City of Lawrence recognized as a silver-level “Walk Friendly” community

Kevin PowellCity, Metropolitan Planning Organization, Municipal Services and Operations, Parks & Recreation

The Walk Friendly Communities program (WFC) today announced the City of Lawrence has been recognized as a silver-level “Walk Friendly” community. The designation recognizes communities for prioritizing pedestrians and creating safe and inviting places to walk.

The City of Lawrence received high marks for the following programs and initiatives:

  • The 2022 Pedestrian Plan, which establishes a comprehensive framework for improvements to the pedestrian network across Lawrence.
  • The Multi-Modal Transportation Commission, which advances the health, safety and welfare of residents.
  • Safe Routes to School programs, which are a collaborative effort supported by the city, county, school district, and health department (plus advocacy partners!).
  • The Sidewalk Improvement Program, which is a data-driven process used to identify priorities and determine schedules for sidewalk repair and replacement.
  • The Complete Streets policy and connectivity ordinance (Section 20-810), which support the city in building and maintaining a transportation network that encourages walking.
  • The Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, which addresses traffic calming needs on neighborhood streets. It has helped initiate pilot deployments, including city-wide 25 mph speed limit signage on neighborhood streets.
  • Safe Winter Walkways, which brings together volunteers and those in need to make sure everyone can safely use public sidewalks during snowy conditions.
  • The School Area Traffic Control Policy, which establishes safety protocols for school zones that prioritize those walking and bicycling to school.

The City has identified walk-friendly programs as an important part of our strategic plan work. Key indicators to measure our progress in these areas include: Percent of residents satisfied or very satisfied with their transportation experiences, percent of residential units within a half mile of a walking/biking trail, and miles of trails. Work toward improving these progress indicators includes investing in multi-modal infrastructure and services and improving multi-modal connectivity with an emphasis on pedestrian and bicycle demand.

“Creating a walk-friendly community aligns directly with City of Lawrence Strategic Plan,” said Melissa Sieben, Director of Municipal Services and Operations. “We are excited to receive this recognition on behalf of the residents and business of Lawrence and look forward to continuing this work in the years to come.”

The City of Lawrence was previously recognized as a silver-level “Walk Friendly” community in 2017. Scores ranges from bronze (lowest) to silver, gold and platinum (highest).

About Walk Friendly Communities
The WFC program is the first national program to highlight walkability initiatives and programs. At the core of the WFC program is a comprehensive web-based assessment tool that evaluates community walkability and pedestrian safety related to engineering, education, encouragement, evaluation, and planning. The assessment tool is intended to both evaluate conditions for walking and provide communities with specific feedback and ideas for improving walkability. To learn more about Walk Friendly Communities, visit www.walkfriendly.org.

Contact: Evan Korynta, Interim Public Information Officer, Municipal Services & Operations, ekorynta@lawrenceks.org | 785-832-3180