The Walkability Committee made great strides in 2015 by raising more awareness among city leaders about the importance and value of walkable communities.
During one event on March 3, 2015, urban design expert and walkability advocate Paul Young from Toronto visited Thunder Bay, joining committee members and six city councillors on a tour via Thunder Bay Transit. Joanna Carastathis, Health Promotion Planner at the TBDHU, designed the route around problem areas that were identified through community feedback.
“I call it an active tour. It involved the councillors walking and taking a bus ride around the city to locations identified in community comments,” says Carastathis. “The idea was to give councillors the experience of doing things like getting food and travelling the city in the shoes of someone who doesn’t have a car.”
It was also a hands-on tour. At one point, tour participants were asked to push a baby stroller through a snow-covered sidewalk.
“It was pretty well received and I think eye-opening for the councillors,” Carastathis adds.
A walkability workshop for the public was presented by Young who talked about the economic benefits of walkability, how it affects health and safety, and how residents can engage their councillors.
A Walk Friendly Ontario assessment and ideas from the active tour survey prompted improvements such as new pedestrian crossovers which the City should be implementing in 2017, but there is still work to be done.
“This part of our strategy is about moving policy forward. Gaining councillors' support and having them recognize the fact that our city needs to be walkable is important.”