PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – On a nice day, leaving your car at home and opting to bike or walk to work can make a big difference – not just for your health, but for your community as well.

“There’s air quality benefits, there’s health benefits, more money stays in the local economy when you bike or walk to work or to the grocery store than when you choose to drive,” Scott Bricker, of Bike Pittsburgh, says.

The list of positives goes on and on, and that’s why this group is working to make Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas more bike and pedestrian friendly.

The first step is finding out how to get state and federal funding for projects.

“Bike lanes, trails, bicycle racks, it’s getting the infrastructure to a level where everyone feels comfortable getting on a bicycle and going to work and going to school,” said Stephen Patchan, the Pittsburgh bicycle/pedestrian coordinator.

Pittsburgh was one of only five cities in the country selected for the workshop. Organizers and participants say it’s an honor.

They say it’s also a sign that the Steel City is already making headlines when it comes to encouraging people to keep the car in park.

The city has added 300 bike racks to neighborhood business districts, an additional 300 will be added over the next year.

“Now, you have the ability with public transit for example, you can actually have your bike on all the buses that travel into the area,” said Mavis Rainey, a participant at the workshop. “I think it’s very forward-thinking that we’re looking at those two modes to enhance.”

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