This past weekend Car Free Day was celebrated for the first time in Victoria, drawing huge crowds to downtown Douglas Street. The event was a success and so was Walk On, Victoria‘s booth at the event.

Hundreds of attendees shared their concerns and told us why they love walking. One-hundred and seventy-eight people signed up to be updated on Walk On news via email, far exceeding all our expectations. These individuals will be entered into a draw for a beautiful walking stick, donated by our generous sponsor Il Terrazzo.

We collected some informal feedback at the event that we’ll use to help guide our actions over the next year. As you can see from the photos below, fast-moving cars and narrow, uneven sidewalks topped the list of concerns. “Dog poop” was a concern we hadn’t even thought of…

A second poll suggested most people walk for health, happiness, and urban exploration:

A third poll showcased all of the great walking areas in Greater Victoria:

Walk On volunteers also recorded pages and pages of more specific concerns and ideas. Thank you to all those who came out and met us–it’s great to know there’s so many passionate pedestrians out there on the streets of Greater Victoria!