PA WalkWorks: Making our Streets Safer for Pedestrians

As planners, most of us know the importance of having safe walking areas within and around our communities. Having a walkable community provides essential health and safety benefits, including reducing anxiety and depression, lowering the rate of obesity, decreasing pedestrian-vehicle risks, attracting business, and increasing home values. Along with these benefits, walkable communities are more inclusive as they can reduce a family’s transportation costs and support those with disabilities in providing accessible spaces for movement.

To help improve walkable communities in Pennsylvania, WalkWorks was created. Sponsored by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, WalkWorks aims to establish new or improved pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit transportation systems, thereby furthering its objective of increasing activity-friendly routes and connectivity to everyday destinations. In addition, WalkWorks identifies and promotes safe walking routes, offers social support through guided, community-based walking groups, helps schools develop walk-to-school programs, and addresses local policies to increase safe walking routes.

PA Walkable Communities Collaborative also provides funding to assist municipal entities with developing Active Transportation Plans, Complete Streets policies, and/or Vision Zero policies. Their most recent grant recipients are anticipated to be announced on September 3, 2021. For more information on their program, toolkits, and resources, check out their website at pawalkworks.com.