THUNDER BAY -- The city is looking to take its next steps to make a more walkable community.
Around six city councillors took a walking tour of the city along with other community leaders to take a look at some new initiatives, like the Bay Algoma area, that have improved walkability. They also looked at areas that still need improvement. Paul Young, a landscape architect with Toronto's Public Space Workshop said Memorial Avenue is an area that needs some work, especially because it lacks pedestrian crossings.
"There are huge distances between signalized crossings," Young said before delivering a speech to the city's walkability committee.
"They're not likely to walk to the next signal if it's a kilometre away. They'll take their chances."
The intercity area's main roads weren't designed with walkers and cyclists in mind. Some of the streets don't even have sidewalks. It's a problem many communities face as they struggle to retrofit areas designed for vehicle traffic.
Committee chair Joanna Carastathis said making a community more walkable has health benefits but also economic opportunities as people are forced to get out of their cars and walk around in an area. The committee tries to get the city to consider walkability whenever a construction project comes up. It's also trying to get the community to think of its infrastructure as something that can benefit everyone, not just vehicles.
"If you designing roads and infrastructure for walkers you're benefiting everybody," she said.
