Visitors and residents are going to want to lace up their walking shoes and discover why the City of Ann Arbor (pop. 114,000) was recently recognized by Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) as one of the 10 Best Walking Cities in America. Ann Arbor ranked # 3 in a survey of more than 500 cities.
Visitors and residents are going to want to lace up their walking shoes and discover why the
City of Ann Arbor (pop. 114,000) was recently recognized by Prevention magazine and the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) as one of the 10 Best Walking Cities in America. Ann Arbor ranked # 3 in a survey of more than 500 cities.
The APMA and Prevention annually team up to measure the walkability of America’s cities. According to the magazine, walking is the most popular form of exercise with 87.5 percent of Americans walking for fitness.
Cities were tested on 14 walking criteria, including crime rates and pollution as well as number of parks and the percentage of people who walk to work, use mass transit, and walk for exercise.
“The City of Ann Arbor is thrilled to be recognized for its commitment to alternative forms of transportation, which not only increases the quality of life for our residents but also supports a greener environment,” said Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje.
“We have made a strong commitment to non-motorized transportation and we are winning awards for it.” Back in the spring of 2006 Bicycling Magazine put Ann Arbor in its Top 21 Cycling Cities in the Nation, 3rd best in its population class.
Few would argue that strong pedestrian facilities help to create a community that is physically active, accessible, and exceedingly livable.
In fact, 57 percent of respondents in a 2007 Ann Arbor Citizen survey reported the availability of alternative forms of transportation was essential or very important to their quality of life.
City of Ann Arbor Walking Facts:
- 400 miles of sidewalks
- 22.5 miles of shared use paths
Notable planned improvement projects related to walking:
- 2008 MDOT Pedestrian Safety Award – over 50 locations,
- 2009 Washtenaw Avenue Shared-use Path – approx 1.1 miles of new facilities.
For more information, contact Lisa Wondrash, Communications Unit Manager, at 734.323.4692.