Grassroots groups make a difference in Portland, Red Bluff, and more   At America Walks, the Community Change Grant program is one of the most popular initiatives, offering $1,500 in community stipends to projects across the United States that support healthy, active, and engaging spaces for people to live, work, and play. The awardees work […]

How Infrastructure Week can open the conversation on building a sustainable future Infrastructure Week, which a US non-profit organization of the same name holds each May, is a week of education and advocacy, bringing together elected leaders, businesses, workers, and citizens to raise awareness and push toward the common goal of improving the nation’s infrastructure. […]

How a properly sized solar lighting system ensures reliability, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness At Sol, our philosophy is to provide a solar light that operates like a regular street light—meaning that we don’t dim the lights in bad weather to make sure we don’t kill the battery. Instead, we properly size our solar lighting systems for […]

I have an existing electric street light. Can I convert it to run on solar power? The short answer: yes and no. While an electric street light pole might be able to be reused for a solar lighting system, the light fixture itself would need to be replaced to run on solar power. Why can’t […]

Solar street lighting a smart choice for school crosswalks and parking lots   Safe Routes to School is a movement aimed at making it both safer and easier for students to walk and bike to and from school. There are Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs across the United States and Canada with a variety […]

Secure financing for safe, effective community trails   Our rails-to-trails series delves into how this type of urban renewal can rejuvenate your city. First, we looked at the basics of urban renewal and how rail-trails fit in. Then, we explored how to incorporate lighting into a trail project and the considerations needed before it can […]

How to choose the right type of path and trail lighting for your project   In our rails-to-trails series, we first looked at the basics of urban renewal, how rails-to-trails projects fit in, and why municipalities, counties, and states would want to take part. Next, we will cover the considerations when lighting a trail to […]

Renewing rail lines connects cites—and the people in them—safely and efficiently Rails-to-trails projects are nothing new, but they have certainly picked up speed in recent years. The first part in our rails-to-trails series, this overview explains the basics of urban renewal, this history of railway projects, and how to get started on rails to trails […]

Find easy-to-install solutions, from traffic safety beacons and signs to street lighting Every year, more than 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists die on US roads. Cities have generally built those roads for cars, and only cars, for the last century or so. Most cities have not considered the idea of equitable, multi-modal transportation until much more […]

How to assess lighting for safe routes to—and through—your parks How safe is it to walk in your neighborhood? The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is a non-profit organization that strives to advance safe walking and bicycling to and from schools. This means equitable transportation for all races, income levels, and abilities, whether in […]