City of Bloomington Awarded Bronze Walk Friendly Communities Designation

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 8, 2013

For more information, please contact:

Vince Caristo, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Bloomington Planning Department, 349.3423, caristov@bloomington.in.gov

City of Bloomington Awarded Bronze Walk Friendly Communities Designation

Bloomington, Ind. - The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has designated the City of Bloomington a Bronze Walk Friendly Community for its walkability initiatives and programs. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and FedEx, Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program aimed at honoring communities for their commitment to pedestrian safety.

Bloomington was praised for its great urban trail system; detailed and pedestrian-friendly zoning ordinance and well-maintained pedestrian signalling system. According to the 2011 U.S. Census, Bloomington was ranked #3 in the country for the percentage of residents who walk to work, among cities greater than 65,000 people.

"This designation reflects many years of pedestrian-friendly planning, policies and programming in Bloomington," said Vince Caristo, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator. "The application was extremely comprehensive and suggested ways we could do even more to create safe and accessible walking conditions throughout the City."

Bloomington is among eight communities recognized in the latest round of Walk Friendly Communities. It is the first community in Indiana to receive a Walk Friendly Community designation. The Walk Friendly Community designation, awarded from bronze to platinum, is given to applicant communities that have demonstrated a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. To date, 44 communities in the U.S. have been designated as Walk Friendly Communities.

For more information on Walk Friendly Communities, please visit [http://www.walkfriendly.org].

For more information about walking in Bloomington, please contact Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator Vince Caristo at 349.3423.

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