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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />April 11, 2012 <br /> <br />CONTACT: <br />Lee Shoemaker, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, 541-682-5471 <br /> <br />From Public Information Section, 541-682-5523 or 541-954-2938 <br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE <br /> <br />Eugene Named Gold Level Walk Friendly Community <br />The city of Eugene has been designated as a gold-level “Walk Friendly Community” for its <br />walkability initiatives and programs. <br />The national Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center announced the prestigious <br />recognition today from its headquarters at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. <br />“We are excited to designate Eugene as a Walk Friendly Community,” said WFC program <br />manager Carl Sundstrom. ”The clear support from elected officials for creating 20-minute <br />neighborhoods, the level of sophistication in the planning documents and code requirements of the <br />city, the public transportation options and the extensive trail network were quite impressive <br />achievements. Eugene is a model for communities across the United States.” <br />Eugene is among four communities recognized in the latest round of Walk Friendly <br />Communities announced. To date, 24 communities in the U.S. have been designated, eight of them <br />at the gold level. In Oregon, Corvallis has earned gold- and Wilsonville has earned bronze-level <br />recognition. <br />Other reasons cited in Eugene’s recognition: the 2011 Pedestrian Safety Summit; the <br />number of accessibility features such as crossings, ramps and signals; 42 miles of paths and five <br />footbridges in Eugene’s trail system; and successful events such as the Business Commute <br />Challenge, the SmartTrips program, and Sunday Streets that promote health benefits and the fact <br />that walking is good for business. <br />“Not only did we receive this great honor, but we also got some excellent suggestions on <br />things we could do better,” said Lee Shoemaker, the city’s bicycle and pedestrian coordinator. <br />Among those ideas: create a special focus group to bring engineering, planning, transit and <br />enforcement staff together; increase the number of sidewalks in the city; emphasize pedestrian <br />connectivity between destinations; reduce the number of accidents involving pedestrians, and strive <br />to increase the number of people who choose to walk for business and pleasure. <br /># # # <br /> <br />Public Works Administration ● City of Eugene ● 101 E. Broadway, Suite 400, Eugene, OR 97401 <br />Phone 541-682-8421 ● Fax 541-682-6826 ● www.eugene-or.gov/pw <br />