Feet First

Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood is the focus of the final walk in this summer’s series, this Wednesday (8/14/24) at 6 pm. Register at downtownonthego.com.

TGIF! Let do the driving to your favorite spots this weekend (and every Saturday and Sunday through 9/15). Thanks to service, it’s a snap to get a stress-free lift to Mount Si, Poo Poo Point, and more.

Calling Eastside pedestrians!🚶 The has three evening neighborhood walks planned this week: Monday (7/15) West Lake Sammamish/Lake Hills, Wednesday (7/17) Factoria, and Thursday (7/18) West Bellevue. Meet and walk with city officials to share your insights and ideas about walking in Bellevue. See bellevuewa.gov for details.

Great ideas for walks all around Washington in our latest blog post - here's one coming up in Tacoma in August (and shout-out to Downtown: On the Go!)

"Walk Tacoma
(August 14, 2024)

People’s Park in Tacoma’s vibrant Hilltop neighborhood will be the starting point for an evening stroll celebrating 15 years of Walk Tacoma. This is the last in-person walk for the 2024 series, but past tours are available virtually on the GeoTourist app. Learn more at DowntownOnTheGo.com."

See more at https://feetfirst.org/take-a-walklate-summer-2024/

Take a WAlk—Late Summer 2024 - Feet First Looking for an opportunity to explore Washington on foot? Here are a few timely ideas: Walk Tacoma(August 14, 2024) People’s Park in Tacoma’s vibrant Hilltop neighborhood will be the starting […]

As we approach GiveBIG, Feet First wants you to know how much we appreciate, and depend on, your support. We continue to be active in Safe Routes to School efforts, including our involvement in the Washington SRTS Network, a coalition of school and agency officials and fellow nonprofit personnel dedicated to encouraging school children to walk or bike to school. In support of these endeavors, Feet First recently sponsored a free webinar series about promoting student leadership in SRTS programs at their local school.

You can give to Feet First here -

www.wagives.org

Join the Feet First Communications & Events Committee!

Feet First is looking for people to help form a Communications & Events Committee in support of our mission to ensure that all communities in Washington are walkable.
This committee will be a standing body with goals of improving the visibility of the organization to the public in multiple formats.

The committee will be responsible for sending out information to our supporters, news media, and elected officials officials and other policy makers. This includes writing blog posts for our website at www.feetfirst.org as well as for Facebook and Instagram,
to let people know about Feet First activities and news regarding
pedestrian issues in general.

It also includes updating our Feet First website as needed with events, news, links or other data. It also includes planning for events.

Past events include lectures on topics related to walking, stairway walks, and informational walk & talks.

Among the desirable talents we are looking for:

* writing and editing ability
* social media experience
* website design and maintenance
* graphic design
* event planning

Committee members should anticipate being available an average of 3-4 hours per month. We anticipate establishing a regular monthly meeting at a time to be determined.

If you are interested in joining our communications & events committee, please go here https://tinyurl.com/1ffcc1 to fill out an interest form.

Home - Feet First PROMOTING WALKABLE COMMUNITIES Feet First empowers communities throughout Washington State to create safe, healthy, and equitable public spaces for people walking and rolling. What We Do SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER […]

Join Feet First for a webinar series on Student Leadership Model in Safe Routes to School! Read our blog post for details. Everyone is welcome!

Free Webinar: SRTS Student Leadership Model. - Feet First Free Webinar: SRTS Student Leadership Model Spring 2024 Webinar Series Most Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) efforts are organized and led by adults. The Student Leadership Model is different in […]

Happy almost 2024! We're grateful for all your support and looking forward to continue to work for pedestrians all around Washington. Please give if you can!

https://feetfirst.org/support-feet-firsts-annual-campaign/

We are grateful for the time that Chas Redmond shared with all of us at Feet First over many years. His passion for walking and pedestrians was real, and his energy and dedication for making things better were also very real.

Chas Redmond, 1947-2023 - Feet First It is with great sadness that we report the passing of former Feet First boardmember Chas Redmond this last November 6. He died peacefully after suffering a stroke earlier in … Chas Redmond, 1947-2023 Read More »

We are thrilled to see progress on lowering speed limits - one step of many toward improving pedestrian safety. Happy holidays to all our friends and fans!

Jurisdictions Around the Country are Lowering Speed Limits - Feet First While it’s too soon to tell if this signifies a trend, a number of jurisdictions around the country are lowering speed limits on some of their roadways. In July, Bozeman, … Jurisdictions Around the Country are Lowering Speed Limits Read More »

We love this story, recycling infrastructure and expanding places for people to walk!

Pedestrian bridge in Seattle to be repurposed along the Olympic Discovery Trail By Pepper Fisher PORT ANGELES – A 350-foot-long pedestrian bridge in downtown Seattle has been deconstructed and is arriving in Clallam County Monday. The four enormous steel sections, measuring 13 feet wide, are going to be re-used

For folks living in, working in, or visiting Seattle, here is a collection of routes exploring Seattle's Olmsted legacy!

Seattle Olmsted 50: Ballard Locks to Rainier Beach The Seattle Olmsted 50 route runs from the Ballard Locks to the Rainier Beach Playground through myriad Olmsted Parks and Boulevards. There are five 6-mile (10k) sections, each with maps, turn-by-turn directions, and a gpx file.

Great NPR story on walking school buses! At Feet First we've been supporting these since the beginning. They require a lot of community involvement but they're so, so worth it.

What is a walking school bus? Hint: It has no tires but lots of feet and lots of soul So what is a walking school bus? A new children's book set in South Africa tells the story of some intrepid youngsters who figured out a way to stay safe during their long walk to class.

Feet First supports banning right-on-red, especially in high-volume pedestrian spaces. Take a look at our latest thoughts on the subject on our blog.

More Jurisdictions Consider Eliminating Free Right Turns On Red - Feet First In all 50 states and the District of Columbia, motorists may turn right on red at any intersection after coming to a full stop, unless right turns on red (RTOR) … More Jurisdictions Consider Eliminating Free Right Turns On Red Read More »

Sidewalks are basic pedestrian infrastructure. Getting them built is challenging enough. Keeping them in good condition sometimes feels even more so :) We've spent a lot of time talking about the challenges of sidewalk maintenance, and put out this white paper to summarize our thoughts. Please check it out, and let us know what you think - you can comment here, or write us at [email protected]!

New Policy Paper on Sidewalk Maintenance - Feet First Feet First’s Policy Committee has begun to update and fill gaps in our policy papers. Our newest policy paper is on Sidewalk Maintenance. We find that proper maintenance of sidewalks … New Policy Paper on Sidewalk Maintenance Read More »

Walkability is about a lot of things, including safe facilities in good repair, as well as destinations that can be walked to! Here's a blog post about a recent project in Seattle's University Village neighborhood, connecting to the Burke-Gilman Trail. Have ideas on ways this can be done more? Better? Let us know in the comments or write us at [email protected]!

Trailside Connector shows possibilities to integrate mixed-use paths with neighborhoods - Feet First Feet First supports new development that prioritizes pedestrian access and amenities, and in Seattle a wonderful amenity is the Burke-Gilman trail! Recently, Feet First worked with the developer of a … Trailside Connector shows possibilities to integrate mixed-use paths with neighborhoods Read Mor...

Good news for the holiday weekend!

Much like the Northgate bridge, seeing this work finally happening required years of advocacy and work with communities. We're thrilled to know this is coming to fruition, finally.

Trails Near Judkins Park Light Rail Station to Receive Lighting - Feet First Trail connections to the future Judkins Park light rail station will get lighting along stretches of the Mountains to Sound Trail and the Dearborn Connection Trail. This fulfills longstanding requests from … Trails Near Judkins Park Light Rail Station to Receive Lighting Read More »

Keeping kids safe and walking to school is important on many levels, including getting them to fall in love with walking as early as possible :) Please sign up for our newsletter and help support this important work!

Sign-Up for the Safe Routes to Schools Network Newsletter! - Feet First Safe Routes to School programs (SRTS) aim to make it safer and easier for students to walk and bike to school. Transportation, public health, and planning professionals, school communities, community … Sign-Up for the Safe Routes to Schools Network Newsletter! Read More »

Good transit requires good pedestrian connections.

Shoreline’s 148th Crossing Earns Feet First Support - Feet First As construction continues on the future South Shoreline light rail station, the City of Shoreline is seeking funding to construct a non-motorized crossing of I-5 at NE 148th. Feet First … Shoreline’s 148th Crossing Earns Feet First Support Read More »

For our friends in Seattle - or if you visit or work in Seattle - a chance to raise your voice in support of what people who walk and roll actually need in order to get around. Please take a moment, and thank you!

Make your voice heard on the Seattle Transportation Plan Update! - Feet First Do you live, work, or visit the city of Seattle? If so, the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) wants to hear from you. SDOT is currently in the process of … Make your voice heard on the Seattle Transportation Plan Update! Read More »

The health benefits of walking are so extensive!

Every 2,000 steps a day could help keep premature death at bay Two new studies also found that health benefits can be achieved by taking fewer steps.

As fall starts to settle in across Washington, we're hoping you find ways to keep walking while the days get shorter and the temperatures drop. We love the idea behind WhimsyWalks, which has started in Seattle's Ravenna neighborhood. Check it out!

Whimsy Walks – Residential Art Walks Welcome to Whimsy Walks, where we encourage you to get some exercise and fall in love with your neighborhood at the same time!   During the pandemic many of us discovered, or rediscovered, the joys of a stroll around block.  Occasionally we found beautiful, or inspired, or just plain cool items i...