Contoocook Village is a hub of activity! We have restaurants, shops, and services right in downtown, and a beautiful river with a dam and the oldest existing covered railroad bridge in the United States. Within about quarter mile we have an elementary school, our Middle and High School, the Town Library, recreation areas, the Community Center, and the only elderly affordable housing development in town.
 
But the village is also dominated by cars, trucks, and wide expanses of pavement. Walking and rolling from place to place around Contoocook Village can be challenging and at times dangerous. There are very few crosswalks, and some sidewalks - but they are narrow, uneven, and crumbling, and in some areas blend right into the road. This project will bring attention to the social, economic, and health benefits of walkability, and help prioritize walkability in ongoing planning.
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Walk Audits are a wonderful tool to involve residents of all ages across the community to raise awareness of the economic, social, and health benefits of making our village more walkable and how to accomplish that. They will highlight possible solutions and help folks understand how good infrastructure and design can provide safe and accessible walking.

​These Walk Audits will provide data to the NH Department of Transportation and build community advocacy to prioritize walkability in NHDOT’s ongoing planning for these intersections.