Ann Arbor earned a 2016 Gold award as a walking friendly community, voted the third Best Walking City in 2008, and was named a Gold-level walk friendly community in 2010. Nearly 15% of Ann Arbor residents walk to work, which is more than 6 times the national average (U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2006-2010). Ann Arbor has 475 miles of sidewalks, 57 lane miles of shared-use paths and over 157 parks to enjoy on-foot.
Sidewalks
The Street and Sidewalk millage currently pays for the
2019 Sidewalk and Ramp Repair Program which brings sidewalk ramps into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as well as repairs existing sidewalks.
Walking safely
Cross at the crosswalk. Ann Arbor's crosswalk ordinance requires that motorists stop for pedestrians at or in crosswalks, but only at crosswalks.
Look both ways before entering the street.
Use the signals. Traffic signals are there to help pedestrians communicate with drivers. In Ann Arbor's downtown, all traffic signals include a pedestrian crossing interval in each signal cycle. Outside the downtown area, some signals have a pedestrian call button which, when pressed, adds a pedestrian crossing interval. Ann Arbor also has the first "Hawk Beacon" on a state trunk line in Michigan. This signal helps pedestrians to
cross W. Huron at Chapin/3rd Street.
Take refuge. Some crosswalks have a pedestrian refuge island in the street. Cross easily and safely, one side of traffic at a time.
Be visible. In the dark, wear light-colored clothing and reflective gear to ensure your visibility.
Report sidewalks that aren't treated or plowed. Sidewalks should be treated for ice or plowed of snow in a timely fashion. You can report untreated sidewalks by using
A2 Fix It or calling
Community Standards at 734.794.6942.
Accessible Pedestrian Signals. The city is working to upgrade pedestrian signals to make them more accessible to persons with visual disabilities. This means that pedestrian push-buttons have an audio feature that alert persons to the location of the push-button and when it is safe to cross. A map (PDF) of the current locations of accessible pedestrian signals is available. If you have a request to upgrade a pedestrian signal to an accessible pedestrian signal, please send an email to [email protected] or call 734.794.6410
