Did you know each year the average Canadian makes 2,000 car trips of less than three kilometers? Trips that can be made on foot or by bicycle. A walkable community can help to change this.
Walkable Communities
A walkable community encourages active transportation and makes it easy for people to walk more often and use cars less. The places people often go to are within walking distance such as schools, stores, services, and places for work and play.
Walkable communities provide many benefits to individuals and the community. Learn more from: http://canadawalks.ca/about/walkability/
Complete Streets
Complete streets are designed to support all ways of travelling within the community (E.g. walking, cycling, wheeling, taking public transit and driving).
Complete streets can happen in communities of all shapes and sizes and provide:
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Space for active transportation (walking, cycling, wheeling);
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Safe and comfortable access for everyone; and
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Connections to different parts of the community and public transit options.
What you can do
Get involved in the decisions your municipality is making about the design of the community. Share your ideas about the things that support you and others to use active transportation to get to work and school and other places. This can include connected streets, sidewalks, separated bike paths/lanes, bike parking, bike friendly businesses (e.g. has bike racks), accessible public transit, and having a good mix of residential, commercial, education, and employment areas.