Walkability-related links Links to web sites related to walkability and alternative transportation. Also see our Visions and projects page for more links to organizations and projects.

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).  Information from The Federal Access Board. Includes standards, design guidelines, and other information to help insure that facilities (including pedestrian facilities) are accessible to persons with disabilities.

America Walks, a non-profit national coalition of local advocacy groups dedicated to promoting walkable communities. Lots of material on pedestrian advocacy, and links to other organizations.

Federal Highway Adminstration  Bicycle and Pedestrian Program. Laws, policies, and design guidelines for bicycle and pedestrian facilities. The FHWA also has comprehensive information on traffic calming.

Great Streets!  Examples, case studies, and design principles for streets that foster vibrant, lively downtowns. Profusely illustrated with images of the design principles at work; highly recommended.

Institute of Transportation Engineers has a library of reports, articles and other documents related to traffic calming.

Los Alamos County Cycling Coalition  represents the interests of all classes of bicycle riders in the community; their web page has information of interest to cyclists, and links to other bike-related sites.

National Center for Bicycling and Walking  Their publications and conferences provide valuable information on engineering, education, and enforcement measures to help make communities more walkable.

Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, a clearinghouse for information about health and safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement and access and mobility.

trafficcalming.org, "Your complete guide to traffic calming and neighborhood traffic management, and how they can be used to reduce speeds, reduce traffic volumes, and improve safety in residential neighborhoods."

Walkable Communities, Inc., a non-profit corporation organized to help communities become more walkable and pedestrian friendly. Headed by Dan Burden. Downloadable photos, papers and presentations.

walkinginfo.org, a pedestrian and bicycle information center. Information, plans, guidelines, statistics, links, etc., on pedestrian, bicycling, and alternative transportation topics.

Environmental, economic, and health information

US Air Quality Gradebook provides maps and detailed statistics on air quality by county across the United States. Air quality affects the comfort aspect of walkability, and walking (along with bicycling and other alternative transportation modes) contributes to better air quality by reducing vehicle emissions.

Noise Pollution Clearinghouse - As with air quality, noise, from traffic, industrial machinery, airports, etc., affects the comfort aspect of walkability; walking (along with bicycling and other alternative transportation modes) reduces ambient noise by reducing the number of motor vehicles.

Walking to school is a great way to improve children's health and fitness, and reduce the number of buses and cars on the road. See "The Importance of Regular Physical Activity for Children", from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and International Walk to School Day. To get more children walking, we need safe routes to school. To make walking and bicycling practical, schools need to be located close to where children live; this may require fighting state and local codes that force schools to be located where they are only accessible by motor vehicle. See "Don't Destroy Neighborhoods To Educate Them";and "Making Current Trends in School Design Feasible" (PDF download).

Traffic engineering

Traffic engineers are the prime movers on designing roadway configurations, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, access for people with disabilities, etc. Insuring that traffic engineering standards and guidelines pay attention to non-vehicle users is critical to good walkability.

AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) publishes the influential manual A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets, which is used by planners and engineers throughout the U. S. I contains standards for pedestrian and bicycle facilities as well as roads.

MUTCD (Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices) is the bible on signs and signals for pedestrians and bicyclists as well as motor vehicles. Standard, easy-to-use signals are a significant factor in pedestrian safety and comfort.

What other communities have done: pedestrian transportation plans, programs and design guides

Albuquerque, NM  Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan. The NTMP provides a process for identifying, prioritizing, and dealing with problems related to safety and to traffic speeds and volumes on local streets.

Livermore, CA  policy on speed control.

Madison, WI  Pedestrian Transportation Plan.

Oregon DOT Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. A good planning document, with guidelines, diagrams, etc.

Pierce County, WA  Nonmotorized Transportation Plan.

Portland, OR  Pedestrian Master Plan. Portland's plan is considered a model for other cities. Architect and "radical pedestrian" Ellen Vanderslice, of America Walks, played a major role in developing it. Also look at Portland's Pedestrian Design Guidelines (PDF).

Santa Cruz, CA  Neighborhood Traffic Plans (links under "Neighborhood Traffic Plans ").

Santa Fe, NM  Traffic Calming Task Force.