Commission votes to adopt pedestrian plan

The Metropolitan Development Commission voted in favor of adopting Indianapolis’ first pedestrian plan as part of the county’s comprehensive plan today.

“This is significant because leaders now have the framework for prioritizing resources and making decisions that will have an impact on making neighborhoods more walkable,” said Kim Irwin, director of Health by Design.

The pedestrian plan is a key aspect of WalkWays, the initiative to make Indianapolis more walkable and to get more people walking. The plan is available at http://indywalkways.org/planning/.

The recommendations certainly outweigh available resources, but we look forward to working with the City-County Council and other community partners to address the funding gaps,” said Irwin. “The long-term health, sustainability and vibrancy of Marion County depends on it.”

In the short term, the public is encouraged to walk to work, to dinner, to school and for social engagement. Several organized walks are planned, with new ones continually being added to http://indywalkways.org/event-calendar/. The walks are appropriate for people of all ages, abilities and physical activity levels.

Organizations interested in hosting a walk or that would like their walks shared on Walkways should contact 317-352-3844 or info@IndyWalkWays.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT: Jen Thomas, jen@jtprinc.com, 317-441-2487