Municipalities Work Together and Endorse Pedestrian Charters

Thanks to Active Halton, all four municipalities in Halton (Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton, and Oakville) have endorsed a Pedestrian Charter as of July 16, 2009.

Halton Hills’ Pedestrian Charter was endorsed by Town Council this past June and aligns with the other municipalities in Halton Region. Pedestrian Charters will be posted in a variety of locations throughout Halton Hills and can be found online by visiting municipal website. The Charter encourages a walking culture in all parts of town. It speaks to a vision of a walkable community and addresses values related to safety, the environment, landuse planning and quality of life. The charter’s endorsement is a big step in the right direction for supporting active, livable Halton Hills! Speaking of walking, do you have a copy of the new Halton Hills Trails map yet? Pick one up at Town facilities or via online
The Charters are modeled after the walk21’s International Charter for Walking that identifies a set of principles that ensure walking is a safe, healthy, and convenient form of travel. Over 380 cities and organizations world wide have signed the charter, according to the Walk 21 website.

“Walking is an easy way to be physically active and it is a greener way to travel,” says Andrea Bibby, Co-Chair of Active Halton. “Having the pedestrian charters endorsed by municipal council is a huge accomplishment for us. It sends a message to residents that their town or city really values and supports a culture of walking.”

Many people today are less physically active at work, use more labour-saving devices, and drive more than their parents and grandparents before them. In a 2006 Census survey, Statistics Canada found that just over four percent of Halton residents walk or bike to work. This is part of the reason why Active Halton set a goal to work together to have local pedestrian charters endorsed in each municipality in 2009.

Active Halton also supports and promotes many walking programs in Halton such as walkON, Active and Safe Routes to School, and the Library Pedometer Lending Program.

walk21 holds international conferences every year to encourage the idea that we need to build communities where people can choose to walk. The walkON program was presented at the past two conferences in Toronto (2007) and Barcelona (2008), and it is scheduled to present again in New York this fall.

Active Halton has an ambitious plan to increase the physical activity levels of Halton residents by 20% by 2012. Active Halton works together with the community to accomplish their goal by facilitating workshops, sharing information and resources, networking, and educating the community about the benefits of physical activity.

To join Active Halton in their quest to get Halton residents active, visit the library and borrow a pedometer today.

Visit www.activehalton.ca or call 905-510-6968 for more information
Active Halton is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation and Choices 4 Health

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