| American Podiatric Medical Association Names Arlington No. 1
ARLINGTON, Va. – Twelve thousand foot doctors can’t be wrong: Arlington is the number one place in America for walking, topping the American Podiatric Medical Association’s list of the “Top 10 Best U.S. Walking Cities.”
For the third year in a row, APMA conducted a walking study as part of its Best Walking City Competition. This year’s competition surveyed 200 U.S. cities based on three walking conducive categories: healthy lifestyles, modes of transportation to and from work and involvement in fitness and sport activities. Last December, Arlington was named the safest place for pedestrians in Northern Virginia by the Surface Transportation Policy Project.
“Encouraging walking for enjoyment and to promote health is one of my top priorities this year,” said County Board Chairman Jay Fisette. “I hope this ringing endorsement of Arlington as a walkable community will inspire residents, commuters and visitors to get out and get moving.”
In selecting Arlington, the APMA noted that 23 percent of workers in the County use public transportation to get around: “Keeping on their feet may be a way of life since 35 percent of Arlingtonians walk for exercise.”
Rounding out the list of best walking cities, in order, are: San Francisco; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Boston; Washington, D.C.; New York City; Eugene, Ore.; Jersey City, N.J. and Denver.
A commitment to walkability
Over the last five years, Arlington has invested more than $17 million on 67 pedestrian-safety-related capital improvements, such as neighborhood traffic-calming measures intersection improvements and sidewalks. Currently, more than $17.5 million in projects are in the pipeline, and about $16.2 million are budgeted over the next six years. These figures do not include other transportation improvements, all of which are designed with pedestrians in mind.
WALKArlington
Arlington prides itself as a walkable community and promotes walking through its WALKArlington program and initiatives. WALKArlington is an inter-disciplinary effort that promotes the County’s “urban village” character – where goods and services and other needs are located close to one another and to residences and workers, and where walking is the safest, healthiest and most enjoyable way to get around. For a complete list of walking resources, visit WALKArlington.com.
Among the County’s walkability initiatives are:
Traffic Signal Optimization – Since 2003, the County has retimed traffic and pedestrian crossing signals at 100 intersections to provide additional crossing time, improving pedestrian safety and traffic flow. An additional 94 are scheduled to be completed by August.
Safe Routes to Schools – A core element of the program is the evaluation of pedestrian safety conditions around all 32 Arlington County schools, and the engineering (design) and construction necessary to remedy any problems the evaluations uncover. It’s a partnership between Arlington Public Schools, Arlington Department of Environmental Services and Arlington Police Department.
Ballston Pilot Project – A pilot to retrofit central Ballston’s public space with walkability improvements such as curb extensions (nubs), new crosswalks and handicap ramps. It will also introduce a decorative pedestrian-oriented intersection, new street lighting, trees and vendor kiosks to enhance the overall pedestrian environment in this mostly built out, high-density mixed-use neighborhood that is centered around a Metro station.
“Walking is one of the best exercises for your feet,” Dr. Lloyd Smith, president of the APMA, said in a press release. “The Best Walking City Competition encourages Americans living in cities to get out and walk in an effort to keep their feet and bodies’ fit.”
About APMA
Founded in 1912, the American Podiatric Medical Association is the nation’s leading professional society for foot and ankle specialists. The association has component societies in 53 locations in the United States and its territories and a membership of more than 12,000 doctors of podiatric medicine.
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Arlington, Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. It is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, occupying slightly less than 26 square miles. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods, quality schools and enlightened land use, and received the Environmental Protection Agency’s highest award for “Smart Growth” in 2002. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world – including the Pentagon – Arlington stands out as one of America’s preeminent places to live, visit and do business.
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