It’s off to a soggy start, but Maryland’s “Walktober” is featuring a series of events that focus on walking as more than just a great way to get in some exercise.
Meg Young, Maryland Department of Transportation’s deputy director of active transportation and micromobility, told WTOP that more than 100 organized walks have been set up for Walk Maryland Day on Wednesday. Residents signed up to be “sole mates” and join the walks all across the state.
Young is excited about the focus of the month ahead, dubbed “Walktober” by MDOT.
“Walking is the original form of transportation,” and too often, said Young, the tendency is to hop in a car for a trip that could be done on foot.
“Even on a rainy day,” Young said, “I would still rather take the walk from the train station, get to enjoy some fresh air, and get my blood flowing even if I have to wear a raincoat to do it.”
On Thursday, Lt. Gov. Aruna Miller will kick off a series of “Walkinars,” webinars that focus on a variety of topics from student safety to creating more walkable neighborhoods.
Referring to Miller’s background as a transportation engineer, Young said, “I love that we have a champion in the administration. Her experience working in transportation means she understands the work we’re doing,” and can help translate the technical aspects to people’s experience in communities.
Young said Maryland has some excellent programs designed to help foster walking among the youngest residents in the “Safe Routes To Schools Program” and that getting leaders out on walks can have a big impact.
“When you take a principal or a school administrator and have them walk the route that kids walk to get to school, there’s always an ‘a-ha’ moment. Every time,” she said.
Other things that transportation officials will be looking at is how infrastructure either encourages or provides barriers to walking for the state’s aging population or people with disabilities. Young said that’s important because changes to the built environment can benefit more than just the targeted population.
“When you think about somebody with a walker needing a curb cut on a sidewalk, that’s really the same need as somebody who’s pushing a stroller is going to have,” said Young.
Along with the celebration of walking as a pleasant way to get from one place to another, Young said MDOT is currently carrying out a “sidewalk data collaboration,” an examination and documentation of the condition of sidewalks.
She said it “would make us the first state in the nation to have a full data set of sidewalks across our state” to help prioritize projects.
“We have this data for motor vehicles,” Young said, adding that pedestrian infrastructure is getting more attention.
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