APBP and PBIC award additional funding to improve pedestrian safety in neighborhoods
News Brief
September 30, 2021
CHAPEL HILL, NC – Five communities from across the U.S. have been selected to receive funding from the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP), in partnership with the Pedestrian and Bicycling Information Center (PBIC), to improve pedestrian safety and help make their environments more "walkable."
The communities are in addition to 10 communities who were recently selected to participate in a project to use the guide, A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities. Please see http://www.walkinginfo.org/newsroom/2009-08-05.cfm for more information.
The following community groups will each receive $2,000 in funding as well as technical assistance from the PBIC to implement their planned activities related to the guide:
- City of Fargo Planning Department ( Fargo , ND ): Planned activities include conducting community workshops and public outreach/education; performing walkability assessments and analyzing results; building partnerships and fostering communication to develop priorities and implement a long range plan.
- Flamingo Park Neighborhood Association ( Miami Beach , FL ): Planned activities include the use of Resident's Guide resource sheets in community meetings; activities to raise awareness in the community; and quarterly resource events to educate the public.
- Heritage Neighborhood Association ( Austin , TX ): Planned activities include implementing small scale engineering treatments at road crossings on heavy traffic arterials, including signs, signals, and pavement markings; as well as conducting education and enforcement activities.
- Pearl District Association ( Tulsa , OK ): Planned activities include developing a web-based resource guide for citizens looking to improve pedestrian facilities; and offering a mobile workshop to teach neighborhood associations how to improve pedestrian safety in the community.
- Coalition for Livable Communities ( Memphis , TN ): Planned activities include launching a Walk-Bike Memphis campaign; developing educational workshops to promote driver and pedestrian safety awareness; and influence pedestrian-friendly policies.
Awarded communities will implement their proposed activities while pilot testing the use of the guidebook and providing feedback on additional resources needed by communities to improve pedestrian safety in neighborhoods. Each awarded site will also be provided technical assistance from pedestrian safety experts while planning and implementing their projects.
"We received 75 applications and originally only had funding for 10 communities, so it was a very difficult decision to make," said HSRC Research Associate and Principal Investigator Laura Sandt. "We were very fortunate to be able to partner with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals in order to find support for additional communities to be part of the project. I think these five communities will make a fantastic contribution to the project and to their own neighborhoods in terms of advancing pedestrian safety."
Funding for the overall project is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) with supplemental funds being provided through the PBIC grant and APBP. HSRC received funding from NHTSA to work with communities to implement and evaluate the guide, A Resident's Guide for Creating Safe and Walkable Communities. The guide is designed to be used by anyone who is looking for ways to improve the pedestrian safety and walkability of their neighborhood, whether they are just beginning to learn about walking safety or are already part of an established community safety group.To order a free copy of the guide, please visit: safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/ped_bike_order.cfm
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