Pedestrian strategy: city plans to make Calgary more walkable

The citys plan to make Calgary a more walkable place is moving forward.

A series of public meetings wrapped up on Thursday night for the pedestrian strategy, anaction plan city officialswill present to council later this year.

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We want to encourage more Calgarians to walk more often, while making it easier and safer to do, says the city on its website.

The plan will focus on improving pedestrian safety, making it a more accessible option and promoting a culture of walking, the city says.

Derek Pauletto, whose wife was struck and killed at a crosswalk last year, says the city must make streets safer for pedestrians.

The driver pleaded not guilty for failing to yield to a pedestrian. The case is still before the courts.

The maximum fine is $2,000, three months without your licence for taking someone's life. I find no justification in that whatsoever," Pauletto said.

More needs to be done to encourage drivers to slow down, he says.

He has attended as many of the city's pedestrian strategy meetings as he can and hes developing a safety light for crosswalks, a project he hopes eventually to present to the city.

I'd like my wife to know that she can be proud of me to do something in her honour that would ultimately help everybody, he said.

The framework for the pedestrian strategy was approved by the citys transportation committee last summer.

It will be finalized and presented to council in November.