Bloomington receives walking award

Bloomington was officially recognized as a bronze level Walk Friendly Community last week.

Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program aimed at honoring communities for their commitment to pedestrian safety, according to a press release from the City of Bloomington.

“This designation reflects many years of pedestrian-friendly planning, policies and programming in Bloomington,” Vince Caristo, bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the City of Bloomington Planning Department, said in the release.

Bloomington is the first community in Indiana to receive a Walk Friendly Community designation and one of 44 communities in the United States to be recognized.

In addition to being a Walk Friendly Community, the City is also recognized as a Silver
“Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists.

The Walk Friendly Designation is based on a demonstrated commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies, according to the release.

One aspect that the application process looks at is the percentage of people who walk to work.

Bloomington was ranked third in the country for the percentage of residents who walk to work, among cities greater than 65,000 people, according to the release.

Bloomington was also praised for its urban trail system, pedestrian-friendly zoning ordinance and pedestrian signaling system.

Meredith Andersen, a junior at IU, said she relies on walking to get to classes and around Bloomington.

Andersen said she chose walking as her primary mode of transportation because it is good exercise and avoids the hassle of finding a place to park.

“The only thing that makes walking harder sometimes is the weather,” Andersen said.

Andersen said she hopes Bloomington will improve existing sidewalks and build more.

“Walking at night is my only other concern, and I wish there were more street lights in some places,” Andersen said.

Despite some of its inconveniences, Andersen said she appreciates that walking is easy and accessible.

“It’s a lot easier to get around places by walking than anywhere else I have lived,” Andersen said.

Follow reporter Brianna Meyer on Twitter @brmmeyer.