State agencies seek feedback on Minnesota Walks

The Minnesota departments of transportation and health are seeking public feedback on Minnesota Walks – a statewide guide for creating safe, desirable and convenient places to walk and roll where Minnesotans live, work, learn and play.

Minnesota Walks is Minnesota’s first comprehensive statewide effort to address pedestrian needs and challenges. When completed, it will guide transportation and pedestrian planning, decision-making and collaboration for agencies, organizations, policymakers and public and private entities across the state. The goal of the work is to make walking safe, convenient and desirable for everyone in Minnesota.

The document is available for review at Minnesota Walks. Members of the public are invited to share their feedback through August 21.

“Minnesota Walks will guide and advance the vision to improve the pedestrian environment at the local, state and regional levels,” said Jean Wallace, assistant director for the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s (MnDOT) Modal Planning and Program Management Division and co-chair of the project advisory committee. “People in Minnesota were great at giving us their thoughts during the first round of public input. As we finalize this document, it will be our action plan for making all cities and towns walkable communities.”

Thousands of people in Minnesota from communities and organizations helped develop Minnesota Walks. They attended events, contributed their ideas online, attended meetings, provided leadership and identified challenges. In addition to this input, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), MnDOT and the project advisory committee collected expert opinions and the most current research.

“Minnesota Walks will be such a useful tool for our Statewide Health Improvement Program grantees and local partners who are working to expand opportunities for active living – including walking – to improve health in communities across the state,” said Julie Myhre, director of the MDH Office of Statewide Health Improvement Initiatives and co-chair of the project advisory committee.

People can make comments on the Minnesota Walks project website or by sending an email tohealth.activeliving@state.mn.us. In addition, people are encouraged to join the conversation on Facebook (follow @mndot) or on Twitter (use hashtag #mnwalks).

-MDH-