Ann Arbor recognized as a national ‘walk friendly’ city

16.5% of Ann Arborites walk to work, according to 2020 Census

Hundreds of hungry eaters descend on downtown Tree Town for Taste of Ann Arbor 2022. (Sarah Parlette, WDIV)

ANN ARBOR – Ann Arbor has been recognized by the Walk Friendly Communities program as a “Walk Friendly” designation and Gold-level community.

A national program, WFC was created to promote walking environments in cities and towns across the U.S. with a focus on safety, access, mobility and comfort.

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Twenty-three cities and towns across the country were recognized by the WFC for creating safe spaces to walk and prioritizing pedestrians.

“This designation highlights the coordinated efforts among our elected officials, city leadership, staff and the residents of Ann Arbor to make our city a comfortable, accessible and safe place to walk,” City of Ann Arbor transportation manager Raymond Hess said in a statement.

“While we recognize there is still much work to be done, this designation underscores our continued commitment to the implementation of the city’s Moving Together Towards Vision Zero Transportation Master Plan where we seek to achieve zero deaths and zero emissions.”

Read: Our favorite walks in the Ann Arbor area

According to a city release, Ann Arbor has added 94 crosswalks, 49 rectangular rapid flash beacons and 28 pedestrian refuge islands since 2007.

The city has also added 11.1 miles of new sidewalks since 2013, for a total of 437.6 miles of walkways for residents and visitors.

City officials determined the length based on data from its Sidewalk Gaps Prioritization and Progress dashboard.

Neighboring Ypsilanti received a Silver-level recognition this year.

Since its inception in 2010, the WFC program has recognized 82 cities and towns in 32 states.

To learn more about the initiative, visit www.walkfriendly.org.