A new Caltrans policy is a step in the right direction for pedestrians. Deputy Directive 64, issued by the second highest-ranking transportation official in California, establishes walking as a central element of the state's transportation system.

The policy requires that bicycling and walking be considered in all aspects of Department operation and decision-making. Chris Morfas, executive director of the California Bicycle Coalition calls it"the most powerful pro-bicycling and pro-walking policy document ever to come out of a state DOT." According to Morfas, the CalTrans policy even outdistances the US Department of Transportation policy statement on which it is based.

The Directive reads: "The Department fully considers the needs of non-motorized travelers (including pedestrians, bicyclists, and persons with disabilities) in all programming, planning, maintenance, construction, operations and project development activities and products.

This ../includes incorporation of the best available standards in all of the Department's practices. The Department adopts the best practice concepts in the US DOT Policy Statement on Integrating Bicycling and Walking into Transportation Infrastructure.