Peterborough is hosting an upcoming event to create interest in walking as a form of transportation and to hear from experts on how to make the city more pedestrian-friendly.

A panel of international experts specializing in making communities more accessible for people on foot will be in Peterborough, Ontario, April 17 and 18. According to its website, Walk21’s purpose is to promote the development of sustainable communities where people choose to walk. http://www.walk21.com/

Peterborough is one of a handful of communities across Ontario to play host to the experts and provincial representatives of Green Communities/Active and Safe Routes to School. The visits are designed to lead up to the 8th Annual International Walk 21 Conference, to be held in Toronto in October, says Susan Sauve, co-chairperson of Active and Safe Routes to School-Peterborough. Sauve, who works in the transportation department for the City of Peterborough, says Peterborough is keen on hosting the event.

“It’s a way to create the language about walking and bring these to issues to light,” says Sauve.

“It ties into the public interest around climate change as well.

“Because we have an interest in walking at a community level, we expressed an interest in having (the experts visit the city),” says Sauve. “We have a very active Active and Safe Routes to School committee.” Active and Safe Community Routes and Active and Safe Routes to School – Peterborough are coalitions representing local municipalities, police services, the health unit, school boards, Peterborough Green-Up and other public organizations.

While Sauve says there hasn’t been an official evaluation of how pedestrian-friendly Peterborough is, “some of our policies are quite progressive,” she says. For instance, the City pays for the maintenance of sidewalks and plows the snow from sidewalks and trails during the winter months. As well, policies for new construction and redevelopment in both residential and commercial areas require the installation of sidewalks on both sides of the street. She says there are sidewalks on about half of Peterborough’s streets. “A lot of our community was built when the focus was on the car,” she explains.

As people age, well-maintained areas for walking are more important when issues like balance come into play, Sauve says. “We are seeing an interest in the quality of pedestrian infrastructures provided.”

By hosting the experts, Sauve says Peterborough can learn how to make the community more accessible. Through the public forum, the group hopes to hear from community members about their needs when it comes to transportation on foot.

Four Walk 21 experts will tour various areas of Peterborough and Bridgenorth to assess how safe and accessible the communities are for
people who choose to walk. They will then meet with municipal politicians, planners, and staff from the City and County of Peterborough and others to offer advice on how to make our communities more walkable.

Members of the public can meet with the experts and local advocates on Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Peterborough Lion’s Centre, 347 Burnham St.