City Of Roswell: Roswell Receives Walk Friendly Community Designation

Press release from the City of Roswell:

05/06/2021 10:56 AM

The City of Roswell has been awarded the bronze-level Walk Friendly Community designation from the Walk Friendly Communities Program (WFC). There are 78 cities across 32 States with a Walk Friendly designation. Roswell is one of only three cities in Georgia to receive this recognition, along with Atlanta and Decatur. With this new recognition, Roswell becomes one of a few cities to be designated as both a Walk Friendly and Bicycle Friendly Community in Georgia.

WFC is a national recognition program developed to encourage cities and towns across the United States to develop and support walking environments with an emphasis on safety, mobility, access, and comfort.

"Roswell understands pedestrian mobility is important to a successful community, so we are constantly striving to improve connectivity and expand pedestrian and bicycle access and safety throughout the City," said Mayor Lori Henry, "This designation shows the City’s commitment to identify, prioritize and invest in our bicycle and pedestrian community."

In 2019, the City completed its first Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan. Through this process, the City evaluated its policies and practices, identified and prioritized bicycle and pedestrian investments, and developed a fiscally realistic implementation strategy.

"Achieving this designation has been a goal for the past four years," said Muhammad Rauf, Roswell Department of Transportation Director. "I commend my hardworking staff and the support from Mayor and Council. This new designation demonstrates a sustained commitment to prioritizing people on foot as part of a well-connected community."

In 2020, the City Council passed a resolution in support of walking and pedestrian safety. The resolution signified that Roswell is a walkable city and that the City recognizes the importance of pedestrian mobility. In addition, the City pledged to sign the International Charter for Walking, a campaign that encourages and promotes walking and pedestrian safety. The City also generates policies to promote the installation of new and wider sidewalks.

To learn more about the Walk Friendly Community designation, visit www.walkfriendly.org.

This press release was produced by the City of Roswell. The views expressed here are the author’s own.