Celebrate Maryland’s Official Exercise with Walktober!
Walking is an activity that’s part of daily life for many Marylanders, and is recognized as a healthful transportation choice. In fact, walking is Maryland’s official state exercise! But with issues of pedestrian safety and access, many communities recognize walking – and improving the walkability of our neighborhoods – are goals that require public attention and action.
Join us for Maryland’s second annual WALKTOBER, a month where the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) and partnering agencies will promote and host events and webinars spotlighting Maryland pedestrian safety, health and commuting options in current walk programs and initiatives.
Throughout October, working in coordination with several state agencies and other partners, MDOT will share informational resources and a series of free webinars – or Walkinars – that are open to all. The month also includes Walk Maryland Day on October 6th, a celebration that encourages all Marylanders to step out to enjoy walking or some other form of physical activity.
Throughout Walktober, you can learn how to support walking and walkability in your community, and how to partner with others to help identify and address issues related to safety and accessibility across the state.
The Walkinar series is tailored to interest pedestrian enthusiasts, advocates, planners and residents. These free, 90-minute Walkinars will highlight how we can collectively rally around walking, an activity that is both central to the state’s active transportation efforts and a critical strategy to promote public well-being.
The Walktober Walkinar series, hosted by the Maryland Department of Planning, will help planners, local officials, stakeholders and the public at large learn how to advocate for safe walking infrastructure. Walkinar panelists will highlight different pedestrian focused topics including: safety, health, infrastructure, and enforcement, as well programs throughout the State.
All webinars will be held 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. EST Thursdays, October 7, 14, 21 and 28. See the specifics below.
Participants in each live broadcast “Walkinar” are also eligible to receive 1.5 Certification Maintenance (CM) credits from the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) to support their professional planning certification.
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Walkinar 1: Taking Fresh Steps toward a More Walk-Friendly Maryland
October 7, 2021
Walkinar #1 will introduce new efforts and perspectives on walkability at the national level. It will include fresh insights on how our infrastructure has evolved from an historical and technological perspective and will help contextualize some of the key challenges faced by today’s pedestrians across the country. The Federal Highway Administration who in response to the growing number of pedestrian crashes on America’s roadways has initiated what they call the “STEP”
program: which stands for Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian. We will also hear from the University of Washington, where important advances in building equitable data frameworks are underway – to improve inclusive access for all pedestrians and from Professor Peter Norton of the University of Virginia who specializes in the history and future of mobility, sustainable mobility, and social dimensions of engineering.
Panelists:
- Timothy Taylor, FHWA, STEP Program
- Anat Caspi, Data Equity Project
- Peter Norton, Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering and Society at the University of Virginia
Walkinar 2: Walking toward a Healthier Maryland
October 14, 2021
Walkinar #2 will focus on how walking – for recreation or for transportation, can become a core component of more healthful living. In a recent customer survey, MDOT learned that although few Marylanders can walk to work, those who do - cite health benefits as their primary motivation. Whether it is a quick trip to a local destination, a sidewalk stroll in a local park, or a hike on one of Maryland’s great trails, MDOT and many partner agencies are working to provide safe and
equitable access to healthful walking opportunities. You will hear from AARP, the Maryland Department of Health, and the founder of Walk with a Doc about how to develop and deliver innovative planning and programming techniques to support healthful walk activity.
Panelists:
- Michael B. Friedman, AARP
- Olubukola Alonge, MD, MPH
- Dr. David Sabgir, MD, FACC Founder, CEO, Board President, Cardiologist, WALK WITH A DOC
Walkinar 3: Pedestrian Safety: Trends, Measures, and Solutions
October 21, 2021
Walkinar #3 will cover a broad range of key themes, including planning, safety, equity, and enforcement. Speakers will highlight key planning and safety techniques to help measure and improve the quality of our infrastructure. This will include discussion of recent efforts to calculate a “Pedestrian Level of Comfort” in Montgomery County, and efforts on behalf of MDOT’s State Highway Administration to ensure roadway design features reflect user needs and land use contexts.
In addition to improving the infrastructure itself, we need to look at measures to improve how the infrastructure is used, and to cultivate more safe and respectful attitudes and behaviors that reflect the lawful use of these shared public spaces. Finally, the session will highlight disturbing trends underpinning America’s crisis in pedestrian safety – and discuss the critical theme of equity in seeking solutions.
Panelists:
- Sgt. Tom Morehouse, Baltimore County, Enforcement
- Kandese Holford, MDOT SHA, Pedestrian Safety & Context Sensitive Design
- Eli Glazier, MNCPPC, Level of Comfort
- Angie Schmitt, Author of Right of Way: Race, Class and the Silent Crisis of Pedestrian Deaths in America
Walkinar 4: Great Partners and Creative Approaches for Promoting Safe Walk Opportunities
October 28, 2021
Walkinar #4 will discuss some of the fun ways that many of our community partners have sought to promote safe walk activity in cities as well as the suburbs. MDOT is particularly pleased to highlight a few examples that were supported from our Highway Safety Office, whose grant programs supported both the Made You Look and Look Alive Campaigns in and around Baltimore. In addition, we’re pleased to shine a spotlight on the great work of our partners at the University of Maryland
Extension – who in partnering with LiveWell Frederick to create and promote a Story Path initiative, a great success story in expanding participation in walk events for people of all ages.
Panelists:
- Catherine Sorensen, StoryPath, Frederick
- Quinton Batts & Vilde Ulset, Made You Look, Baltimore
- Kenna Swift, Sherry Matthews Group, Signal Woman
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To learn more about Walktober, Walk Maryland Day, and our partnering agencies, please click here!
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