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Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is a Walk Friendly Community?

    2. A Walk Friendly Community is a city or town that has shown a commitment to improving walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans and policies. Communities can apply to the program to receive recognition in the form of a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum designation. At this time, applications are only accepted from individual cities and towns. Other areas, such as neighborhoods, cannot be considered for the Walk Friendly Communities designation. Counties will not be considered unless the county and city government are the same entity (such as in Arlington, Virginia). If you have a question about your community's eligibility, please contact info@walkfriendly.org.

  2. Why should my community apply for this?

    3. By applying for a Walk Friendly Community designation, your community will receive specific suggestions and resources on how to make needed changes for pedestrian safety. Through the questions in the assessment tool, your communities will be able to identify the areas of needed improvements that can form the framework for your comprehensive pedestrian improvement plan.

    Communities awarded with a Walk Friendly Community designation will receive national recognition for their efforts to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access and comfort.

  3. How does my community apply?

    4. Start by reviewing the Getting Started page. Once you have prepared for your application, create a registration account for your community's Walk Friendly Communities application.

  4. Who should apply within my community?

    5. The application process will be a collaborative effort — individuals from multiple agencies and backgrounds will need to be involved in the process. It is recommended, however, to have one application coordinator per community to oversee the entire process. That person may be a planner, engineer, law enforcement official, or advocate.

  5. When is the deadline to apply?

    6. Applications will be accepted twice each year. The next round of completed applications are due by 5PM ET on June 15, 2011. The following round of applications will open on November 1, 2012, and those applications will be due by December 15, 2012.

  6. Is there a cost to apply?

    7. No, there is no cost to apply for a Walk Friendly Community designation. While there is no monetary cost, the application form is certainly an investment of your time. The PBIC anticipates it will take each community approximately 20–60 hours of time to complete an application.

  7. How can I get help applying?

    8. The project staff can be contacted by phone (919-962-2203) or email if you encounter issues while applying. Since the volume of requests for technical assistance could be significant during application periods, please allow time for the project team to receive, triage, and respond to each question.

  8. What happens after we apply?

    9. Once the deadline submission has passed, the review panel will begin scoring applications. Individuals from the review panel may need to contact you to clarify responses to particular questions. When all applications have been scored by multiple reviewers, the awards will be announced. Announcements will be made between 2–3 months after the submission deadline.