The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has designated Springfield a bronze Walk Friendly Community, according to a news release from the city. The designation was granted, it says, for its walkability initiatives and programs.
Walk Friendly Communities is a national program aimed at recognizing communities for their commitment to pedestrian safety. It’s a project of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Highway Safety Division.
The city’s pedestrian and bicycle engineer, David Hutchison, says Springfield has made walkability a priority since the adoption of Vision 20/20 in 1998 with “increased investment in sidewalks and trails through the City budget and by the development community.”
He says the city’s development code now requires sidewalks with new building and subdivision construction and there are programs for a trail network and development of continuous walking routes such as The LINK. He says, as a result, “key sidewalk gaps are being filled in on our street network and nearly 100 miles of trail have been built in Springfield and Greene County
To date, 57 communities in the U.S. have been designated as Walk Friendly Communities.