Seattle was recently designated a platinum-level Walk Friendly Community. Walk Friendly Communities is a national program that recognizes cities for their commitment to walkability and pedestrian safety. Awards were given at the platinum, gold, silver and bronze level, and we stood alone as the only platinum award winner. The judges were especially impressed with Seattle’s:
- Pedestrian Master Plan, with its clear and measurable goals
- Neighborhood traffic calming program
- Right-of-Way Improvements Manual
- Summer Streets program.
Reviewers complimented Seattle for its support of active transportation by “stepping outside the status quo and making an effort to improve walkability and health in the community.” Summer Streets is a prime example of these efforts. The Summer Streets program transforms a street in the heart of a neighborhood into a public place for the community to celebrate for a day, then turns the street back into an arterial to move commuters the next day.
But our city is truly walkable only when community members do their part, so get out and walk!
In fact, get out and walk—and bike and just play—at Summer Streets in Ballard on Fri. May 20 and at Alki Beach on Sun. May 22.
Of course we’re not resting on our laurels. We didn’t get the award because we have all the needed infrastructure for pedestrians; the award is for our attitude and willingness to do all we can to continue working to make Seattle more walkable and a better place to live. 
More information on the awards can be found here.