New Walk Friendly Communities program--your community could be among the first to test!

The Pedestrian & Bicycle Information Center forwarded the following announcement:

In preparation for the national launch of Walk Friendly Communities (WFC), the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) is seeking up to 5 communities to pilot test the latest online draft of the WFC assessment tool.

Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program developed by PBIC to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for supporting safer walking environments. The WFC program will recognize communities that are working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access, and comfort. The program will officially be launched in the fall of 2010.

In order to ready the WFC program for a national release, and to ensure that the program can be a comprehensive tool for all communities, PBIC is seeking communities for pilot testing. Initial pilot tests were held in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Orlando, Florida, and Davidson, North Carolina, to revise the assessment tool and provide a foundation for the program. The second round of pilot testing will test the usability of the online application and submission mechanisms. Pilot testing will involve the assessment of your community through completion and submission of the latest version of the WFC assessment tool. Communities who participate in pilot testing will be recognized for their efforts and will automatically be evaluated in the first round of WFC awards.

More information about the Walk Friendly Communities program is available at: http://walkfriendly.org/pilot.cfm