Officials Are Using the Strong Towns Approach in This California Town
Tim Zahner, vice chair of the Windsor Planning Commission and a Strong Towns member, advocates for the Strong Towns approach to street safety. (Source: Town of Windsor.)
Walking and biking should be just as easy, pleasant and natural as driving. Yet in many communities, including Windsor, California, that's not yet the case. During a recent Planning Commission meeting, Vice Chair Tim Zahner — who is also a Strong Towns member — emphasized three crucial strategies for immediate action to make Windsor’s streets safer:
Make Walking and Biking as Easy as Driving: Ensure basic infrastructure is readily available, such as clearly marked bike parking and benches along sidewalks and paths. Small changes like these can significantly enhance accessibility.
Make Walking and Biking as Pleasant as Driving: Design streets and public spaces that are comfortable and inviting. Adding amenities like shaded rest areas, clear signage and safe crossings transforms daily commutes into enjoyable experiences.
Make Walking and Biking as Natural as Driving: Integrate pedestrian and cycling infrastructure seamlessly into the town fabric. Normalize and prioritize non-car transportation through thoughtful urban design and incremental improvements.
Through his role as an appointed official, Tim advocates adopting the Strong Towns approach to public investment, focused on quick, impactful and incremental improvements as a policy and plan for action. The method is straightforward:
Real-life example: A single bike rack or a privately installed bench can immediately enhance neighborhood connectivity and comfort, signaling tangible community progress.
Take Action:
Residents: Identify a simple change you can implement on your property or in your neighborhood.
Local Leaders: Start small and focus on immediate, visible improvements to build community momentum.
By embracing small-scale, immediate actions, communities can quickly make walking and biking an accessible, pleasant and natural choice for everyone.
