The Maryland Department of Transportation is organizing its annual Walktober celebration throughout October. This event, in collaboration with partner agencies, nonprofits, and communities across the state, aims to promote pedestrian safety, equitable access, transportation options, and healthy lifestyles through a series of walking events and online webinars.
Governor Wes Moore has officially declared October as “Walktober” for 2025. “October is Walktober –a time to celebrate the simple act of walking and the many benefits it brings to our health, our communities and our environment,” said Samantha J. Biddle, Acting Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation. She encourages participation in local walk group activities during this period.
Key events include Walk Maryland Day on October 1 and Walk to School Day on October 8. Residents are encouraged to register as “Sole Mates” by joining official walks or logging their steps independently. Registration details can be found on the Maryland Department of Health’s website for Walk Maryland Day and for Walk to School Day events.
Additionally, a series of “Walkinars” will take place every Thursday in October from 10:30 a.m. to noon. These sessions will feature discussions by local, state, and national speakers on resources for promoting pedestrian access and safety. The webinars offer American Institute of Certified Planners 1.5 Certification Maintenance credits per session.
Topics covered in the webinars include:
– National and Local Impact: Walking, Health, and Communities (October 2)
– Safety: Designing Walkable Communities for All (October 9)
– Accessibility: How Transportation Trails Improve Community Access (October 16)
– Education: Teaching Walking Safety from a Young Age (October 23)
– State Agency Roles: Walking Across Maryland with the State Secretaries Roundtable (October 30)
Further information about these events is available on MDOT’s Walktober webpage.
The initiative aligns with National Pedestrian Safety Month declared by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. It underscores MDOT’s commitment to safety through initiatives like the Complete Streets Policy and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). The agency also hosts the MDOT in Motion webinar series to discuss multimodal projects aimed at enhancing transportation safety across Maryland.
Information from this article can be found here.
