Brockport native and PBS host, Mark Fenton, addresses a group of Brockport walkers before taking a two-mile trek through the village. Submitted photo.

A group of more than 50 walking enthusiasts converged on Brockport's Village Hall recently to hear Mark Fenton, Brockport native and host of the PBS series "America's Walking," talk about walkable communities. Fenton spoke about walkability as the cornerstone of an efficient transportation system and the most affordable, accessible and healthiest system a community can plan, construct and maintain.

Social interaction, physical fitness and diminished crime are just some of the benefits of bicycling and walking. According to Fenton, "The village is a very walkable community, in fact, I use photos of the village in my presentation. I feel lucky to have been brought up here and I hold Brockport up as a good example of a walkable community when I speak throughout the U.S." Fenton now lives with his family in suburban Boston, Massachusetts.

"Mark and his team are very dynamic and their message is really a big part of what village living is all about," said Brockport Mayor Josephine Matela.

After the presentation, the group took a walking tour of the village. As they walked, Fenton highlighted the positive aspects as well as potential areas for improvement in the walkability of the village.

Planning Board Chairman Scott Winner noted that "hearing what Mark and his cohorts have to say validates what the planning board has asked of developers building new neighborhoods within the village. Sidewalks, walking paths, and open common areas are all a part of the walkable communities concept."

As a result of the workshop, a new Walkable Communities Committee has been formed. Composed of residents of the towns of Sweden and Clarkson and the village of Brockport, the committee is co-chaired by Ray and Ute Duncan of Brockport.

According to Matela, "the goal of the committee is to work toward improvement of the walkability of the greater Brockport area, so that walking between Sweden, Brockport and Clarkson is as safe and seamless as possible."

Sponsored by the National Center for Bicycling and Walking and the Genesee Transportation Council through a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Brockport workshop was one of the eight Creating Walkable Communities Workshops being held in the Western New York region.