Indianapolis walking toward first pedestrian plan

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – A pedestrian plan has been put together to help the City of Indianapolis become more walkable.

Saturday, the last of two open houses was held so community members could see where the plan stands and give their input for how the plan can be improved.

The pedestrian plan, which is the city’s first, is called WalkWays. The goal is to not only make things easier for the people who walk, but to encourage others to walk.

It’s reported two out of three adults in Marion County are either overweight or obese. A 2014 study by Walkscore.com ranked Indianapolis as the worst city in the country for food deserts.

According to the USDA, food deserts are places lacking of fresh fruit, vegetables and other healthful whole foods.

The City of Indianapolis, Marion County Public Health Department, and members of the Health by Design coalition comprise the WalkWays team which received a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for $135,000.

Health by Design executive director, Kim Irwin, said the majority of the grant money will be used to implement the pedestrian plan. Some of the grant money will also be used by administration salaries.

As part of the open houses, the public was invited to add to the vision for improved walkability and provide input on how decisions regarding the city’s walkways should be made in the future.

Irwin said, “We’re asking people to help us think about the types of places in the city where walkability is extra important. People who ride transit often walk to that transit stop and from it, right? And so in addition to transit routes, what are the types of locations whether it’s schools or parks or medical facilities churches or libraries. What are those types of places?”

Citizens still have two more weeks to give their feedback. Click here to fill out a survey.

Irwin said the plan will be completed by the end of March and it’s intended to be adopted in April as part of the county’s comprehensive plan.