Walkability Workshop To Seek Easier Paths for All

​Walking. It’s such an essential part of life that we have an endless supply of clichés about it.
     We can walk a fine line, a tightrope, or a mile in someone else’s shoes.  When we’re younger, so many things seem easy - a cakewalk, you might say. A walk in the park. A walk down the aisle. Even a walk on the wild side.

     As we get older, walking the walk can get harder. That’s why we need to start talking the talk of “walkability.”
     How walkable is the township of Teaneck? Age-Friendly Teaneck, the Township, and the New Jersey Department of Transportation will try to get a better measure of that on Oct. 9, when officials from each join together to host a “Senior Walkability Workshop.”
     All are invited to participate and help point out the uneven sidewalks, troublesome crosswalks or rutted walking paths that can serve as barriers to an older adult with a disability – or to a young parent with a stroller. 
     The event is targeted to seniors, advocates, community decision-makers or anyone interested in making Teaneck’s streets and intersections safer for all users of all ages.
     The event, to be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 pm in the Township Council Chambers, will begin with presentations on the benefits to walking and ways to identify and overcome barriers. 
     Comfortable shoes are recommended because there will be a short field trip, during which residents and township officials can observe barriers firsthand and share information about specific locations with challenges. That will be followed by brainstorming sessions on strategies to improve walkability.
     The information yielded in the workshop will be used by the urban planning consultants at Civic Eye Collaborative to produce a comprehensive report on Teaneck’s walkability issues. 
     The event is free, but registration is required. Please email [email protected].
     The mission of Age-Friendly Teaneck is to ensure that Teaneck older adults can age-in-place with dignity and independence. Enhancing transportation options and improving pedestrian safety are two of the targeted goals, as they are key ingredients to making Teaneck a more livable community for all.

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