HANOVER, MD—The Maryland Department of Transportation is joining partner agencies, nonprofits and communities across the state for the fourth annual Walktober celebration, a series of events and online webinars throughout October highlighting Maryland’s official state exercise and the importance of pedestrian safety, equitable access, transportation options and healthy lifestyles. Festivities include the ninth annual Walk Maryland Day on Wednesday, October 4th.
Walking is Maryland’s official state exercise, and Walktober 2023 encourages everyone to step out to enjoy the many benefits of walking. The celebration also supports the Moore-Miller Administration’s goal to transform the state’s transportation system and provide Marylanders with accessible, equitable and sustainable options – including walking and biking – to connect everyone to life’s opportunities and leave no one behind.
“Safe and equitable access to sidewalks, crosswalks and walking trails is a crucial element of Maryland’s world-class transportation network, and improves the quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “Walktober raises awareness of pedestrian needs, and challenges us all to work together to provide safe, convenience and equitable access.”
Walk Maryland Day on October 4 encourages Marylanders to spend part of the day taking a walk. Registered Walk Maryland Day events will be held across the state, and people can become “Sole Mates” by registering to join one of the official walks. Individuals are invited to take part in any of the official events – or simply walk at a location of their choice, whether alone or with others. To register, go here, or access the main Walktober 2023 page.
Everyone can also sign up for the 90-minute webinars – or “Walkinars” – that will be held virtually 10:30 a.m. to noon Thursdays, October 5, 12, 19 and 26. Registration is available here.
During the Walkinar sessions, local, state and national speakers will share resources to help build, strengthen and sustain partnerships to encourage walking, and will discuss tools and technologies in Maryland and across the country to promote pedestrian access and safety. The series is open to all, and provides American Institute of Certified Planners with 1.5 Certification Maintenance credits per session. Topics include:
- October 5, National Perspectives on Walking and Pedestrian Safety – The first Walkinar will focus on the national movement to promote pedestrian safety initiatives. Mike McGinn, executive director of America Walks, and Mike Watson, AARP director of Livable Communities, will discuss national trends in walkability and the increased funding available for Safe Streets and new initiatives for safer vehicles. They will also share ways individuals can help build momentum in their local communities for more walkable, accessible places.
- October 12, Pedestrian Infrastructure and Safety – New approaches to planning, including ways to link land use and transportation, will be discussed by a panel including Edward Erfurt, director of Community Action at the nonprofit media advocacy organization Strong Towns; Wesley Mitchell, senior vice president of Mid-Atlantic Transportation Planning at the engineering and design firm WSP USA; and Kathryn Hendley, lead transportation planner at WSP USA. The discussion will include a look at Baltimore City’s Druid Park Lake Drive Complete Streets Study, which explores ways to increase safety and health by improving pedestrian connectivity.
- October 19, Maryland Initiatives – Vision Zero and Maryland’s goals will be discussed in this session featuring Molly Porter, bicycle and pedestrian planner for Regional and Intermodal Planning at the State Highway Administration; Douglas Mowbray, data program manager for the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration’s Highway Safety Office; and Chester Harvey, director of the Transportation Policy Research Group at the National Center for Smart Growth. Federal, state, and local agencies are partnering with the public to improve safety, reduce crashes and enhance livability as part of Maryland’s goal to eliminate serious injuries and fatalities, a strategy known as Vision Zero. The group will share the work Maryland is doing to improve safety and support smart growth and walkable design principles.
- October 26, Equity in Access – The final Walkinar will focus on equity, accessibility and the design decision-making process, and ways to avoid disparate impacts on quality of life and safety in communities. Michael Rodriguez, director of research for Smart Growth America; Matt Johnson, bikeways coordinator with the Division of Transportation Engineering for the Montgomery County Department of Transportation; and Charles L. Marohn Jr., an author and founder and president of Strong Towns, will also discuss tools and techniques to make communities safer and more accessible.
October also has been designated as National Pedestrian Safety Month by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition to celebration Walktober, the Maryland Department of Transportation is promoting Pedestrian Safety Month and the state’s first-ever Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, which identifies corridors across the state with the greatest safety and accessibility needs. The State Highway Administration has programmed nearly $100 million to help address safety and accessibility needs identified in the plan.
The Maryland Department of Transportation also is updating its Complete Streets policy, designed to create safe, accessible and multimodal transportation facilities that accommodate users of all ages and abilities. The new policy will take a departmental approach to engage communities and use innovative design and data-driven decision making to align pedestrian, bicycle and transit access goals with the department’s vision for safety, environmental and sustainable transportation. The department is also launching a sidewalk data collaboration project. This initiative will look at how agencies across the U.S. map and monitor sidewalk infrastructure, and help Maryland evaluate the feasibility of creating a statewide sidewalk database.
Additional information on Walktober, including event registration, is available at MDOT here.
