America Walks Grant and Partners for Health grants for Montclair BID Pedestrian Walks

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Montclair Center BID Announces More Pedestrian Walk Signs Downtown Thanks to America Walks Grant and Partners for Health

Fifteen new yellow pedestrian signs have been placed in downtown Montclair by the Montclair Center BID. Eight of the signs were financed by a Community Change grant from America Walks which was supported by Partners for Health. Working with the Township of Montclair, the signs have been installed to encourage pedestrian safety and will be accompanied by a robust social media campaign.

”Signage and wayfinding are a critical component to creating safe, accessible, and enjoyable walkable communities,” said Heidi Simon of America Walks. “We are excited to see residents of downtown Montclair be encouraged to explore their community on foot.

”Safe places to walk are vital to healthy, more livable communities. We are proud to support these efforts,” noted Pam Scott, Executive Director of Partners for Health Foundation.

“Montclair Center is a great walking town and we want to encourage safer driving for our residents, shoppers and visitors,” said executive director Israel Cronk.

A grant from America Walks, supported by Partners for Health, financed eight of the pedestrian signs. The Montclair Center BID paid for the remaining seven and will also be funding a sponsored social media campaign for drivers to “Slow it Down, Downtown!”

Thanks to the Township of Montclair and the Ambassador team from the Montclair Center BID, the signs have been installed along the crosswalks of Glenridge Avenue, leading up to Bloomfield Avenue and around the Crane Park area.

America Walks, a nonprofit national organization, is leading the way in empowering communities to create safe, accessible, and enjoyable walking conditions for all. We provide a voice for walking and walkable communities at the national level, provide strategy, training, and technical assistance to statewide, regional, and local organizations, and support local walking champions across the US.

Partners for Health Foundation’s vision is to make its 15 communities healthier, better places to live; more than $11.5 million has been awarded since 2008. The Foundation supports efforts to make healthy choices easier through policy and environmental changes. Other focus areas include addressing the persistent issues of hunger and homelessness; increasing access to oral health services; connecting older residents to services, activities and opportunities to engage in civic life; and strengthening the mental health safety net.

Representing the over 300 merchants and over 200 property owners in downtown Montclair, the Montclair Center BID is directly responsible for the music performances, beautification projects including plants and decorations, banners, way-finding signage and maintenance throughout the district. By encouraging dynamic collaboration, the Montclair Center BID also creates exciting events for shoppers and tourists, marketing opportunities for retailers and restaurateurs, and actively seeks to improve the area for businesses and residents.