Traveling On Foot

walking downtown.jpg"Walking is incredibly efficient. Nearly a third of all car trips taken in this country are a mile or less in length-the equivalent of a 20 minute walk. Moving those trips out of cars and onto sidewalks would solve many of our transportation conundrums." Samuel L. Schwartz

Walking is not only beneficial for the person walking but creating a walk friendly community is beneficial to all. Walkable communities lead to more social interaction, increased physical fitness and wellness, a decrease in crime, and they help address social and economic problems.

There are many aspects that make up a walkable community. To see just how walkable your community is visit Walk Score.

Benefits of Walking

Health Benefits

  • Walking to work and school is a great way to incorporate exercise into your daily schedule
  • Each hour spent in a car per day is associated with a 6% increase in the likelihood of obesity

Safety Benefits

  • The more people walking in a community the less likely people driving will collide with them
  • Making roads safer for pedestrians makes roads safer for everyone

Economic Benefits

  • Creating a walkable community can increase an area's economy
  • Although people driving tend to spend more per trip, people walking shop more frequently and spend more per capita in a month or a year

Transportation Benefits

  • Walking can help reduce traffic and parking congestion, improve safety, conserve energy, and reduce pollution
  • Walking infrastructure improvements can help create more compact, mixed, multi-modal communities where residents drive less and use other travel modes

Social Equity Benefits

  • Improved walkability allows community members to save money on transportation costs
  • Increasing community walkability improves home values, residents' health, and localized air quality

The video below highlights some of the tools for creating a more walkable community.



User Groups


Bicycles and Business
Families on Bikes
Getting to School
Seniors on a Roll


Women in Motion

Getting Around

Facilities and Markings
Routes and Maps
Tips for Traveling
Traveling on Foot

Resources


Billings Area Bikeway and Trails Master Plan
BMVPhone: AmeriCorps VISTA
Complete Streets Policy

Secure Storage

Bicycle Parking
Bicycle Security
These pages made in conjunction with