Walk

Getting Started

Walking is a great way to get to and from work, to a transit station or as a way to de-stress during the lunch hour. It produces no negative impacts to the environment and has physical as well as mental health benefits! Walking can allow you to appreciate your surroundings and get some exercise.

Pick a good walking route that suits you and is along a well-maintained sidewalk with good lighting. On average, a person can walk 1 kilometre in 10 minutes at a brisk pace and 15 minutes at a leisurely pace.

Tips for using sidewalks and crossings:

• Look all ways before crossing a road, even at one-way streets.

• Cross only at intersections and obey your traffic signals.
• Make sure you are visible at night. Wear light or reflective material and clothing.
• Minimize distractions by limiting use of mobile devices and watch where you walk and make sure you can still hear emergency sirens and honking horns.

Be mindful when using multi-use trails:

• Pedestrians, cyclists and inline skaters must share the trail. Look at the markings on the pavement to ensure you know where you can walk.
• Make sure you are visible at night. Wear light coloured or reflective material or clothing.
• If you use a mobile device or wear earbuds, make sure you can still hear bicycle bells or voices of riders as they announce their approach.

Find out how walkable your community is at WalkScore: http://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods