FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center has designated Springfield a bronze Walk Friendly Community for its walkability initiatives and programs. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration and FedEx, Walk Friendly Communities is a national recognition program aimed at recognizing communities for their commitment to pedestrian safety. Springfield has made walkability a priority since the adoption of Vision 20/20 in 1998, with increased investment in sidewalks and trails through the City budget and by the development community, according to Pedestrian and Bicycle Engineer David Hutchison, P.E. "Three-quarters of downtown streets have been upgraded to provide attractive accessible sidewalks with uniform lighting and landscape features. Springfield is improving the walkway network with programs to remove barriers and upgrade and construct sidewalks," Hutchison said. "Our development code now requires sidewalks with new building and subdivision construction and we have programs for a trail network and development of continuous walking routes such as The LINK. As a result, key sidewalk gaps are being filled in on our street network and nearly 100 miles of trail have been built in Springfield and Greene County," he continued. The Walk Friendly Community designation, awarded from bronze to platinum, is given to applicant communities that have demonstrated a commitment to improving and sustaining walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. To date, 57 communities in the U.S. have been designated as Walk Friendly Communities. For more information about Walk Friendly Communities, please visit walkfriendly.org. ### For more information, please contact David Hutchison at 417-864-1971 or [email protected]