for the city’s children. The engineer 

was embedded in the city’s Department of 

Public Works. With limited resources for hiring 

additional staff at the time, the city agreed to this 

arrangement, whereby the engineer provided 

technical assistance to the city, but was not an 

official member of staff. 

Then Hurricane Katrina descended on the city in 

2005. Following Katrina, a lot of work in progress 

came to a halt as priorities shifted toward urgent 

recovery needs. It took a while for the city to 

regroup; then new visioning processes started up. 

Residents and city officials thought there was a 

real opportunity to build on the kind of work that 

had started before Katrina to make walking and 

biking “easy” choices in New Orleans. 

EXPANDING PARTNERSHIPS: PHASE 2 

After the CDC funding ended, ENTERGY, the local 

energ y provider, committed to provide continued 

funding for the engineer position with the city. 

The Tulane PRC, in partnership with the City 

of New Orleans, also applied for, and received a 

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) grant 

through the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities 

(HKHC) program, an initiative aimed at reversing 

the childhood obesity epidemic by 2015. Following 

the model of providing technical assistance, the 

partnership used the awarded funds to support 

a planner to work with the engineer and provide 

additional expertise to the community. The planner 

also focused on pedestrian and bicycle issues, SRTS 

initiatives, and, like the engineer, was embedded 

with city staff. The KidsWalk Coalition was formed 

in 2009 from this partnership with a mission to 

“to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic in 

New Orleans by making walking and bicycling 

safe for children and families to access schools, 

healthy eating choices and other neighborhood 

destinations.” The RWJF HKHC program funded 

the KidsWalk Coalition activities from 2010 to 2014. 

Among the coalition-funded staff objectives were 

to ensure that Federal Katrina-recovery funds were 

optimized to make improvements in pedestrian and 

bicycle facilities and to help coordinate sidewalk 

improvements with street improvements. The 

KidsWalk staff provided support and assistance 

to any school in Orleans Parish wishing to make 

pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements 

surrounding their campus. As a liaison between 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 49 

schools and the Department of Public Works, the 

staff coordinated sign replacements and crosswalk 

maintenance, they advised on pick-up and drop-off 

logistics, and on-campus safety improvements. The 

staff also assisted elementary and middle schools 

with applications for funding and implementation of 

Safe Routes to School activities (see Figure 12). 

Figure 12: KidsWalk Staff Provided Support to Schools 

Looking to Make SRTS Improvements. 

The partnership secured its own SRTS grant to focus 

on education and encouragement of kids walking 

and bicycling to school, and to improve enforcement 

through development of a school crossing-guard 

program. A new partner, Bike Easy, a local board-led 

non-profit with a mission to “make bicycle riding in 

New Orleans easy, safe, and fun,” was a natural fit 

to take charge of the encouragement and education 

aspects of the State SRTS-funded initiative. Bike 

Easy is developing a pedestrian and bicycle safety 

education and encouragement program for fourth 

and fifth grades that will be piloted at 10 schools. 

RESULTS 

The original KidsWalk partnerships continue and 

have expanded to include over 25 active partners 

including community-based organizations. The 

following are among the accomplishments of the 

partnership: 

• Published a school area neighborhood 

walkability report of needs, walkability scores, 

and recommendations (http://bit.ly/19ENApn). 

• KidsWalk staff have submitted more than 100 

work orders for school area improvements; more 

than 70 have been implemented to date. 

• Assisted with the development of the city’s 

Complete Streets policy, which was adopted in 2011. 

• Partnered with the city to plan and launch the 

first-ever Open Streets event in 2013. 

Presently the partnership is seeking to improve 

outreach to bring more community members and 

input into on-going efforts. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Dedicated funding for experienced professional 

staff to support the city and schools has been a 

key for this coalition. However, note that it may 

take a while to build trust between the “outsider” 

staff and regular city staff and for the outsidefunded staff to be invited into the city’s decisionmaking processes. Also, grant funding for the 

staff positions will not continue indefinitely, so 

developing a sustainability plan, or for the city 

to commit to funding the pedestrian and bicycle 

program position, will be important for the future. 

• Having a broad set of partners and being nimble 

and responding to new funding sources and 

opportunities has kept the coalition’s partners 

able to fund staff members and work on new 

initiatives. 

CREDIT 

Information provided by Naomi Doerner at Bike 

Easy and formerly with the KidsWalk Coalition. 
50 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Making Connections Between 

Health and Transportation 

Brownsville, Texas 

BACKGROUND 

Brownsville is a city of 175,000 residents at the 

southernmost tip of Texas, sharing a border 

with Mexico. Ninety-three percent of people 

in Brownsville are Hispanic and the metro area 

has one of the highest poverty rates in the 

country. The community also faces a lot of health 

disparities — one in three people are diabetic 

and 80 percent are either obese or overweight, 

so the driving force of Brownsville’s efforts 

related to walking and biking has been to activate 

community members to improve their health. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS 

Over the past decade community partnerships 

have formed to improve public health by 

encouraging physical activity and promoting 

healthy eating. In 2001, the University of Texas 

Health Science Center at Houston School of Public 

Health opened the Brownsville Regional Campus, 

which focuses on obesity-reduction strategies. 

The school made a concerted effort to become 

a partner with the community and formed a 

Community Advisory Board (CAB) comprised of 

leaders from nonprofits, schools districts, city 

government, health care, business, and community 

groups. The CAB helps translate research and 

provides a forum for community members to voice 

their opinions on decisions and initiatives related 

to community health. The CAB started with 

media campaigns, founded a farmer’s market, and 

supported wellness programs, but lack of physical 

activity was still a major barrier to improving 

community health and wellness. To achieve the 

vision of a healthy and livable community — part 

of the city’s 2009 comprehensive plan — the city 

needed to commit to filling crucial gaps in the 

sidewalk network, constructing new bicycle 

facilities, and providing opportunities that 

encourage people to be more active. 

BUILDING POLITICAL WILL AND 

COMMUNITY SUPPORT 

A couple of forward-thinking city commissioners 

and the mayor began a call for bike lanes as part 

of a vision of a more bikeable and physically-active 

Brownsville. City Commissioner Rose M. Gowen, 

MD, is adjunct faculty at the Houston School of 

Public Health and was instrumental in pushing the 

health angle. The city planning staff conducted 

community outreach and quickly found that one of 

the biggest impediments to more physical activity 

was a lack of safe environments to be active, and 

thus recognized that improved infrastructure was 

needed in order to support the goal of having a 

healthy, active community. Political leadership was 

also instrumental for the city’s adoption of a Safe 

Passing ordinance (requires drivers to allow at least 

four feet when passing vulnerable road users), a 

new ordinance requiring sidewalks for commercial 

developments, and a Complete Streets policy that 

was developed following a public workshop. 

The city also hosted several events to get 

community members engaged and involved. 

For example, thousands of residents attend 

Brownsville’s CicloBia events, where downtown 

streets are closed to motorized traffic so that 

residents can walk, bike, run, and play freely 

(http://www.cyclobiabrownsville.com/). The 

city has also worked with local businesses to 

host Build Better Block events where local 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 51 

streets are temporarily turned into pedestrian 

plazas, but this type of event is now subsumed 

within the Brownsville CicloBia. The city has 

hosted at least seven CicloBias, often held in 

the evenings to avoid the Texas heat, and the 

participation in these events continues to grow. 

The Houston School of Public Health regularly 

surveys CicloBia participants; results find that 69 

percent of attendees would have been sedentary 

if they weren’t at CicloBia and that the average 

participant is physically active for 123 minutes 

while at the events. 

DEVELOPING A PLAN WITH PUBLIC INPUT 

In 2013, Brownsville adopted its first Bicycle and 

Trail Master Plan that laid out the city’s 10-year 

vision for walking and biking in Brownsville. 

The city wanted to ensure that all residents 

had an equal voice in developing the plan, so 

staff sought new mediums beyond traditional 

public hearings, which often result in simple 

information dissemination. At the annual Charro 

Days Fiesta, the city bought four bikes to raffle 

off to residents who filled out a survey — they 

collected nearly 900 surveys that represented 

the range of demographics. They also partnered 

with the school district and hosted meetings at 

four schools, each of which had 50-70 attendees. 

Following the adoption of the plan, the City 

continues walking- and biking-related community 

outreach to garner continuous feedback during 

the plan’s implementation. In the implementing 

the plan, the city is first implementing rapid-term 

projects (two-year timeline) that are high-visibility 

projects that serve the most people (see Figure 

13). These types of projects will hopefully lead to 

continued support from the 97 percent of CicloBia 

attendees who want more designated bike lanes 

and the 44 percent of attendees who say that the 

main barrier to walking and biking more often is 

their concern about safety. 

Figure 13: Brownsville Staff Conducted Outreach and 

Bike-on-Bus Trainings after Church on Sundays. 

RESULTS 

One small example of how the culture is changing 

in Brownsville is that the City went from having 

one bike shop to having three. These shops now 

represent important community partners that 

promote physical activity by hosting rides and 

sponsoring events (see Figures 14 and 15). 

Figure 14: A Bike Ride on One of the City’s Newest 

Shared-Use Paths. 

Figure 15: Bicycle Skills Trainings for Some of the City’s 

Youngest Residents. 
52 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Important programmatic spin-offs that followed 

initial efforts from the CAB and the city include 

the Bike Barn, an all-volunteer-run operation 

where kids learn how to repair bikes and can 

eventually earn a bike of their own, and the 

Bike Brigade, which organizes rides for different 

abilities and distances (http://on.f b.me/15qorxy). 

In summer 2014, Brownsville was named an AllAmerica City by the National Civic League and was 

one of six winners of the Robert Wood Johnson 

Foundation Culture of Health Prize. These awards 

are well deserved, but not a sign that the mission 

is complete, just on the right track. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• While the city has benefited greatly from 

supportive political leadership and its 

partnership with the Houston School of 

Public Health, it is important to get other city 

commissioners on the same page by making sure 

they get the opportunity to visit other cities and 

attend conferences. 

• It’s important to keep the conversation going 

with organizational partners, elected officials, 

and the public, even when achieving success. 

Routine community engagement helps elected 

officials and city staff to learn what people want 

and why they will or won’t do something. 

• The more events you have that close down the 

streets, encourage people to get out, and make 

them feel safe, the more people will be inspired 

to say that they want these facilities on their 

own streets. 

• Look for small “wins”; if you can address 

immediate concerns (e.g., work with a property 

owner to remove a fence that presents a barrier), 

then you will have more partners on your side 

and confidence to tackle larger issues. 

CREDIT 

Information and images provided by Ramiro 

Gonzalez, Comprehensive Planning Manager at the 

City of Brownsville. 

Aligning Community Values with Funding Priorities 

Charleston, South Carolina 

BACKGROUND 

In 2003, in response to community pressure to 

improve conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians 

in and near Charleston, South Carolina, the 

Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council 

of Governments (BCDCOG) — the region’s 

metropolitan planning organization — submitted 

a successful proposal for funding to the RWJF 

Active Living by Design Program. The $200,000 

grant funded the creation of a regional bicycle and 

pedestrian action plan as well as a partnership to 

promote health and active living. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND OTHER OUTREACH 

The partnership included a bicycle and pedestrian 

advocacy group, the South Carolina Department 

of Health and Environmental Control, the South 

Carolina Department of Transportation, the 

Medical University of South Carolina, and several 

healthcare organizations. The action plan contained 

three main goals: 1) to implement a Safe Routes to 

School program, 2) to implement Complete Streets 

policies to make roads accessible for all users, and 

3) to begin community intervention programs to 

improve bicycling and walking conditions. 
Figure 16: Results of Resident’s Poll Regarding 

Transportation Spending Priorities. 

Section Five: Community Success Stories 53 

The community was involved during the planning 

process. During the creation of the long-range 

transportation plan, the BCDCOG distributed 

a survey asking local residents how much 

they would spend on different transportation 

infrastructure elements if given just $100. On 

average, respondents allocated $24 for pedestrian 

and bicycle improvements, which contrasted with 

the existing allocation of $0.05 for pedestrians and 

bicycles out of every $100 spent (see Figure 16). 

RESULTS 

The agency took steps towards narrowing 

this discrepancy by allocating $30 million for 

pedestrian and bicycle improvements over the 

next 21 years. For more information, visit the 

BCDCOG website at http://www.bcdcog.com/. 

Mobilizing Community Leaders and Volunteers 

for Safe Routes to School Programs 

Corrales, New Mexico 

BACKGROUND AND ISSUES 

Corrales is a rural village in northeastern New 

Mexico. Nestled into a bend on the west side 

of the Rio Grande, this agricultural community 

of just over 8,000 people within 11 square miles 

is hemmed in by Albuquerque to the south and 

sprawling Rio Rancho to the west and north. Most 

traffic in the village is funneled onto one road 

that provides access to all three of the village’s 

schools: Sandia Elementary on the north side of 

the village, Corrales Elementary in the center, and 

Cottonwood Montessori on the south side. As a 

result, the town experienced severe traffic related 

to elementary school student drop-offs and pickups. Upwards of 250 vehicles arrived at Corrales 

Elementary each day, which over whelmed the 

school zone, blocked the shoulder for pedestrians, 

blocked the road for through traffic, blocked 

neighbors’ driveways, and led to prohibited pickups and drop-offs in the parking lots of nearby 

businesses. The congestion also led to numerous 

traffic violations by other drivers including 

speeding on side roads, passing on the shoulder, 

and failure to stop at stop signs and crosswalks. 

Drivers using side roads near the school to avoid 

traffic on Corrales Road nearly collided with 

walking children on several occasions. More than 

200 students lived within a mile of school, making 

them ineligible for bus transportation. But their 

parents didn’t feel like the streets were safe enough 

for their children to walk or bike; less than five 

percent of them — about 25 kids — did, contributing 

to the cycle of more vehicles on the roads. 
54 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

EARLY EFFORTS 

Walking and cycling advocates on the Town’s 

Bicycle-Pedestrian Advisory Commission (CBPAC) 

were aware of these travel challenges, and they 

sent student travel surveys home with all 564 

Corrales Elementary students in November 2004. 

Half of the surveys were returned, with many 

parents writing passionately about the concerns 

they had for their children’s safety. In April 2005, 

the town held a community meeting to address 

this issue, and in 2006, Corrales participated in 

National Walk to School Day. At least 130 Corrales 

Elementary and Cottonwood Montessori students 

participated, and the event organizers built upon 

the momentum of this program by making WalkN-Roll to School a monthly event. Parents and 

local advocates, and even the Mayor, served as 

volunteers for monthly bike and walk to school 

events (see Figures 17 and 18). 

Figure 17: Students Walking to School along the Acequias. 

Figure 18: Walk-N-Roll Volunteers, Including Mayor Phil 

Gasteyer (left). 

Event organizers were concerned with finding 

the safest possible routes to school and found it in 

a community asset — the acequias. Acequias are 

irrigation ditches brought to New Mexico by Spanish 

settlers more than 400 years ago, and they carry 

water for crops. The sides of the acequias, known 

as ditch banks, provide paths for nonmotorized 

travel. The use of the acequias for SRTS rekindled 

a long-standing but dormant effort to develop a 

Trails Master Plan for the community. That plan has 

since been completed and accepted by the Village 

Council, with SRTS an integral component. 

EXPANSION AND OUTREACH 

In 2007, the Village Council completed a successful 

proposal to earn Corrales’ first SRTS funding, 

$15,000 to develop a Safe Routes to School 

Action Plan. For its first step, the Village Council 

appointed a SRTS Committee that collaborated 

with school principals to set a schedule of monthly 

walk and bike to school days throughout the 

school year. Walk-N-Roll to School Day continued 

for several years while SRTS planning in the village 

stayed on track. 

In 2010, following the completion of an Action 

Plan, the Committee submitted a request for SRTS 

infrastructure funding and separate funding for 

educational and encouragement activities. The 

$25,000 non-infrastructure grant was approved, 

and the STRS committee used the funds to hire a 

coordinator. Hired for just the 2011-12 school year, 

the coordinator’s tenure marked an explosion in 

SRTS activity in Corrales. During this time, WalkN-Roll increased from a monthly program to one 

that occurred three times each week. Accelerating 

from once a month to three times a week wasn’t a 

totally smooth transition. Gradual change allowed 

parents and school staff to adjust their routine, 

and once people felt ownership of the program, it 

expanded dramatically. 

Along with the expansion came the need for 

volunteers to lead the walks and bike rides with 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 55 

children and provide supervision. This included 

not just parents, but older, retired residents as 

well. Kiwanis Club members are very active in 

Corrales and trusted by their community, and 

many Kiwanis were eager to volunteer. They 

volunteered regularly and were key participants 

to expanding the program. The expansion also 

included outreach to local businesses, which 

began donating incentives and coupons to 

students who walk and bike to school. Students 

were able to track their walking and biking on 

punch cards to earn points toward incentives 

like passes to the local swimming pool and movie 

theater. 

RESULTS 

Funding for the position expired after the 2011­

12 school year, by which time approximately 25 

percent of Corrales Elementary students were 

walking and biking to school on a regular basis. 

While the program has slowed a little since — the 

Wednesday afterschool Walk-N-Roll has been cut 

— walking and biking participation is still growing, 

with up to 29 percent of students walking in early 

2013, including on non-Walk-N-Roll days. 

The program’s success caught the attention of 

the National Center for Safe Routes to School, 

and Corrales received special recognition 

as a recipient of the 2012 James L. Oberstar 

Safe Routes to School Award. This accolade 

recognizes successful SRTS programs, and is 

awarded annually by a multi-organization panel of 

reviewers coordinated by the National Center. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Having a SRTS coordinator’s office located in 

Town Hall helped facilitate an easy connection 

with Village officials — whether it was asking for 

guidance or sharing information with Village 

leaders. 

• Growing the Walk-N-Roll program incrementally 

allowed families to slowly change their habits 

and both participate in and support walking and 

bicycling to school. 

• The incentive program, made possible by local 

businesses, helped further engage the students 

and increased participation in the program. 

CREDIT 

The information above was adapted from the 

article, New Mexico Village Finds Safe Routes, 

Sense of Community Along by the National Center 

for Safe Routes to School in April 2013. 

http://bit.ly/1xYvVnl 

Leveraging Community Member Expertise 

to Advance Bicycle Safety 

Newport, Rhode Island 

BACKGROUND 

New por t, R hode Island, is a small picturesque 

colonial town. Located on Aquidneck Island 

in Narragansett Bay, New por t is surrounded 

by the sea. With historic houses dating to the 

early 1700s, majestic mansions, miles of seaside 

paths and beaches, and some of the world’s 

best sailing, New por t is a popular destination 

for holidays and recreation. The population 

of 24,000 can swell to 100,000 in the peak 

summer season. With only 11 square miles, most 
56 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

destinations in the cit y are within walking or 

biking dist ance. 

ISSUES IDENTIFIED 

With the visitors come the traffic congestion and 

parking challenges that can strain a city and its 

fragile historic landscapes. In addition, there are few 

alternatives to driving; just a few years ago, there was 

not a single bike path or protected lane on Aquidneck 

Island. By city ordinance, bicycle riders over the 

age of 13 must ride on the roads with the traffic. In 

Newport, this created concerns with bicyclists and 

vehicles sharing narrow one-way streets; bicyclists 

risking falls on old, uneven surfaces; and distracted 

tourists cruising the boulevards. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND SUPPORTING 

AGENCY STAFF 

Bike Newport, the local bicycle advocacy 

organization, seeks to improve, encourage, and 

facilitate bicycling in Newport. The organization 

plays a key role in connecting all of the 

stakeholders working toward road user safety, 

including: 

• Advocating for better preparedness for biking 

and road sharing. 

• Educating youth, adults, residents, and visitors 

on road safety. 

• Facilitating collaboration and bringing 

information from the streets and neighborhoods 

to the meetings where decisions are made. 

• Raising awareness in the community about 

road sharing – with motorists, cyclists, and 

pedestrians. 

Bike Newport played a key role in assembling 

stakeholders to participate in the Rhode Island 

Department of Transportation’s (RIDOT) first ever 

Vulnerable Road User Safety Action Plan. This plan 

provided an approach for addressing the safety 

needs of vulnerable road users — pedestrians 

and bicyclists — in the City of Newport. Bike 

Newport, through their efforts in working with the 

community and other stakeholders, helped bring 

to the table key participants who were actively 

engaged in identifying issues and formulating 

strategies to address these issues. Bike Newport 

staff led the team in a review of existing bicycle 

facilities, which was critical in demonstrating 

challenges. The plan now serves as RIDOT’s 

municipal model for addressing pedestrian and 

bicycle safety. 

In addition to working collaboratively with RIDOT 

to provide input on local bicycle plans, Bike 

Newport spearheads a number of other initiatives: 

• Work hand-in-hand with police on bicycle 

safety and loss prevention efforts (see Figure 19), 

including developing printed pads of bilingual 

(English/Spanish) “Rules of the Road” that the 

Newport Police use to correct and inform errant 

cyclists. 

• Provide training to the district’s physical 

education staff to be instructors in bicycle safety 

and bicycle skills. 

• Provide oversight for a Federal SRTS noninfrastructure grant. 

• Conduct community surveys and road audits, 

the findings of which are used by the city, the 

School District, the Police Department, and the 

RIDOT to support transportation improvement 

decision-making. 

• Serve as reviewers for the RIDOT , specifically 

to weigh in on improvements to the State’s road 

designations regarding suitability for bicycles. 

RIDOT incorporates the changes into the State’s 

base cartography. The revised cartography 

becomes the foundation for the production of 

Bike Newport’s county-wide bicycle maps, which 

are financially supported by local businesses. 
Figure 19: Bike Newport Staff Engage with Local 

Enforcement and Other Agency Staff on a Range of 

Bicycle Issues, Including Efforts to Prevent Bike Theft. 

Section Five: Community Success Stories 57 

Figure 20: One of Newport’s Newest Bike Lanes. 

RESULTS 

As a result of the group’s involvement in the plan 

and other efforts, Bike Newport is one of the 

first organizations contacted for other efforts 

conducted by RIDOT, such as participating in 

safety reviews and evaluations of roads regarding 

the suitability for bicycles. Additionally, bike lanes 

and shared lane markings have been added to 

many Newport streets, thanks to in large part to 

Bike Newport’s efforts working with State, city, 

and other stakeholders (see Figure 20). 

In 2013, Newport was recognized by the League 

of American Bicyclists (LAB) as a Bicycle Friendly 

Community at the bronze level — the first in Rhode 

Island. Nicole Wynand, Director of LAB’s Bicycle 

Friendly America program, said, “We were very 

impressed by how far Newport has come in such a 

short period of time. This is a great example how 

a strong local advocacy group can make a real 

difference.” The city and Bike Newport continue 

working to move up that scale, in the interest of all 

of the city’s residents, workers, and visitors. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Bike Newport leverages the expertise of its 

members, particularly in knowing the issues on 

the ground and what needs to be fixed, to serve 

as a resource to city and State transportation 

agencies. The group encourages positive 

collaboration in many different arenas, including 

planning efforts, data collection, and community 

education and outreach. 
58 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Improving Health and Safety in a 

Low-Resource Community 

Baldwin Park, California 

BACKGROUND AND ISSUES 

Baldwin Park is a city of 79,000 residents located 

in the central San Gabriel Valley, 15 miles east 

of Los Angeles County, California. Compared to 

other communities within the region and state, 

Baldwin Park is particularly disadvantaged, with 

many residents facing socioeconomic burdens. 

As a result, health burdens follow. Baldwin Park 

has a large number of drive-through restaurants, 

which signify the auto-oriented design of the 

community and its lack of emphasis on physical 

activity. The community is crisscrossed by a 

series of major thoroughfares with high traffic 

speeds, and is missing sidewalks and bicycle lanes 

that make it difficult to walk or ride a bike to the 

city’s Metrolink regional passenger rail station, 20 

public schools, and other destinations. There is 

limited green space per capita, and high levels of 

congestion contribute to poor air quality. 

ENGAGING PARTNERS AND 

TRAINING ADVOCATES 

Aware of the challenges facing the community, 

Baldwin Park started early in its efforts to improve 

local health. The city began passing policies in 

ordinances as early as 2003 to address obesity 

and the lack of walkability within Baldwin Park. In 

addition, Baldwin Park is predominantly Hispanic 

(80 percent), and therefore home to a large 

Spanish-speaking population who need tailored 

outreach to be engaged in the local initiatives to 

improve health. 

The California Center for Public Health Advocacy 

(CCPHA) developed a model for community 

engagement to promote health within Baldwin 

Park. CCPHA helped the city develop People on 

the Move (POTM), made up of the 57th Assembly 

District Grassroots Team in Baldwin Park. POTM 

is a program funded through the California 

Endowment’s Healthy Eating, Active Communities 

(HEAC) initiative. POTM’s primary goal is “to 

reduce disparities in obesity and diabetes among 

school-aged children by improving the food 

and physical environment in Baldwin Park”. To 

do this, CCPHA and POTM developed a system 

of shared leadership; this involved bringing 

community members in contact with various 

sectors and agencies, including the County of 

Los Angeles Department of Health Services, 

Kaiser Permanente, Citrus Valley Health Partners, 

Baldwin Park Unified School District, and 

Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (a nonprofit 

organization aimed at improving health outcomes 

for Pilipino residents in the Los Angeles area). 

POTM developed and hosted “Change Starts 

with Me”, a six-week advocacy boot camp to 

train local advocates to take action to support 

health and physical activity. Participants for 

this program were chosen strategically from 

the community, and were recruited through 

community events, including health fairs, city 

council meetings, community forums, and 

concerts in the park. POTM also sought local 

advocates through targeted recruitment through 

partner organization contacts, such as preschool 

and childcare organizations and reaching out 

to identified community leaders. Through this 

recruitment strateg y, “Change Starts with Me” 

participants included representatives from 

traditional partners within the region, such 

as city departments, school districts, and the 

Mexican American Opportunity Fund (the largest 
Section Five: Community Success Stories 59 

Latino-oriented family services organization in 

the U.S., which serves disadvantaged individuals 

and families in the Los Angeles Area). However, 

this also led to collaboration with nontraditional 

partners, such as Cal Safe, a school-based program 

for expectant and parenting students and their 

children; local women’s clubs; the City of La 

Puente Little League; and the East Valley Boys and 

Girls Club. 

During the camp, participants identified decisionmakers and allies, and they gathered data and 

tools to help document their community concerns 

(see Figure 21). Upon completion of the advocate 

training, residents were ready to participate 

in advocacy efforts, evaluate and speak about 

the built environment, and have a foundation of 

knowledge regarding health and nutrition. The 

comprehensive and targeted recruitment strateg y 

led to training advocates deeply rooted in the local 

community. “Change Starts with Me” shifted the 

ownership of the healthy communities initiative 

from the CCHPA, the statewide organization, to 

the local advocates. 

Figure 21: Community Members Participate in Advocacy 

Leadership Boot Camp, “Change Starts with Me.” 

ADVOCATES IN ACTION 

Key community advocates formed the Baldwin 

Park Resident Advisory Council, in which members 

participated in the planning of community 

activities and actions to change systems and local 

policies to support parents in leading healthier 

lives and having a voice in their community. They 

worked to develop several programs to engage 

teens and youth in advocating for safer streets 

and healthier food options. Two organizations, 

Healthy Teens on the Move and Kids on the 

Move, used teen and child-led efforts to improve 

youth visibility and youth testimony on how the 

environment impacts young people’s choices to be 

active and eat healthy (see Figure 22). 

Figure 22: Community and Youth Engagement to 

Support Bicycling for Health. 

In 2009, the City organized the SMART (an 

acronym for Safe Mobility And Reliable Transit) 

Streets Task Force, which included a successful 

series of community workshops to evaluate the 

walkability of Baldwin Park. Conducted in English 

and Spanish, these workshops represented a 

variety of interests, including schools, businesses, 

residents, and high-school students. 

The city hosted a Complete Streets Community 

Charrette; more than 500 residents participated in 

a three day Design Fair with the city, CCPHA, and 

transportation experts to develop and adopt a plan 

for improving pedestrian access and walkability. 

It included educational workshops, focus groups, 

and walkability assessments. Based on all of the 

input received from community members and 

leaders and during site visits, the project team 

then developed an initial set of recommendations. 

These results were shared with city staff and 

honed for presentation at the charrette’s closing 

event a few nights later. The closing event featured 
60 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

dinner and a mariachi concert at City Hall, where 

the project team made a presentation, in English 

and Spanish, to 125 elected officials, city staff, 

residents, and other community leaders. They 

reviewed key findings from the community input, 

and shared the team’s recommendations, including 

visuals of potential changes. 

The city was able to hire a full-time employee 

dedicated to analyzing the intersection of health 

and the built environment, and this staff member 

conducted community engagement, evaluated city 

corridors, and developed the proposed Complete 

Streets policy for Baldwin Park. The position 

was funded through the Los Angeles County 

Department of Public Health. Developing the 

Complete Streets policy was a community effort. 

In addition to the design charrette, POTM hosted 

six community meetings to discuss the issues, 

many of which were led by Spanish speakers. 

RESULTS 

The local initiatives and partnerships have paid 

off. Through an Annual Fitness Test, the Baldwin 

Park Unified School District measured a 13 percent 

decrease in Body Mass Index in students from 

2004-2009. 

In July 2011, Baldwin Park adopted a Complete 

Streets policy. This was not only the first policy of 

its kind in southern California at the time, but was 

also recognized by the National Complete Streets 

Coalition as “one of the strongest Complete 

Streets policies in the nation.” Upon passing this 

policy, the city established an inter-departmental 

advisory group to oversee implementation, 

including members from the Departments 

of Public Works, Community Development, 

Recreation and Community Services, and the 

Police Departments. 

In 2012, Baldwin Park received a grant from the 

California DOT to improve pedestrian and bicycle 

safety for students. A total of $235,000 was 

awarded to improve its current SRTS Plan, with a 

provision to increase bicycle and pedestrian safety. 

This plan seeks to concentrate pedestrian student 

traffic onto designated routes, and to provide 

better security for students walking to and from 

school. The plan was developed with input from 

neighborhood advisory groups, school district 

staff, local trained advocates, city staff, and 

parents. Implementation of the plan is ongoing. 

LESSONS SHARED 

• Training and empowering local community 

advocates to identify needs and make decisions 

builds ownership in planning processes and 

outcomes such as health and safety. Conducting 

events in both Spanish and English can engage 

parts of the community that would be otherwise 

excluded from the planning process. 

• Investing in youth engagement strategies and 

long-term resident involvement, such as resident 

advisory boards, creates sustainability and 

lasting commitment to initiatives. 

CREDIT 

Information and images provided by Alfred Mata, 

Local Policy Associate with the California Center 

for Public Health Advocacy. For more info, visit: 

http://bit.ly/1xBu6ra and http://bit.ly/1AQ0D3e. 
 

 

 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Section Six: Resource Materials 

This section includes specific ways to take action, more detailed tip sheets, sample materials, 

and worksheets that can be used to generate and organize your ideas and efforts to improve 

the walkability and bikeability of your community. 

Resource 1: A Quick Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 62 

Resource 2: Tips for Planning a Walkabout to Identify Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Concerns 64 

Resource 3: Local Sources of Information Worksheet 68 

Resource 4: Tips for Working with Social Media 70 

Resource 5: Engineering Concerns and Treatments to Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety 72 

Resource 6: Sample Fact Sheet: Making the Case for Walking and Bicycling 84 

Resource 7: Sample Community Resolution 86 

Resource 8: Tips for Traffic Safety 87 

Resource 9: Enforcement Contact Worksheet 88 

Resource 10: Sample “Warning” Letter to Drivers 89 

Resource 11: Tips for Event Planning 90 

Resource 12: Tips for Fundraising 91 
 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 1: A Resident’s Quick Guide for Creating 

Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

This quick guide highlights some key activities that you and your community group can take to help 

improve road safety in your community. Use it to guide you through your role as an active participant in 

efforts to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety. 

IDENTIFY PROBLEMS (Section 1) 

• Document common problems using photos, 

video, or written descriptions. (See Resource 2 

for guidance on conducting walkabouts). 

• Determine the agency/organization(s) most 

responsible for making improvements to address 

specific problems in your community. Identify 

staff contacts in these organizations that can 

address safety concerns. (See Resource 3 for a 

resource for organizing your contacts). 

ENGAGE WITH OTHERS (Section 2) 

Engage with community members: 

• Speak with the people in your neighborhood to 

identify shared interests and address pedestrian 

or bicycle safety concerns. (See Resource 4 for 

tips for working with social media to share or 

“crowdsource” concerns). 

• Organize meetings or workshops in your 

neighborhood for interest groups to discuss 

pedestrian and bicycling issues. Ask other 

organizations to provide you with support or 

guidance. 

Communicate with agency staff and elected 

officials: 

• Contact the appropriate agency to express your 

concerns, provide evidence, and discuss how 

problems could be addressed. Follow up at a later 

date and record any progress. (See Resource 5 for 

common engineering concerns and treatments). 

• Let your local planning and engineering staff 

and elected officials know that your organization 

exists and get on their mailing list, Facebook 

page, or Twitter feed for transportation-related 

matters, including meeting announcements and 

agendas. Attend government hearings to express 

opinions about pedestrian and bicycle issues 

and legislation. (See Resource 6 for a sample fact 

sheet on making the case). 

Engage the local media: 

• Engage the media on the issues by writing blogs, 

sharing videos and photos, writing to the editor 

of your local newspaper, or sending a press 

release to the media to invite them to cover an 

event. (See Resource 4 on working with social 

media, including blogging tips and posting info 

on YouTube and other sites). 

SUPPORT OR IMPLEMENT CHANGES (Section 3) 

Engineering/plan/policy efforts: 

• Join or speak with your local pedestrian/bicycle 

advisory board or join or form a pedestrian 

coalition or bicycle advocacy group. Coordinate 

with the group to contact local elected leaders 

and/or transportation staff about possible 

measures to improve safety and to see how your 

organization can be involved in providing data, 

supporting plan development, reviewing plans, 

passing ordinances to promote street design that 

accommodates all road users, issuing a Safe Routes 

to School resolution, or other measures. (See 

Resource 7 for a sample community resolution). 

• Make pedestrian and bicycle issues part of the 

political dialogue. Become a campaign worker for 

a ballot measure or bill that affects pedestrians or 

bicyclists. Campaign for a politician who actively 

supports pedestrian, bicycle, or transit goals; or 

find out how nominees support these issues. 
Section Six: Resources 63 

Education efforts: 

• Participate in a pedestrian and bicycle safety 

campaign and/or distribute safety information 

to community residents. (See Resource 8 for tips 

for traffic safety). 

• Develop or volunteer for education programs 

within your schools (such as Safe Routes to 

School), parks and recreation programs, afterschool programs, and/or churches. 

Enforcement efforts: 

• Understand your State and local laws that apply 

to pedestrian and bicycle safety; contact your 

local law enforcement agencies, public health/ 

injury prevention professionals, or traffic safety 

organizations to find out what is being done and 

what could be done in terms of enforcement. (See 

Resource 9 for working on enforcement issues). 

• Start or participate in a community-based 

enforcement program. (See Resource 10 for a 

sample warning letter to drivers). 

Encouragement efforts: 

• Start or participate in an event to celebrate 

walking or biking, such as a Bike to Work event, 

Walk to School Day, or “Car Free” day, or Sunday 

Parkways event. (See Resource 11 for tips for 

event planning, and Resource 12 for fundraising 

ideas to support your event or other efforts). 

• Organize walking groups or a cycle club in your 

community, or lead a historic walking tour. Walk 

or bike whenever you can do so safely: to work, 

to run errands, to go to the park, or to transit. 
 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 2: Tips for Planning a Walkabout to Identify 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Concerns 

A walkabout (sometimes called an audit or field visit) is a useful process to help communities: 1) see/ 

experience and discuss pedestrian or bicycle safety issues and opportunities, 2) document concerns and 

needs through photos and videos, and 3) engage stakeholders and decision-makers in the conversation 

about pedestrian and bicycle safety. Informal walkabouts can be performed by any individual or 

community group. More formal audits (i.e., those that follow a standardized set of procedures) can also 

be conducted; these are usually performed by a multidisciplinary team of trained professionals, including 

engineers, planners, transportation researchers, pedestrian and bicycle specialists, and others. 

Here are some steps you can take to help prepare for, participate in, and use the findings from a walkabout 

to improve conditions for walking and bicycling in your community. 

STEP 1: PREPARE 

Identify a site or route of interest — You may 

select a location because it is an intersection 

or corridor with a history of pedestrian or 

bicycle crashes, an “opportunity” site that may 

be redeveloped soon, a high-priority school 

or potential school site, a site identified by 

stakeholders as a problem area for pedestrians or 

bicyclists, one nearby important destinations, or 

the site represents a common type of concern in 

your community. The size of the site or number of 

locations you select will depend on the time and 

amount of resources (e.g., volunteers) that your 

group has. 

Select a time to visit the site — The amount of 

time you set aside may depend on the scale of your 

walkabout and how many sites you plan to visit. 

Two hours for the full process (meeting before 

hand, visiting the site, and discussing afterwards) 

is typical. Allow more time for school campuses 

than individual intersections. When you select 

a time to visit, take into consideration: school 

pick up/drop off times or peak commute (if you 

want to be able to observe parent/child behaviors 

or driver/bicyclist/pedestrian interactions) 

and when elected officials or other important 

participants can attend. 

Invite participants — These may include elected 

officials, local/State traffic engineers, local/ 

regional planners, school officials, public health 

representatives, police/fire representatives, 

advocates, parents and children, and 

representatives of pedestrians with disabilities. It 

is especially important to have someone from your 

engineering or public works agency represented, 

as their buy-in and expertise will be essential in 

discussing solutions and determining next steps. 

Aim for about 6-10 participants per event or site; 

you want a diverse and comprehensive team but 

a larger group gets unwieldy. In some cases, you 

may also want to alert the media or invite them to 

attend and cover the walkabout as part of a bigger 

story about local pedestrian and bicycle initiatives. 

However, be aware that if the media is present, you 

may get less participation from certain staff, such 

as the local engineer, who may be reluctant to 

have earnest conversations about safety concerns 

under a public spotlight. 

Select or create a tool — There are many existing 

checklists, assessment forms, and other audit tools 

that can be used or adapted for your walkabout 

(see the “Example walkabout tools” section below 

for a few examples). Consider your end goals 

(what type of info do you want to collect), who 

will be using the tool (e.g., volunteers or trained 

practitioners), and the type of facility you will be 

visiting (school, transit stop, sidewalk section, 

etc.) when selecting or creating a tool. Don’t get 

too hung up, though, on finding or developing 
 

 

 

Section Six: Resources 65 

a comprehensive assessment tool; the tool is 

just one part of the process to help jumpstart 

discussions about pedestrian and bicycle safety 

and access issues. 

Share data — Before you go out, share details about 

the site with the participants. You can use Google 

Maps to provide satellite imagery or other types of 

maps of the location to show the site in relation to 

important destinations or the roadway network. 

Provide information about the development plans, 

existing and/or future road user needs, and the 

crash history if available. Often times, if police or 

city planning staff are part of your walkabout, they 

can provide details on any pedestrian or bicycle 

crashes that have occurred in recent years. 

Gather materials — You and the other participants 

will need: 1) copies of your checklists or audit 

tool, 2) pens/pencils and hard surfaces to write, 

3) phone/camera and/or video recorder, and 4) 

safety vests (recommended). If you have access 

to bicycles, you can also explore the site by bike 

to gain a better perspective on potential cycling 

concerns. Sometimes, experiencing an area by 

bike is the best way to understand the problems 

bicyclists are facing. However, using bikes during 

your site assessment can require some additional 

preparation to be sure that all participants have 

the proper safety gear, working bicycles, and are 

comfortable riding on the street of interest. Refer 

to the FHWA Bicycle Road Safety Audit Guidelines 

and Prompt Lists (http://safety.f hwa.dot.gov/ped_ 

bike/tools_solve/f hwasa12018/) for helpful tips on 

preparing for a bike-based audit. Alternatively, you 

can bring wheelchairs for walkabout participants 

to use, which will enable them to experience 

simulated accessibility/mobility concerns firsthand. However, this is not a substitute for having 

representatives from the disability community 

involved in the process. 

STEP 2: PERFORM THE WALKABOUT 

Perform the walkabout and identify priorities — 

Use your checklist or assessment tool of choice 

to help prompt you to think of safety issues at the 

site. For example: 1) are there safe and convenient 

crossings?; 2) is sight distance an issue for drivers 

and children?; 3) is the sidewalk and/or bike lane 

free from obstructions?; 4) do you observe any 

dangerous maneuvers by pedestrians, bicyclists, 

or drivers?; and 5) are appropriate traffic control 

devices (signs, signals, and pavement markings) 

available, uniform, and easy to understand? As you 

complete the walkabout, share and discuss your 

observations with your peers. You do not have to 

complete the entire checklist or form or give equal 

weight to all issues; instead, try to identify the 

most dangerous issue for road users and/or the 

most “achievable” opportunity and see if you can 

form a consensus among the group regarding the 

highest priority concerns. This can help you avoid 

the common pitfall of “drowning in data” gathered 

during walkabouts and instead help you hone in on 

key issues your group can address. 

Document key issues using photos and videos — 

Videos and photos from a walkabout can be part 

of how you tell your community’s story, including 

the challenges you face and what you want to do 

to create a healthier, safer community. After the 

walkabout, you can post videos or photos online 

(e.g., on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.) or 

share them with key decision-makers such as city 

council members or school board members or at 

community meetings or policy hearings. If you 

choose to make a video, here are some key tips for 

being effective in your presentation: 

• Keep it short — Aim for a video of two minutes 

or less — any longer and you may lose your 

audience. 

• Present the key facts — Answer questions such 

as 1) where are we?; 2) what is going on here?; 

3) how is it affecting us?; and 4) what can we 

do about it? Be sure to speak loudly and slowly; 

you may have to step away from the roadway to 

avoid traffic noise affecting your video quality. 

It may help to have a high-profile person (e.g., 
 

66 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

mayor, council member, police chief, etc.) be the 

one filmed in the video, while another walkabout 

participant does the filming. 

• Be comfortable with the technolog y — Take a 

practice try first, have a steady hand, move the 

camera slowly, and replay the video to be sure 

the speaker is audible. If you have the time and 

expertise, you can edit your video (there are 

a number of software programs available) to 

give it a more polished look, such as adding an 

introduction slide or smooth transitions. 

For example walkabout videos, and how the 

experience was shared in a community newsletter, 

visit: http:// bit.ly/1BpACV V. 

STEP 3: FOLLOW UP 

Reflect and discuss next steps — After the 

walkabout has been performed, talk with the 

group about: 1) what safety issues were observed?; 

2) what improvements do you think are needed?; 

3) what barriers/obstacles might exist to hinder 

making those improvements?; and 4) what 

opportunities exist to facilitate making the 

improvements? Document this discussion and 

create a findings report or memo to circulate to 

participants and decision-makers. You can also 

share your findings, photos, and videos using 

social media or other communications channels 

(see Resource 4 for details on using social media). 

Continue follow-up — Depending on the next 

steps that you discuss, allow time for the 

walkabout participants to begin taking action, 

but be sure to follow up with group members 

at some point. Find out where progress is being 

made, what the schedule for treatments is or what 

obstacles need to be addressed first, and how 

your group can best lend support to implementing 

programs or treatments to improve safety. 

EXAMPLE WALKABOUT TOOLS 

The tools and guidebooks listed below can help 

you identify and document concerns and better 

advocate for changes in your neighborhood 

through this process. 

General Tools 

• PBIC Walkability and Bikeability Checklists 

— Evaluate a neighborhood’s walkability and 

bikeability and identify both immediate answers 

and long-term solutions to a neighborhood’s 

problems. 

http:// bit.ly/1zf JSeL - Walkability 

http://bit.ly/13gHcTl - Bikeability 

• Bike Friendly Community Assessment For Teens 

and Walk-Friendly Community Assessment for 

Teens — An adaption of the above Walkability and 

Bikeability checklists, these tools are designed 

for youth-led assessments. 

http://1.usa.gov/1vJa5O2 - Walk 

http://1.usa.gov/1DnoMAj - Bike 

• AARP Sidewalks and Streets Survey — Adapted 

from PBIC’s Walkability Checklist and focusing 

on older pedestrians, this toolkit is designed so 

that communities can make walking safer by 

teaching small groups to take simple walkability 

surveys and to take recommended actions for 

community improvements. 

http://bit.ly/1AtpDgu 

TOOLS FOR ASSESSING ACCESSIBILITY 

• A Checklist for Accessible Sidewalks and Street 

Crossings — Highlights ADA provisions for new 

construction. 

http://bit.ly/1AtpHg8 

• Universal Design Audit Checklist (see page 212) 

— Tool developed by the Center for Inclusive 

Design and Environmental Access to assess the 

design of a facility for universal access. 

http://on.nyc.gov/1xZtFL7 
Section Six: Resources 67 

Transit-related Assessment Tools 

• Toolkit for the Assessment of Bus Stop 

Accessibility and Safety — Tool developed 

by Easter Seals Project Action to evaluate 

pedestrian access features and connections, 

assess passenger comfort amenities, evaluate 

safety and security features, and document 

information features. 

http://bit.ly/1xc5jtG 

• Arlington Bus Stop Assessment (see Appendix 

A) — Tool to help you evaluate the location, 

surroundings, landing area, connections, 

amenities, seating, safety, and informational 

signage provided at bus stops. 

http://www.nctr.usf.edu/pdf/473-13.pdf 

School-Related Assessment Tools 

• Minnesota DOT Safe Routes to School: 

Neighborhood Assessment Guide — A 

comprehensive guide developed by Minnesota 

DOT to help communities assess conditions for 

walking and bicycling to school. 

http://bit.ly/14XKR99 

• Maryland Safe Routes to School Walking/ 

Biking Audit (see page 12) — A comprehensive 

resource for examining conditions for walking 

and bicycling at the school site and surrounding 

neighborhoods. 

http://bit.ly/1tas93y 

Tools for Transportation Professionals 

• Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Audit 

Guidelines and Prompt Lists — These FHWA 

resources can be used to formally assess the 

safety of bicycle or pedestrian facilities. 

http:// bit.ly/1vJarUH - Pedestrian 

http://1.usa.gov/1xyP65L - Bicycle 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 3: Local Sources of Information Worksheet 

Use this worksheet to organize contact information for people and agencies in your community who are 

involved in pedestrian and/or bicycling issues. 

Local or State pedestrian and bicycle coordinator 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Local or State Safe Routes to School coordinator 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Local or regional pedestrian and/or bicycle advocacy group or League Certified Instructor(s) 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Local or State safety organization (e.g., Safe Kids, Safe Communities, etc.) 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Local police department or sheriff’s office 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 
Section Six: Resources 69 

Local or county health department 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Public works or engineering /transportation department 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Parks, trails, and/or recreation department 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

School contact (e.g., board member, principal, physical education teacher, other staff) 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

State DOT 

Name/Contact info: 

Resources: 

Others:
 
 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 4: Tips and Examples for Working with Social Media 

Social media, websites, apps, and similar tools have expanded the opportunities and ways that community 

members can send messages, share ideas, and deliver information to their neighbors and public officials. 

While these tools and platforms continue to rapidly evolve, the following sections describe a few key tools 

that you can tap into to help communicate and address local issues. 

BLOGS AND SOCIAL MEDIA 

Blogs and social media — such as Twitter, 

Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube — have become 

commonplace tools for communities and interest 

groups to share ideas, express opinions, inform 

their friends and neighbors, and gather support 

for an interest. As smart phones become more 

affordable, available, powerful, and seamlessly 

integrated with social media platforms, the 

average person has a greater selection of 

tools available to use to take photos or videos, 

document problems, and instantly transmit the 

data to other people or social networks. These 

tools enable people to quickly and effectively 

collect real-time examples of issues, share such 

data with community members or public officials, 

and spark interactive discussions about the issues. 

Examples of pedestrian- and bicycle-related 

groups using social media include: 

• The New Jersey Department of Highway Traffic 

Safety created a Pinterest board on pedestrian 

safety to help share its visual campaign materials. 

http://bit.ly/1FaKXqQ 

• The bicycle advocacy group, Washington Area 

Bicyclist Association, uses its Twitter feed to 

announce traffic issues that could impact bike 

commuters, promote events, and announce 

breaking news such as the status of local ballot 

measures affecting bicycling facilities or funding. 

https://twitter.com/WABADC 

• The Alliance for Biking and Walking uses its 

Facebook page to circulate petitions, share 

photos of new pedestrian and bicycle facilities, 

and distribute reports and news related to 

walking and bicycling. 

https://www.facebook.com/bikewalkalliance 

• The pedestrian advocacy group California Walks 

engaged local youth and other partners to create 

brief videos calling attention to the need for 

better pedestrian, bicycle, and transit facilities, 

which they edited using YouTube’s Editor tools, 

posted on their channel (http:// bit.ly/1wIEh2A), 

and shared with city councils and other decisionmakers. For details on their process, which they 

dubbed “VideoVoice,” see the case study: 

http:// bit.ly/1ujHIV V. 

For More Information: 

For helpful tips on blogging, using Facebook, Twitter, 

and YouTube, see the National PTA’s tip sheets: http:// 

bit.ly/1F92jCt. 

CROWDSOURCING WEBSITES AND APPS 

“Crowdsourcing” is a term for the process 

of gathering knowledge provided by various 

users through web and mobile applications. 

Currently, there are many websites and apps 

— such as MindMixer, SeeClickFix, Open Town 
Section Six: Resources 71 

Hall, and Open Street Maps — that make use of 

crowdsourcing and can offer additional ways for 

community members to communicate and build 

support or consensus for a pedestrian and bicycle 

project. For example: 

• A community in Rockville, MD, used MindMixer 

to engage with the community to share ideas and 

suggestions for Rockville’s future 

(http://rockvillemd.mindmixer.com/). Similarly, 

the City of Phoenix has a MindMixer site devoted 

to collecting community input on the city’s 

transportation needs 

(http://www.talktransportation.org/). 

• A neighborhood association in Philadelphia 

incorporated a SeeClickFix map into its website 

so its members could report nuisances and safety 

concerns, including problems with pedestrian 

and bicycle infrastructure (http://bit.ly/1r5frSJ). 

The information goes directly to the municipality, 

which can respond to/resolve the problem, provide 

feedback to the community about the status of the 

issue, or monitor consensus on the importance of 

an issue through the interactive map. 

• Many communities and cycle clubs have used 

a community mapping website which provides 

a simple interface for creating personalized 

interactive maps, to map walking or biking 

destinations within the community and add 

photos and notes about each destination to help 

encourage physical activity. The maps can then 

be integrated into an organization’s website or 

blog, with support and tutorials available. 

http://w w w.community walk.com 

IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS 

While social media and crowdsourcing tools can 

be a powerful part of community engagement, 

keep in mind that there may be some folks in 

the community who are not comfortable with 

these tools, have disabilities or limited access 

to such technologies, or require translation 

to other languages. Also, these services and 

applications may not be available everywhere (e.g., 

if a jurisdiction is not registered on SeeClickFix) 

or there may be an initial cost for gaining access 

to the services. Therefore, use social media and 

web-based tools to complement other forms of 

partnership and engagement that are inclusive to a 

broader set of your community. 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 5: Engineering Concerns and Treatments to 

Improve Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety 

Your local transportation or public works department or agency may have a number of options and also face 

a variety of challenges when it comes to addressing pedestrian and bicycle safety issues in your community. 

Understanding these potential challenges and having a sense of the types of treatments that may be 

available can help you to build a better dialog and be more successful in advocating for improvements. 

COMMON ENGINEERING CONCERNS 

“There’s not a problem there.” 

Many agencies identify and prioritize pedestrian 

and bicycle safety concerns (and locations 

where improvements will be made) by analyzing 

the pedestrian- or bicyclist-motorist collision 

(or crash) data. While crashes are one way to 

determine problems, just because a collision has 

not recently occurred does not mean that there 

is not a problem. By providing evidence of your 

concern (e.g., photos, videos, witnesses) you will 

be more likely to convince officials to investigate 

the site and/or open up communication with the 

affected residents. See Section 1 or Resource 2 for 

more on ways to identify and document concerns. 

In some cases, you may have to recognize that 

there are other more pressing concerns that need 

to be addressed before the agency can focus 

attention on your community’s issue. 

“We don’t have the money or budget to make 

pedestrian or bicycle improvements.” 

One common concern of agencies is: “We don’t 

have the money or budget to make pedestrian 

or bicycle improvements.” Having an idea of how 

a street improvement project can be funded 

and what upcoming opportunities can help you 

overcome this potential roadblock. 

Generally, local governments have capital 

improvement plans (CIPs) that include the major 

roadway, sidewalk, and other infrastructure 

improvements the community plans to complete. 

The CIP is a multi-year list of projects that are 

updated regularly. Items included in the CIP tend 

to be fairly expensive and/or large scale and are 

planned years in advance. Smaller, less expensive 

construction and improvement projects may 

not be placed in a CIP, but could be considered 

on an as-needed basis. Federal and State funds 

can also be used to fund surface transportation 

improvements, trails, community based-projects, 

and pedestrian or bicycle projects and programs. 

The Statewide Transportation Improvement 

Program (STIP) and Transportation Improvement 

Program (TIP) are prioritized, fiscally-constrained, 

and multi-year lists of transportation projects for 

States and local areas. Find out if there are any 

projects currently in the CIP, TIP, or STIP that may 

affect your area of interest and if so, how they plan 

to address pedestrian or bicycle issues; if not, try 

to learn more about what projects may be selected 

for these improvement plans in the future. 

Local funds such as local tax revenue or special 

bonds may be another option. If a special bond is 

passed, depending on the size of the bond, there 

may be a substantial amount of funding available 

for sidewalk improvements, enhancements around 

transit facilities, or integration of pedestrian and 

bicycle treatments at new school sites. For smaller 

projects, local operating and maintenance budgets 

(allocated through yearly budgets) can typically 

support short-range or low-cost improvements 

such as signing and pavement markings. Your 

organization may be able to support a ballot 

measure, or work with town council to advocate 

for additional local operating funds. 

An innovative approach to funding pedestrian 

safety improvements is to break a large 

project into small pieces or phases that can be 
Section Six: Resources 73 

“purchased” by the public. Civic organizations 

(such as Lions Club), youth groups (such as 

YMCA or Girl Scouts), retirees, health and 

safety organizations, or even church groups 

might be willing to partner with you to help 

raise community funds. Also, contact your local 

chamber of commerce to identify ways in which 

the corporate and business community might be 

able to participate in fiscal support or program 

sponsorship. Be sure to publicize the participation 

of any group that supports you. See Resource 12 

for more fundraising tips. 

Ultimately, residents may have to accept that there 

is limited funding available but there are innovative 

techniques and strategies that communities 

can undertake to help provide funding for 

improvements or programs identified through a 

collaborative process with local stakeholders. 

“I’m worried about the effects of pedestrian or 

bicycle improvements on other transportation 

modes.” 

Sometimes, pedestrian or bicycle improvements 

(such as changes in signal timing to allow more 

time for pedestrians and bicyclists to cross roads) 

may increase the delay experienced by other 

road users, such as transit riders and automobile 

drivers. Transportation agencies with a focus and 

priority on safety will usually tolerate increases 

in delay to other road users, so long as there is a 

clear safety benefit. Effectively communicating 

pedestrian and bicycle issues to agencies and 

agency officials regularly may encourage a more 

balanced approach to transportation engineering 

and planning, thus ensuring all modes, including 

pedestrians and bicyclists, are adequately 

considered in the process. Another approach is 

to advocate for a temporary installation of the 

treatment, which can enable agencies to see 

firsthand the benefits of a new facility and better 

understand its potential impact on other modes. 

For example, many communities around the U.S. 

are participating in Better Blocks programs to 

demonstrate new facilities: http://betterblock.org. 

See the Community Success Story section for more 

on how Memphis and other cities incorporated 

Better Blocks events into their efforts to improve 

safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

“If we make this improvement here, we will have to 

do it everywhere.” 

Transportation agencies may fear making an 

improvement in one location if they think they 

would then be required to make it everywhere, 

which may incur additional costs. One way to 

avoid this concern is to work with agencies to 

help them establish clear guidelines that describe 

when an improvement is appropriate, a method 

for prioritizing projects, and/or how such 

improvements might be funded (see the discussion 

on budgeting for improvements above). 

POTENTIAL ENGINEERING TREATMENTS 

Following are some potential treatments that your 

agency may consider to improve safety or mobility 

of pedestrians and bicyclists. Having a shared 

vocabulary of these can help you understand and 

discuss the options available, but remember that 

your job is to primarily identify the problems, 

and the engineer is ultimately responsible for 

identifying the most appropriate solution(s). 

Sidewalk 

A paved walkway that allows pedestrians to walk next 

to the roadway without interference from traffic. 
74 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Provides safe places to walk, run, skate, and play. 

Agency Considerations 

• May be difficult or expensive to provide 

sidewalks because of topography, structures, 

limited right-of-way, etc. 

• Some community groups may oppose the 

construction of sidewalks. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Will sidewalks increase crime? 

A: More pedestrian activity usually reduces street 

crime by providing more “eyes on the street.” 

Q: Will sidewalks decrease property values? 

A: Walkable neighborhoods often have higher 

property values because homes in locations 

where residents can safely walk to schools and 

other nearby destinations are desirable. 

Q: Do we have to cut down trees to create space 

for sidewalks? 

A: Sidewalks can often be constructed without 

damaging trees by building around significant 

trees or narrowing/removing traffic lanes to 

provide space for sidewalks. 

Buffer or planting strip 

A zone separating pedestrians on sidewalks from 

moving vehicles on the road. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Makes walking along the roadway more comfortable. 

• Provides space for utilities, trees, grass, benches, 

piled snow, or leaves. 

• Bike lanes and on-street parking may also act 

as buffers. 

Agency Considerations 

• May be difficult or expensive to provide buffer 

space because of topography, limited right-ofway space, the need to move existing curbs, etc. 

• Maintenance for landscaped buffers may be costly. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Will adding buffer space mean the sidewalk 

will be located closer to houses or businesses? 

A: Buffer space can be added by removing or 

narrowing roadway travel lanes in established 

neighborhoods, as well as by moving the 

sidewalk further from the roadway. 

Marked crosswalk 

Areas on the street (delineated by pavement 

markings) indicating to pedestrians where they 

should cross the road. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Warns motorists of the potential presence of 

pedestrians or/ bicyclists. 

• State laws and local ordinances usually require 

drivers to yield to or stop for pedestrians in 

marked crosswalks. 
 

Section Six: Resources 75 

Agency Considerations 

• High-visibility pavement markings may help 

drivers anticipate pedestrians better than 

textured pavement, but they can be used together. 

• Marking a crosswalk alone may not create a safer 

crossing for pedestrians due to motor vehicle 

speeds, visibility, or number of travel lanes. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Will adding a marked crosswalk to an 

intersection or midblock location make it safer? 

A: A marked crosswalk does not ensure a safe 

crossing. Signs, signals, lighting improvements, 

or traffic calming devices may also be needed, 

in combination with marked crosswalks, to 

improve pedestrian safety. If facilities are in 

place and drivers still fail to yield to pedestrians 

in marked crosswalks, sometimes targeted, 

high-visibility law enforcement is needed. 

Curb ramp or curb cut 

A ramp providing a smooth transition between 

sidewalk and street. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Makes facilities more accessible to all 

pedestrians, including people using wheelchairs 

or other assistive devices, strollers, or bicycles. 

Agency Considerations 

• Agencies are required to develop and follow a 

transition plan to bring facilities up to current 

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: I see many types of curb ramps in my 

neighborhood. What type is the most 

effective? 

A: The ADA Accessibility Guidelines describe 

required design elements for curb ramps such 

as landing space, specific width and slope, and 

tactile warning strips (bumps). Consult your 

local transportation or public works department 

for more information. 

Q: Where are curb ramps required? 

A: Curb ramps are required wherever there is a 

pedestrian crossing. 

Raised medians and crossing islands 

These provide pedestrians with a safe place to 

wait while crossing a street in multiple stages. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Simplifies street crossings by allowing pedestrians 

to cross one direction of traffic at a time. 

Agency Considerations 

• May be difficult or expensive due to construction 

costs, limited right-of-way, etc. 

• Landscaped medians may limit the ability of 

drivers to see pedestrians trying to cross. 

• Maintenance concerns, especially in areas with 

snowfall. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Do raised medians make it more difficult for 

cars to use driveways or access buildings? 

A: A raised median will not affect right turns in 
 

 

76 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

and out of driveways or side streets. Left turns 

would be redirected to a major crossing, which 

reduces potential conflicts and increases safety 

for drivers and pedestrians. 

Q: What would warn motorists of a person 

wanting to cross? 

A: Signs, pavement markings, and sometimes 

flashing beacons alert motorists of a pedestrian 

waiting to cross. 

Curb extension 

An extension of the sidewalk into the street that 

reduces the distance pedestrians must cross. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Improves ability of pedestrians and motorists to 

see each other. 

• Forces vehicles to turn slower at intersection corners. 

Agency Considerations 

• Should not reduce bike lane width. 

• Can be designed with mountable curbs for 

emergency vehicle access. 

• Appropriate for intersections or midblock crossings. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Won’t curb extensions eliminate on-street 

parking? 

A: Curb extensions do not typically affect onstreet parking, as parking is not permitted at 

corners. 

Q: Why aren’t these installed at every crossing? 

A: Curb extensions are most effective on streets 

with on-street parking. They are not an 

alternative for streets with high-speed traffic 

or without on-street parking because drivers 

would not expect sudden changes in the 

roadway width. 

Bike lanes 

Striping and symbols are used to delineate the portion 

of the roadway that is for exclusive use by bicyclists. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Provide on-street, separated travel facilities for 

bicyclists. 

• The presence of a bike lane visually narrows 

the roadway to encourage lower motor vehicle 

speeds. 

• May reduce the occurrence of sidewalk riding. 

Agency Considerations 

• A bike lane should have a smoothly paved surface 

that is kept free of debris. 

• Bike lanes should not be terminated where 

bicyclists are left in a vulnerable situation. 

• Markings can be used to create a buffer between 

bike and motor vehicle lanes or on-street parking. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Why aren’t bike lanes installed on every street? 

A: Not every street has adequate space for a bicycle 
 

 

Section Six: Resources 77 

lane. A bicycle lane should be a minimum of five 

feet wide for a bicyclist to ride comfortably. 

Q: Do bike lanes improve safety for bicyclists? 

A: Bike lanes have been found to provide more 

consistent separation between bicyclists and 

passing motorists than shared travel lanes. 

Shared lane markings (sharrows) 

A pavement marking that offers guidance to 

bicyclists on where to ride while alerting motorists 

to the presence of bicyclists within a lane shared 

by both bicyclists and drivers. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Help bicyclists visualize his or her positioning 

in a shared lane, especially when the road is too 

narrow for a car and bicycle to travel side by side 

in the same lane. 

• Reduce the risk of bicyclists being struck by the 

open door of a parked vehicle. 

• Encourages safe passing of bicyclists by motorists. 

Agency Considerations 

• Shared lane markings are not recommended for 

roads with speed limits above 35 mph. 

• May be more appropriate, compared to bike lanes, 

on downgrades where bikes might be traveling at 

higher speeds adjacent to parked cars. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Why should a shared lane marking be used 

instead of striping a bike lane? 

A: Shared lane markings and bike lanes are not 

interchangeable. If a road is not wide enough 

for a bike lane to be striped next to a motor 

vehicle travel lane, then a shared lane marking 

may be useful to help bicyclists and motorists 

understand where the bicyclist should be 

positioned within the shared lane. Shared lane 

markings can also be used to fill in the gap 

between two sections of roadway with bike lanes. 

Q: Is the bicyclist required to ride across the path 

of the shared lane markings? 

A: No, but riding in the path of the markings should 

encourage safe passing by motor vehicles and, with 

proper placement, help ensure that the bicyclist 

is not riding in the “door zone,” where the opened 

door of a parked vehicle could strike the bicyclist. 

Separated bike lanes 

Bicycle facilities that run alongside a roadway 

separated from automobile traffic by a physical 

barrier, such as parked cars, bollards, or a curb. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Provide separated facilities for bicyclists with a 

range of riding abilities. 

Agency Considerations 

• Maintaining accessibility for pedestrians. 

• The need for intersection improvements, such as 
Warning Sign Regulatory Sign 

78 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

signaling and detection for bicyclists, due to the 

introduction of additional turning movements 

from parallel facilities. 

• Maintenance issues – debris removal, snow 

clearance, etc. 

• May be difficult or expensive to provide 

separated bike lanes because of limited right-ofway or the number of driveway entrances on a 

roadway. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Are separated bike lanes used in residential 

neighborhoods? 

A: Separated bike lanes may be one component 

of a community’s bicycle network, which also 

could include bike lanes, shared use paths, 

neighborhood greenways, and other types 

of facilities. Separated facilities are most 

commonly installed on high-traffic corridors 

where there is likely to be a high volume 

of bicyclists (i.e., near an urban center or 

university campus). However, this is a relatively 

new design in the U.S. and engineers are still 

determining the best applications. For example, 

they can also be used to provide connections 

from residential neighborhoods to transit stops, 

or to provide an on-street connection between 

off-street paths. 

Q: Do separated bike lanes require eliminating 

parking spaces? 

A: Sometimes parking spaces are removed or 

reassigned, but if there is adequate right-of-way, 

parking lanes can be moved away from the curb 

to create a separated bike lane and provide a 

buffer for bicyclists from moving traffic. 

Traffic sign 

An official device that gives a specific message, 

either by words or symbols, to the public. 

Examples are “Stop,” “Yield,” etc. 

In-Street Pedestrian Crossing Sign 

Purpose/Benefits 

The two types of signs affecting pedestrian safety are: 

• Regulatory signs: direct motor vehicles and 

pedestrians; are typically red or white. Examples 

include: stop, no turn on red, yield here to 

pedestrian signs, etc. 

• Warning signs: warn drivers to yield to or stop 

for pedestrians; are typically fluorescent yellowgreen. Includes devices such as pedestrian 

warning signs, in-street pedestrian crossing 

signs, school advance warning signs, etc. 

Agency Considerations 

• Local laws and ordinances must be followed. 

• The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 

(or a State MUTCD) must be followed. 

• Right-turn-on-red restrictions can help 

pedestrians avoid conflicts with turning vehicles. 
Section Six: Resources 79 

Agencies must consider the impacts on vehicular 

traffic. 

• An engineering study must often be conducted 

before installing signs. Posting too many signs 

can sometimes desensitize motorists to the 

signs. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Motorists don’t obey signs in my 

neighborhood. How are placing these signs 

going to help? 

A: In some cases, simply installing a sign is not 

enough to change driver behavior or improve 

pedestrian safety. Signs should be used in 

conjunction with enforcement and other 

improvements that physically change the 

roadway environment. 

Q: I don’t see why a sign in my neighborhood is 

needed. What should I do? 

A: Talk to your local transportation agency or 

department of public works to find out if the 

sign is needed. Sometimes a previously-needed 

sign may not have been removed as conditions 

on the street changed. Typical examples of this 

are school warning signs and bus stop warning 

signs. School zones and school bus stops are 

determined by the school district and may 

change without immediate knowledge of the 

local transportation agency. 

Traffic signal 

A visual signal to control the flow 

of traffic. Pedestrian signals let 

pedestrians know when they can 

enter the street to start crossing. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Includes devices such as traffic signals, 

pedestrian signals, and countdown signals. 

Agency Considerations 

• Effect on traffic operations of changing signal 

timing. 

• Amount of time pedestrians need to cross 

the street (and what types of pedestrians are 

crossing, such as children or older pedestrians). 

• Necessity of push buttons and accessible location. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: How can a traffic signal improve pedestrian 

safety? 

A: Having more time to cross a street, giving 

pedestrians a head-start, or timing a signal 

so vehicles cannot turn while pedestrians are 

crossing the road can all improve pedestrian 

safety. Consult your local transportation or 

public works department to see if improvements 

at particular intersections are possible. 

Q: Why do I have to press the push button: won’t 

I get a walk signal anyway? 

A: On some streets pedestrians may have to 

push the button to get a signal that gives them 

enough time to cross the street. Talk with 

your traffic engineer about the pros and cons 

of having a push button to activate the signal 

versus automatically including the walk signal. 

Pedestrian hybrid beacon 

An overhead beacon that assists pedestrians at 

crossing locations that do not have a traffic signal. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Warns and controls traffic at marked crosswalks 

that do not have a traffic signal. 
 

 

80 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Agency Considerations 

• Best suited for multi-lane, higher speed or 

volume roadways where there is the need to 

provide occasional pedestrian crossings (e.g., 

schools, trails, transit stops, etc.). 

• Must include a marked crosswalk and pedestrian 

signals. 

• May be appropriate where traffic signals are not 

warranted. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: How is the pedestrian hybrid beacon different 

from a traffic signal? 

A: The beacon rests dark until a pushbutton or 

detector is activated by a pedestrian or bicyclist. 

The beacon does not have a green indication, but 

uses alternately flashing and solid amber and red 

beacons. Similar to a traffic signal, drivers will 

get a red indication while pedestrians get a WALK 

signal. However, during the flashing don’t walk 

interval, drivers will get a flashing red indication 

allowing them to proceed after stopping if they 

are not in conflict with the crossing pedestrians. 

Pedestrian hybrid beacons can be used at corners 

and at midblock locations, like where a trail 

crosses a roadway and continues on the other side. 

Rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB) 

A bright, irregularly flashing beacon that is placed 

at crosswalks without stop signs or traffic signals 

to warn drivers about the presence of crossing 

pedestrians. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Supplements standard crossing signs by 

providing a high-visibility, strobe-like warning to 

drivers when pedestrians use a crosswalk. 

Agency Considerations 

• Good for two-lane streets, but less well-suited 

for multilane roadways. 

• If there is a median refuge or other type of 

median, a beacon should be installed in the 

median rather than the far-side of the roadway. 

• The flashing pattern can be activated with 

pushbuttons or with automated pedestrian 

detection. 

• Using solar power can simplify the installation. 

• RRFBs should not be used in conjunction with 

stop or yield signs, or with traffic signal control. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: How effective is this in getting drivers to yield? 

A: Several studies have shown that RRFBs, in 

the appropriate context, are more effective in 

getting drivers to yield to pedestrians in marked 

crosswalks than other treatments such as 

in-street “Yield to Pedestrian” signs, overhead 

signs, or in-pavement flashing lights. 

Q: Will the bright lights be flashing 24/7? 

A: An RRFB is different from a standard flashing 

beacon because it is only activated when a 

pedestrian is automatically detected or presses 

a pushbutton. If the beacon was flashing all the 

time, drivers may become accustomed to the 

lights and less likely to detect when a pedestrian 

is there or not. 
 

 

Traffic calming 

Physical changes to a street to encourage drivers 

to drive slowly or to discourage cut-through traffic. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Improves safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, as 

well as drivers. 

Agency Considerations 

Section Six: Resources 81 

• Street type — usually applied only to minor 

streets. 

• Potential effect on nearby streets — installing 

traffic calming on one street may divert more 

traffic to other residential streets. 

• Some traffic calming devices may limit 

emergency vehicle access or negatively affect the 

comfort of bicyclists. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Why can’t we just install stop signs at every 

intersection to slow traffic? 

A: Residents often believe that stop signs are the 

best way to reduce traffic speeds. Using too many 

stop signs can breed disrespect for signs among 

drivers and lead to increased running of stop 

signs and higher speeds between stops. Certain 

conditions must be met before stop signs should 

be added as an effective solution for controlling 

traffic. For a summary of traffic studies conducted 

on this topic visit: http://bit.ly/1wj7jE3 

Q: Won’t installing speed humps slow down 

traffic? 

A: You may first think of a speed hump when 

thinking about slowing down traffic. Consideration 

must, however, be given to the impact on: 

• Noise level 

• Emergency vehicle, school bus, and transit 

service access 

• Bicycle access 

Chicane 

Speed Hump 

Traffic Circle 

Raised Crosswalk 
Road diet 

Narrowing or eliminating travel lanes on a roadway 

to make more room for pedestrians and bicyclists. 

Street Before Road Diet Street After Road Diet 

Pedestrian Overpass Pedestrian Underpass 

82 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Reduces motor vehicle speed. 

• Provides more space for pedestrian and bicycle 

facilities. 

• Improves safety for all road users. 

Agency Considerations 

• The road must adequately accommodate traffic flow. 

• Extra lanes can be converted to bike lanes, onstreet parking, a raised median, or buffers. 

• A road diet may divert traffic to a nearby street 

or neighborhood. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Won’t this cause more traffic congestion? 

A: A road diet can’t be applied to every street. Road 

diets are most effective where traffic volumes 

can be accommodated with fewer lanes. When 

applied appropriately, traffic will remain 

relatively unchanged. 

Overpasses/underpasses 

A street crossing separating pedestrians and bicyclists 

from motor vehicle traffic (i.e., bridge or tunnel). 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Provides a safer street crossing for pedestrians 

and bicyclists when an on-street crossing is not 

possible. 

Agency Considerations 

• Both overpasses and underpasses are typically 

very costly. 

• Most effective in areas where topography 

enables more direct paths for bicyclists and 

pedestrians. 

• Crossing level area may have right-of-way issues 

because of ADA requirements for gradual ramps. 

• Must consider security and lighting of separate 

pedestrian or bicyclist route. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Why aren’t overpasses or underpasses always 

used for dangerous street crossings? 

A: Overpasses and underpasses are not the right 

solution for every dangerous crossing. Not 

only can they be expensive, but sometimes it is 

better to make the crossing safer at the roadway 

level. If overpasses/underpasses require 

pedestrians and bicyclists to travel out of their 

way, the crossing is often not used. To ensure 

pedestrians and bicyclists use an overpass or 

underpass, it must provide an easy and direct 

path to key destinations. 

Q: Aren’t underpasses unsafe? 

A: Residents sometimes voice concerns about the 

security of an underpass. Design elements can 

be considered to make them more secure: 1) 

underpasses should be straight to eliminate 

hiding places and so users can see the “light at 

the end of the tunnel”; 2) they should be as short 

and wide as possible and open so pedestrians 

and bicyclists don’t feel trapped; and 3) they 

should be well-lit. 
 

 

Section Six: Resources 83 

Street lighting 

This illuminates the roadway 

and intersections to help 

motorists see other motor 

vehicles and pedestrians 

crossing the roadway. 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Makes streets more secure 

and inviting for pedestrians 

at night. 

Agency Considerations 

• Challenges and costs to install and maintain 

lighting. Potential right-of-way constraints or 

environmental factors. 

• Lighting should be consistent and free of dark spots. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: Will lighting increase pedestrian activity? 

A: Lighting may help pedestrians feel safer and 

more secure, which may mean more people will 

walk. More “eyes on the street” can help deter 

criminal activity. 

Q: Will new lighting destroy the character of our 

neighborhood? 

A: Some residents may be concerned about lighting 

and its impact on the nature of the neighborhood. 

There are many options for lighting design 

including height, direction, and luminosity that 

can be tailored to fit the community. 

Temporary walkways 

These provide pedestrians with designated routes 

along a construction site when sidewalks and 

other pedestrian travel ways have been closed. 

A Stable, Temporary Curb Ramp 

Purpose/Benefits 

• Provide appropriate signs and facilities (such as 

stable curb ramps or sheltered pathways) during 

construction to maintain pedestrian access. 

Agency Considerations 

• Agencies may favor a shorter construction 

schedule over providing more convenient paths 

to minimize costs and impacts on the community. 

• Available (or lack of ) right-of-way may affect 

location of alternate paths. 

• Paths may change frequently because of 

construction activities. 

Common Resident Questions and Answers 

Q: I have to walk through a construction zone 

every day and it changes almost as frequently. 

How can I anticipate my walking route? 

A: Construction firms are required to submit traffic 

control plans that specify how they will maintain 

pedestrian and motor vehicle access. These will 

be on file with your local transportation agency 

or department of public works. 

Q: What do all these signs in construction zones 

mean? 

A: Construction signs usually warn motorists, 

bicyclists, and pedestrians of changes in 

the street environment. All signs must be 

prominently displayed in advance of the hazard. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION 

For more details on common pedestrian and 

bicycle treatments, visit the following resources: 

• PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

http://ww w.pedbikesafe.org/PEDSAFE/ 

• BIKESAFE: Bicycle Safety Guide and 

Countermeasure Selection System 

http://www.pedbikesafe.org/BIKESAFE/ 

• FHWA Office of Safety Proven Safety Countermeasures 

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 6: Sample Fact Sheet: Making the Case for 

Walking and Bicycling 

Here are some points you can use when talking to elected leaders, neighbors, or others about why it is 

important to make your community safe and inviting for bicyclists and pedestrians: 

1.	 It could save lives — Making streets safer for 

pedestrians and bicyclists, the most vulnerable 

people on the road, usually makes the roads 

safer for everyone. Biking and walking comprise 

a small share of total trips, but unfortunately 

bicycle and pedestrian crashes account a 

disproportionate share of all traffic fatalities — 

15 percent or more in many communities — and 

more attention is needed to help save lives. 

2.	 People need options — People who walk, bike, or 

take transit often cannot drive or can’t afford to 

drive, such as children and adolescents; people 

with physical, visual, and mental disabilities; 

people with financial constraints; people who 

are temporarily disabled; and many older adults. 

In many communities, more than a quarter 

of households do not have access to a car. 

Households with an annual income of less than 

$25,000 are nine times more likely to have no 

car than households with incomes of greater 

than $25,000. For these individuals in particular, 

safer conditions for walking and bicycling are 

critical in order to access healthcare, jobs, 

schools, and other destinations. 

3. It’s good for businesses and local economies — 

Providing pedestrian and bicyclist access to 

retailers and commercial centers provides 

economic benefits and can promote tourism 

and further economic development. W hen 

people save money on their travel costs by 

walking or biking, they have more money to 

spend on local businesses. Communities have 

found that bicycle and pedestrian projects 

create more jobs than traditional highway 

projects; people on bikes are more likely to 

make repeat trips to local shops; and that 

proximity to trails can increase property values. 

4. Biking and walking can improve health — 

Regular walking and/or biking can aid in weight 

loss; lower blood pressure; improve cholesterol, 

blood sugar, immune system function, and 

insulin dynamics; prevent bone-loss; reduce 

the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and 

other chronic diseases; and improve mood 

and mental performance. States with higher 

rates of bicycling and walking to work also 

have a higher percentage of the population 

meeting recommended levels of physical 

activity and lower rates of certain chronic 

diseases. Additionally, walking and biking 

can save individuals and communities money 

by reducing health care costs. Researchers 

have estimated that the annual healthcare 

cost of physical inactivity is $544 per person. 

However, one-third of transit users achieve 

the recommended amount of physical activity 

simply by walking to and from transit stops. 

5. Walking and biking can reduce the demand 

for (and cost of) new roadways — Many streets 

carry more traffic than they were designed to 

handle, resulting in gridlock, wasted time and 

energy, and pollution. While nearly half of all 

trips in the U.S. are less than three miles and 

more than a quarter are less than one mile, as 

many as 69 percent of these trips are taken by 

car. Providing opportunities to walk and bike 

can help get more people out of frustrating 

traffic congestion and lessen the demand for 

costly new or expanded roadway. 

6. Active travel is good for the environment — 

Unlike driving, walking and biking do not 

contribute to air, noise, or water pollution. 

A bicycle commuter who rides four miles to 

work, five days a week, avoids 2,000 miles of 
Section Six: Resources 85 

driving and (in the U.S.) about 2,000 pounds 

of CO2 emissions, each year. This amounts to 

nearly a five percent reduction in the average 

American’s carbon footprint. 

7.	 Walking and biking improves the quality of 

our lives and communities — Walking and 

biking provide intangible personal benefits 

(such as a sense of independence and freedom 

of choice), as well as social benefits (such as 

opportunities to interact with others and build 

community closeness and trust) that enrich 

the lives of children, families, and neighbors. 

Communities that have vibrant walking and 

biking opportunities are more successful in 

attracting the “creative class” workforce and 

in appealing to the millennial generation that 

researchers have noted has less interest in 

driving than previous generations. 

8. We’re all pedestrians — Whether for recreation 

or practical purposes, most people make 

several trips a day on foot, even if it’s only a 

block or so from a parked car to the entrance of 

a building. To safely and conveniently get from 

places to their cars, buses, or trains, people 

need to be able to walk and bike. 

For more talking points and research findings 

on the benefits and importance of walking and 

bicycling, please visit: 

http://w w w.pedbikeinfo.org/data/factsheet.cfm 

http://bikeleague.org/reports 

http://bit.ly/1t7NgHU 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 7: Sample Community Resolution 

Here is one example of the typical format of a city resolution. This one was used by communities that 

pledged to support a comprehensive pedestrian and bicycle safety program in North Carolina. To learn 

more about the program, visit www.watchformenc.org. 

RESOLUTION OF THE [Name of City] CITY COUNCIL 

SUPPORTING PARTICIPATION IN THE WATCH FOR ME NC PEDESTRIAN/BICYCLE SAFETY CAMPAIGN 

IN COOPERATION WITH THE NC DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION 

WHEREAS, it is a priority of the City to protect human health and safety; and 

WHEREAS, the City recognizes bicycling and walking as important and viable modes of transportation 

and recreation; and 

WHEREAS, the City recognizes the importance of educating pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers on how to 

share the road safely; and 

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is leading a pedestrian and bicycle safety 

campaign known as Watch for Me NC; and 

WHEREAS, the North Carolina Department of Transportation is seeking commitment from NC 

communities for involvement in the Watch for Me NC campaign; and 

WHEREAS, the Watch for Me NC campaign would provide safety education for pedestrians, cyclists, and 

drivers through various strategies; and provide training to officers to support enforcement activities and 

provide information for campaign evaluation. 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, pledges in cooperation with the North 

Carolina Department of Transportation to participate in the Watch for Me NC campaign. 

Adopted this (INSERT DATE). 

ATTEST: 

Name (Mayor) 

Name (City Clerk) 
 

A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 8: Tips for Traffic Safety

PEDESTRIAN SAFETY TIPS 

1.	 Look for cars in all directions — including those 

turning left or right — before crossing the 

street; never assume a driver will stop. 

2. When crossing multiple lanes of traffic, make 

sure each lane of traffic is clear before you cross. 

3. Enhance your visibility at night. Walk in welllit areas, carry a flashlight or wear something 

reflective, such as armbands, to be more visible. 

4.	 Avoid distraction, particularly when crossing 

streets, put down the phone for a few seconds. 

5. Be predictable to drivers and follow the rules of 

the road — obey signs and signals. 

6. Obey all pedestrian traffic signals. 

7.	 Watch for cars backing up in parking lots; brake 

lights can mean that a car is about to back up. 

8. Cross the street where you have the best view 

of traffic. At bus stops, cross behind the bus or 

at the nearest crosswalk. 

9.	 Always walk on the sidewalk; if there is no 

sidewalk, walk facing traffic and as far from the 

roadway as you can. 

BICYCLIST SAFETY TIPS 

1.	 Wear a helmet. It could save your life. 

2. Use lights and reflectors when bicycling at night 

— it’s the law in most places — and be as visible 

as possible. 

3. Ride in the direction of traffic. Drivers may not 

be looking for you if you are riding the wrong 

way. If you use the sidewalk or side path for 

part of your trip, it may be best to dismount and 

walk your bike. At a minimum, ride slowly, and 

watch for traffic that may be turning in or out at 

every driveway or intersection. 

4. Obey all signs and signals. This includes 

stopping at stop signs and red lights. If the 

traffic signal doesn’t change for you, make a 

report to your local engineering agency. 

5. Use all of your senses — watch and listen for 

cars, particularly at intersections and driveways. 

6. Avoid distractions such as listening to 

headphones or answering phones when riding. 

MOTORIST SAFETY TIPS 

1.	 Be watchful for pedestrians and bicyclists, drive 

no faster than the speed limit, avoid distraction, 

and know the laws regarding pedestrian rightof-way and about safely passing bicyclists. 

2. Be prepared to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. 

3. Never pass a vehicle that is stopped for pedestrians. 

4. Before making a turn, be sure the path is clear 

of any pedestrians or bicyclists. 

5. Slow down in areas where you might find 

pedestrians and bicyclists, such as near bus stops, 

schools, trails, parking lots, and playgrounds. 

6. Look carefully behind your vehicle for 

approaching people before backing-up. 

7.	 Keep an eye out for people at night that may be 

walking or bicycling near or in the road. 

8. Avoid distractions such as food, passengers, and 

using mobile devices. Talking and texting while 

driving is dangerous and illegal in many places. 

For more personal travel safety tips and 

instructions on properly fitting a helmet, visit 

http://bit.ly/14XP9h0. 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 9: Enforcement Contact Worksheet 

LAW ENFORCEMENT CONTACTS 

Chief of Police or Sherriff: 

Head of Traffic Squad:
	

Head of Bike Patrol Squad:
	

Key Community Patrol Officer:
	

Key School Resource Officer:
	

RELEVANT PEDESTRIAN- AND BICYCLE-RELATED LAWS AND RELATED PENALTIES 

Speeding:
	

Failure to yield to pedestrians in/at crosswalks:
	

Clearance requirements for vehicles when passing bicyclists:
	

Reckless driving:
	

Distracted driving/cell phone use: 

Requirements for where bicyclists can ride (e.g., take whole lane):
	

Helmet and/or bike light requirements:
	

Jaywalking or pedestrian failure to give right-of way:
	

Others:
	

POTENTIAL DISCUSSION QUESTIONS 

• Who are the contacts in the department who are 

interested in pedestrian and bicyclist safety or 

are working on these issues? 

• Has the department looked at bicycle and 

pedestrian crash data to identify high-crash 

locations, or do they have a sense of where/ 

when crashes are occurring? 

• What enforcement measures are currently in 

place to protect pedestrians and bicyclists? 

For example, how often are drivers ticketed for 

failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks? 

W hat additional measures are needed? 

• Have officers received training on pedestrian 

and bicycle laws, or are they aware of the 

training resources available such as a League 

Certified Instructor? 

• Is the departmental budget adequate to allow for 

nforcement of pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues? 

• Have field officers identified infrastructure 

concerns, and are they coordinating 

with appropriate departments to discuss 

improvements? 

• Are there any officers that would be available 

to coordinate with us to support outreach in 

schools, businesses, at community events, etc.? 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 10: Sample “Warning” Letter to Drivers 

Following is a sample “warning” letter to drivers, adapted from the Harborview Injury Prevention & 

Research Center’s Streets For People, Too! guide. It can be used by police when stopping drivers to help 

raise awareness of pedestrian and bicyclist safety needs and laws without having to issue a formal citation. 

Dear (driver): 

You have received the enclosed written materials because your vehicle was seen traveling through 

the (insert name of community) neighborhood along (insert street location) on (insert date). The car 

was also observed failing to stop for pedestrians in a crosswalk [or speeding, passing too closely to a 

bicyclist, etc.]. The purpose of this letter is to make you aware that (insert name of community), along 

with several other neighborhoods, is participating in a special program to help make streets safer for 

people who walk and bike. 

Extra traffic police have been assigned to (insert name of community) to ticket drivers who fail to 

stop for pedestrians, pass too closely or drive recklessly around cyclists, or who speed through 

this community. The intent of this message is to help you avoid a hefty (insert dollar amount) fine 

as well as to reduce the number of tragic pedestrian and bicyclist injuries and deaths that occur 

in (insert name of community) each year. More and more people are walking and bicycling, and we 

need your help in making the streets safe for everyone. Please read the enclosed materials (insert 

information about the law) and familiarize yourself with laws affecting pedestrians and bicyclists 

and your obligation as a driver. Pass the word along to your friends and family, too! Thank you for 

your attention to this message and to people who are walking and bicycling in this community. 

Drive safely! 

(name of safety coalition chair or law enforcement representative) 

Remember...Safety is a shared responsibility! 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 11: Tips for Event Planning 

Whether you are bringing together community members and stakeholders to exchange ideas, support a 

cause, or celebrate walking and bicycling, hosting an event — such as a Walk to School Day, Bike to Work 

ride, Sunday Parkways event, etc. — can be a major undertaking. Below are some simple steps you can take 

to make the planning easier and the big event more successful. 

ENVISION THE EVENT AND WRITE A PLAN 

Think about the timing of the event, where it can 

be located (or the route a ride or walking tour 

will take), and who needs to be involved in order 

for it to be a success. Bring those people into the 

process early by forming a planning committee. 

Also consider the safety of people participating 

and if liability insurance is needed — this can take 

time to sort out, so advance planning is important. 

GET SUPPORT, BUY-IN, AND FUNDING 

Think about what materials you will need 

(giveaways, marketing materials, signage, etc.), 

and how to cover such costs. For example, if you’re 

planning on hosting a cycle clinic and handing out 

bike helmets, you can try working with a local Safe 

Kids coalition or bike shop to get helmets donated 

for the event. For more ideas on fundraising, see 

Resource 12. If you are planning a large event in a 

public space or road, you may need to coordinate 

with police, schools, or town/city staff to get 

appropriate permits or use agreements or to 

have city staff provide support for your event. 

Consider how many people are needed to help 

work the event and then recruit and coordinate 

with volunteers. You may find volunteers through 

your neighborhood, local bike clubs/advocacy 

groups, members of your town’s pedestrian/ 

bicycle advisory council, civic groups, or other 

organizations. 

PROMOTE THE EVENT 

Spread the word about your event in as many 

ways as possible. Depending on the audience 

you wish to reach, you can post ads in the local 

paper; make announcements through the school 

PTA newsletter; use a neighborhood or workplace 

listserv; post yard signs; and invite participants 

using social media. For more tips on using social 

media, see Resource 4. 

FOLLOW UP 

After your event, be sure to recognize and thank 

your volunteers, sponsors, and others that 

provided support. If you can, try to gather feedback 

from event participants and coordinators to help 

you evaluate successes and make improvements if 

you have another event in the future. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

For more details, check out the following eventspecific planning guides: 

National Bike Month Event Planner Kit 

http:// bit.ly/1v w pW8s 

Walk to School Day Getting Started Guide 

http://bit.ly/1xccW3k 

NHTSA Cycling Skills Clinic Guide 

http://1.usa.gov/1qHWJ9j 

City of Portland Sunday Parkways Manual 

http:// bit.ly/1p6cA xo 

The Open Streets Guide 

http://openstreetsproject.org/guide/ 
A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

Resource 12: Tips for Fundraising 

Whether you are seeking funds to support a local event, raise money for a Safe Routes to School program, 

pay for educational/outreach materials, or other effort, there are many opportunities for finding funding 

and other forms of support. Below are a few ideas to help you brainstorm what may be available and 

appropriate in your community. 

MUNICIPAL AGENCIES 

City, police, recreation departments, and schools 

may be able to set aside funding in their operating 

budgets to support non-infrastructure activities 

or low-cost improvements. Some cities, such 

as Washington, DC, have local neighborhood 

commissions with budgets that can be used to 

address neighborhood issues. Ask your elected 

council person what options may be available, 

and what the process or timeline is for making 

budgetary requests. 

LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS 

PTAs, homeowners associations, or other local 

groups could be a resource for finding or raising 

funds. If you’re seeking bike helmets to donate, 

local Safe Kids chapters often are able to donate 

such materials to local events. Local A A A or A ARP 

chapters could also have funding available if a case 

can be made for how your initiative relates to its 

goals or members. 

PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS 

There are thousands of charitable funds and 

foundations across the U.S., many of which may 

be willing to support efforts to improve walking 

and bicycling safety. The key is identifying what 

local opportunities exist, understanding which 

ones may be a good match for your goals and 

interests, learning about their process for applying 

for funding, and writing a strong proposal. To 

start, you can go to http://bit.ly/1zJYMth and 

search the Free Online Foundation Directory to 

locate potential funders. In many instances, your 

local library will have access to a more robust 

subscription service that can help you identify a 

shortlist of appropriate funders. When applying 

for funding, be sure to tell a compelling story 

about yourself and the work you are looking to 

do in the community and the impact you believe 

it will make. Also, showcase your group’s ability 

to perform the work; one strateg y to do this is 

to show that you have strong partners in place 

and provide letters of support from your partner 

network. See Section 2 for more on partner 

formation. 

HEALTH PARTNERS 

Hospitals, health insurance companies, and 

foundations with an interest in health, such as 

the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), 

have been active in many local efforts to improve 

walking and bicycling and are a natural partner. 

Many communities have been able to use grants 

from tobacco settlements or other initiatives to 

improve health through walking and bicycling 

initiatives. Visit the RWJF grant website 

(http://bit.ly/1F93MbW) and talk to others in your 

community, including city and health department 

staff, regarding how your organization can partner 

with the municipality or others to pursue a healthrelated grant. 

LOCAL BUSINESSES 

Local businesses including grocery stores, outdoor 

merchandisers, restaurants, shoe stores, and 

bike shops — may be willing to provide funding or 

to sponsor an event. FedEx, Food Lion, REI, and 

Performance Bike are just a few examples of large 

retailers that have donated materials or provided 
92 A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking A Resident’s Guide for Creating Safer Communities for Walking and Biking 

support or in the past to local pedestrian and 

bicycle safety initiatives. In some places, the local 

power company has supported efforts to install 

street lighting. Locally-owned restaurants often 

donate food for meetings and/or events or are 

willing to provide coupons that can be printed on 

event fliers and promotional materials to attract 

participants. Franchised or chain restaurants may 

also be supportive, but many have more lengthy 

corporate processes to go through before they 

can proceed, so plan to reach out to them well 

in advance. Local graphic design firms may offer 

pro-bono design services, such as designing signs 

and materials such as fliers and t-shirts for an 

event, or even a website. If you are reaching out to 

local businesses, it will be important to show how 

supporting your cause, event, or improvement will 

be good for their business (e.g., more/healthier/ 

safer customers and employees, exposure of their 

brand, etc.). Have your “elevator speech” and 

specific “ask” ready before you approach them. 

OTHERS 

Many organizations — such as the National Center 

for Safe Routes to School, Smart Growth America, 

People for Bikes, the Alliance for Bicycling and 

Walking, and the Safe Routes to School National 

Partnership — periodically offer mini-grants 

and or free technical assistance workshops to 

support local efforts. Visit their websites or join 

their mailing lists to find out about when such 

opportunities arise. 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES 

National Center for Safe Routes to School 

The funding portal includes info about available 

mini-grants and details on local, private, and 

federal funding that can be used for SRTS 

programs. 

http://bit.ly/1ujJLt1 

SPARK Grant-Finder Tool 

Helps you locate funding for your Physical 

Education, After School, Early Childhood, 

Classroom Activity, or Coordinated School Health 

program. Grants can be used for curriculum, 

teacher training, or equipment. 

http://bit.ly/1xyW0Ie 

The Art and Science of Personal Solicitation 

A guide for seeking large gifts (of $25,000 or more) 

from private donors. 

http://bit.ly/11CUDLN 

FHWA-SA-14-099