Activity-Friendly Routes
to Everyday Destinations
Activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations is an Active People, Healthy Nation strategy to improve the design of communities by connecting routes such as sidewalks, trails, bicycle lanes, and public transit to destinations such as grocery stores, schools, worksites, libraries, parks or health care facilities. This strategy makes it safe and easy to walk, bicycle, or wheelchair roll for people of all ages and abilities. States, local governments, and community organizations can use the following approaches to carry out this strategy:
Complete Streets policies
Complete Streets policies support the routine design and operation of streets and communities that are safe for all pedestrians, regardless of age, ability, or transportation mode. Key features found on Complete Streets include sidewalks, protected bike lanes, special bus lanes, comfortable and accessible transit stops, frequent crossing opportunities, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, and curb extensions.
- Complete Streets NC
- Complete Streets Guidelines
- Complete Streets Appendices
- Bicycle Countermeasure Selection System (2006 version; in the process of being updated)
- CMF Clearinghouse
- Guidelines for Planting within Highway Right-of-Way
- Highway Safety Manual
- NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide
- North Carolina Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Data Tool and Crash Fact Summary Reports
- PBIC Free Webinar Series
- PEDSAFE: Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection System
- Complete Streets and Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans
Comprehensive or master plans
A comprehensive plan, also called the general plan or community master plan, is the official statement of a local government establishing policies for its long-term development. These documents can be created through a collaboration between citizens, planners, and city leaders to include policies that guide investments to improve residents’ health outcomes by increasing physical activity opportunities.
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Health 101
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations & Health 201: Best Practices & Promising Opportunities for Health
- American Planning Association of North Carolina Planning Training Manual
- Health Impact Assessments
- North Carolina Guide to Incorporating Health Considerations into Comprehensive Plans
- Regional Planning and Health: How MPOs Are Using Regional Transportation Planning to Advance Health
- Guidebook on Local Planning for Healthy Communities
Zoning policies
Zoning policies influence the design of communities and the location of different land use types, such as commercial and residential development. This can influence distances between the two and in turn the feasibility for active travel. Policies outlined in comprehensive or master plans often guide zoning codes and other land development regulations.
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations and Health 101
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations & Health 201: Best Practices & Promising Opportunities for Health
- Health Impact Assessments
- Local Policies and Practices That Support Safe Pedestrian Environments
- Guidebook on Local Planning for Healthy Communities
- Linking Transit Agencies & Land Use Decision Making — Guidebook for Transit Agencies
Safe Routes
Safe Routes is a comprehensive approach to improve safety and security for everyone walking, bicycling, and wheelchair rolling. Safe Routes approaches such as Safe Routes to School and Safe Routes to Parks include infrastructure improvements for better traffic laws, safety education, and incentives to encourage walking and bicycling to community destinations.
- Active Routes to School
- How to Plan a Walk to School Event
- 10-Minute Walk to Park Campaign
- Safe Routes to Parks Initiative
- A Checklist for Facilitating Community Engagement During Safe Routes to Parks Visioning Activities
- "But How Will We Pay For It?" Active Transportation Funding Mechanisms: Municipal Bonds 101
- Safe Routes to Healthy Food: Recommendations for Regional Planning Organizations
