Feet First

Since 2001, Feet First has worked to ensure that all communities in Washington are walkable. Walking is a vital transportation mode that connects communities, reduces pollution, improves health and physical fitness, and allows people to explore their natural environment. Our efforts have helped make more communities throughout Washington safe for walking. We envision people walking everyday for their health, transportation, environment, community, and pleasure. We began in 1995 as a group of citizens and professionals interested in promoting the rights and interests of pedestrians and finding ways to encourage walking. In 2001, we became an official 501(c)(3) non-profit. A grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation allowed us to hire our first staff person at the end of 2003. Today we're a fast-growing organization with a core of board members, staff, and volunteers supporting our strategic plan.

Feet First engages the community as allies in the shared goal of ensuring that all communities in Washington are walkable. Volunteers are valued partners in our organization who donate not only time, skills, and knowledge, but enthusiasm and vitality for the cause. Feet First originated through the efforts of devoted volunteers, and volunteers have continued to this day to be indispensable in every accomplishment we have made. Become a part of our people powered movement! How We Engage - We produce the Neighborhoods on Foot Walking Maps to encourage walking for health, community, safety, and environment. - We support Safe Routes to School by organizing Walking School Buses, Walk to School Celebrations, and other events, launching and coordinating Safe Routes to School programs at specific elementary schools in Seattle and supporting programs across the state, and guiding parents, cities and schools with technical assistance for school transportation. - We support a Neighborhood Walking Ambassador program to empower individuals to lead walks in their neighborhood as well as share tools and resources to make their community more walkable. - We lead walking audits to help communities identify assets and barriers to walking, including issues with transit access, traffic signal timing and signage, lighting, crosswalk conditions and other safety issues. - We lead Walk & Talks with community leaders to discuss issues affecting walking. - We sponsor regular public events that stimulate public discussion on transportation issues among citizens, professionals, and elected officials. - We testify at countless public hearings involving transportation issues.