Groups of residents and activists on Wednesday took to the city on foot, studying intersections and pedestrian walkways to determine what's right and what's wrong at so many of them.
The Chicago Department of Transportation hosted the event, which began with workshop at the Harold Washington Library Center, at 400 S. State St.
The goal: to develop the Chicago Pedestrian Plan, a framework for how the city views pedestrians in all aspects of life in Chicago. The aims for the plan are to improve security, increase connectivity, and make the city's walkways a practical means for transportation from one area to the next.
The Plan is being developed by both CDOT and the Mayor's Pedestrial Advisory Council.
CDOT representatives have been traveling the city for the last few months, surveying a handful of busy corners in downtown Chicago and asking the public for information on how to keep pedestrian's safe.
Mark De La Vergne, project manager for the Chicago Pedestrian Plan, has crafted safety goals for which the plan can aspire to achieve. These goals include eliminating pedestrian fatalities altogether in the city within 10 years and reducing pedestrian injuries by 50 percent every 5 years.
CDOT hopes to improve security and increase connectivity by identifying and eliminating gaps and barriers in the pedestrian network and establishing site design and right-away maintenance and operation policies that prioritize pedestrian access and safety.
Wednesday's meeting was one of seven planned. An online webinar will be hosted on the Chicago Pedestrian Plan website on Aug. 31 at 12:00 p.m.
The webinar will include a presentation and a Q&A session.
