Early in my career I lived on the East Coast in a busy metropolitan area. I gave up my car and relied totally on walking, biking and public transportation to get to work, do my shopping and run other errands. Because I was seeing businesses up close and in person, instead of rushing by in a car, I always knew when something new was opening or when one of my favorite shops had new merchandise on display. Sure, I was limited to what I could carry, but I stopped by frequently and became a regular customer to many businesses in the area.
For this Southern California native, going without a car was novel and opened up a whole new way to experience my surroundings. Now, all these years later, as cities here in car-centric California are starting to promote more walking and biking, I am happy to say that Carlsbad is leading the way.
The City of Carlsbad, working in partnership with Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, has launched a campaign to promote walking and biking around Carlsbad, with a special focus on the downtown Village and surrounding areas.
The campaign is called Walk + Bike Carlsbad and is a year-long effort designed to show people the joy, beauty and many benefits of walking and biking instead of driving on short trips around town. It's funded by the San Diego Association of Governments and will be a model for cities throughout the region to encourage walking and bicycling to improve the health of people and the environment.
Carlsbad is proud to develop the pilot program for this effort, which fits right in with our community values and recent efforts to transform the way we think about street design and traffic flow. The philosophy behind "complete streets" (or "livable streets" as we call it here in Carlsbad) is that everyone ought to have safe, comfortable and convenient access to community destinations and public places, whether walking, driving, bicycling or taking public transportation.
You have probably noticed more sidewalks and bike lanes around town over the past few years, especially in the Village area, which is also home to new bike racks, improved lighting for safety and ambience, street furniture, and hanging flower baskets making it a more inviting place to visit on foot and by bike. New directional signs are also in the works, geared toward walkers and bicyclists.
The campaign also fits right in with our continuing efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles, sustainability and economic development. Studies show that getting people out of their cars helps promote local businesses, through additional exposure and foot traffic.
Don't worry, we're not suggesting people give up their cars completely. Instead, this campaign is focusing on getting people to try making short trips, when possible, on foot or by bike.
Business involvement is an important part of the campaign. Many Carlsbad companies, like ViaSat, JetHead, Legend3D and Spy Optic, already have programs to encourage their employees to be fit and active.
Contributing to employee wellness has been found to reduce absenteeism, increase morale and even promote greater productivity.
In addition to encouraging walking and biking among employees, businesses can sign on to the campaign by displaying an official Walk + Bike decal in their windows, showing the community they support the effort. Some businesses are offering incentives to customers who bike or walk, and others are helping with special events and promotions.
If you'd like to get your business involved, contact our business outreach liaison, Hannah Williams, at [email protected] or 858-?-472-6025. You can also visit the campaign website at www.carlsbadca.gov/walkbike.
Let's show the region, once again, why Carlsbad is the place where "Life in Action" is not just a tagline, it's who we are.
For this Southern California native, going without a car was novel and opened up a whole new way to experience my surroundings. Now, all these years later, as cities here in car-centric California are starting to promote more walking and biking, I am happy to say that Carlsbad is leading the way.
The City of Carlsbad, working in partnership with Circulate San Diego and the San Diego County Bicycle Coalition, has launched a campaign to promote walking and biking around Carlsbad, with a special focus on the downtown Village and surrounding areas.
The campaign is called Walk + Bike Carlsbad and is a year-long effort designed to show people the joy, beauty and many benefits of walking and biking instead of driving on short trips around town. It's funded by the San Diego Association of Governments and will be a model for cities throughout the region to encourage walking and bicycling to improve the health of people and the environment.
Carlsbad is proud to develop the pilot program for this effort, which fits right in with our community values and recent efforts to transform the way we think about street design and traffic flow. The philosophy behind "complete streets" (or "livable streets" as we call it here in Carlsbad) is that everyone ought to have safe, comfortable and convenient access to community destinations and public places, whether walking, driving, bicycling or taking public transportation.
You have probably noticed more sidewalks and bike lanes around town over the past few years, especially in the Village area, which is also home to new bike racks, improved lighting for safety and ambience, street furniture, and hanging flower baskets making it a more inviting place to visit on foot and by bike. New directional signs are also in the works, geared toward walkers and bicyclists.
The campaign also fits right in with our continuing efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles, sustainability and economic development. Studies show that getting people out of their cars helps promote local businesses, through additional exposure and foot traffic.
Don't worry, we're not suggesting people give up their cars completely. Instead, this campaign is focusing on getting people to try making short trips, when possible, on foot or by bike.
Business involvement is an important part of the campaign. Many Carlsbad companies, like ViaSat, JetHead, Legend3D and Spy Optic, already have programs to encourage their employees to be fit and active.
Contributing to employee wellness has been found to reduce absenteeism, increase morale and even promote greater productivity.
In addition to encouraging walking and biking among employees, businesses can sign on to the campaign by displaying an official Walk + Bike decal in their windows, showing the community they support the effort. Some businesses are offering incentives to customers who bike or walk, and others are helping with special events and promotions.
If you'd like to get your business involved, contact our business outreach liaison, Hannah Williams, at [email protected] or 858-?-472-6025. You can also visit the campaign website at www.carlsbadca.gov/walkbike.
Let's show the region, once again, why Carlsbad is the place where "Life in Action" is not just a tagline, it's who we are.