WEEKLY WALK AROUND THE NEWS

Author:

Posted by Drew DeVitis

 

Local

 

King County Metro, with Feet First’s assistance, has launched the “In Motion” program in Burien, Renton, and North Seattle/Shoreline to encourage people who live or work in the area to leave their cars behind and use healthier travel options such as transit, bicycling, walking, and carpooling. The program follows the launch of the RapidRide E and F Lines, which offer frequent service along the Aurora Avenue Corridor, and between Renton, Tukwila, SeaTac and Burien.

 

 

Seattle native Joe McConaughy has speed-hiked 55 miles per day for six weeks in an attempt to break the speed record for the Pacific Crest trail. He is raising money to support families of cancer victims and honor his second cousin who died of neuroblastoma in January 2012.

 

A woman, Rebecca Scollard, was tragically struck and killed in a hit-and-run collison on Thursday by a Recology CleanScapes truck as she was crossing between Eight Avenue and James Street. The driver has not been arrested because investigators do not believe he knew he had hit Scollard.

 

 

National

 

Washington, DC Metro opened up the new Silver Line to much fanfare last week, but in order for people to access some stations on foot, they often have no choice but to cross wide, high-speed roads without any crosswalks.

 

Los Angeles Walks and L.A. Streetsblog are teaming up to earn an “L.A. 2050” Grant to make Los Angeles the Healthiest Place to Live by 2050, focusing on the creation of and campaign for a Vision Zero plan.

 

International

 

The movement for car-free cities is gaining momentum, with Hamburg the second-largest city in the Germany, joining Helsinki, Finland in planning to make urban driving obsolete.

 

Victoria Okoye, founder of African Urbanism, is re-imagining public spaces in Accra, Ghana by exploring the entire range of social spaces that already exist in the city.

 

 

If you come across any interesting pedestrian news or stories, please send a link to drew.devitis@gmail.com.

 

 

Photos courtesy of King County Metro, Seattle Times, and Greater Greater Washington.

 

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