Pedestrians are increasingly being recognized as indicators of sustainable transit systems. This means the quality of the pedestrian experience can be used to measure how well a city's transportation system works. Pedestrians are also the most vulnerable travelers in a city, so designing a city that ensures their safety is a vital component of a modern transit system.

New Haven is flat and geographically small, making it easy to travel by foot. The City already has an average walk score of 68 (out of 100), but some of the most walkable neighborhoods - Downtown, Dwight, and Wooster Square - Mill River have walking scores between 83-93. Pedestrian commuter numbers are increasing in the city and we want that number to continue to rise. More people walking to work means less people driving. It means more calories burned, more money saved, and less air pollution.

But many people don't know how close some destinations are - which is why we're installing pop-up signs that provide walking times to popular, nearby attractractions. A Nelson\Nygaard mobility study found a lack of pedestrain connectivity between Union Train Station and the Medical District. Our first pop-up wayfinding system will be between Union Train Station, the Medical  District, and Downtown. 

Yale Day of Service volunteers helped goNewHavengo install this first wave of signs in May 2016.