FWC Spotlight on Active Transportation
So, What is Active Transportation?
At the heart of Friends of Woodfords Corner’s mission of fostering a thriving, welcoming, and sustainable village hub is the work of the Active Transportation Committee. But what is Active Transportation, and what does the committee actually do? Very simply it comes down to making Woodfords Corner more walkable.
Walkability is really a kind of shorthand for thriving, welcoming, and sustainable. Think of places you’ve been that check all those boxes and you will picture places with lots of people walking around. But you don’t need to walk to benefit from walkability; the same principles that make places walkable also make them more accessible for people on bicycles and in wheelchairs, and for those who use public transit. If you want to learn more about walkability, have a look at this TED Talk by Jeff Speck, as well as this one, which describes in detail the four basic elements of walkability: there must be a reason to walk, it must be safe, it must be comfortable, and it must be interesting. And if you have the time you really should read his book Walkable City. If you’re inspired to walk the walkability walk, sign up for the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Community Spokes training, and become part of a growing coalition of people working to improve biking and walking conditions throughout Maine.
So what does the Active Transportation Committee (ATC) do?
Held a series of walking conversations in 2019 with neighbors as well as local and state officials to look at what was working and what needed improvement.
Conducted regular walking meetings with members of City Council and Mayor Snyder to familiarize them with the range of issues that relate to active transportation.
Engaged in regular communication with METRO to stay on top of ridership trends and ensure the best placement of stops and shelters.
Organized an ongoing Know Snow campaign- simplifying the City’s sidewalk snow removal ordinance to a one-page document, having it translated into seven languages, and using it to educate property owners and businesses about the need to keep sidewalks clear of snow and ice- all to help ensure that the Corner remains walkable throughout winter.
Partnered with the Bicycle Coalition of Maine’s Imagine People Here program to design, permit, and install a demonstration project* on Deering Avenue at Revere Street. The project tested changes to the street design aimed at slowing traffic and improving pedestrian and bike safety, and was recently named 2021 Best Project by the Maine Development Foundation.
The Active Transportation Committee has great plans for 2022 and beyond, and it will not be working alone. In addition to productive partnerships with the City of Portland, the Bicycle Coalition of Maine, and METRO, the committee will be looking for support from the State of Maine, which is developing an Active Transportation Plan that will help leverage additional funds from the recently-passed Federal infrastructure bill.
If you’re interested in learning more, please check out our website. If you’d like to join the committee, please email Nancy Grant, nancylewisgrant@gmail.com.
* “A demonstration project is a means of promoting innovations and capturing and disseminating best practice through the development and analysis of a live project. This can help build an evidence base to test and support industry improvements.” (https://www.designingbuildings.co.uk/)