MARYSVILLE — The city of Marysville and the Marysville Healthy Communities Project have invited a nationally-recognized walking expert to evaluate how walkable Marysville is for residents, and to suggest environmental changes that can make the community more pedestrian-friendly.

Dan Burden, a nationally-acclaimed pedestrian, bicycle, traffic-calming and livable communities expert, will conduct a walkability audit Oct. 30 from 1-5 p.m.

Elected officials and city staff are welcoming the public to join them, community leaders and Marysville Healthy Communities Project members for a guided walk to various locations around Marysville, starting at 1 p.m. in Comeford Park on 514 Delta Ave.

A walkability audit is an unbiased examination and evaluation of the walking environment in a community by a diverse team of individuals.

“The objective is to identify concerns for pedestrians related to the safety, access, comfort and convenience of the walking environment,” said city of Marysville Community Development Director Gloria Hirashima, a Healthy Communities co-chair whose group is looking at creating a more active urban environment. “The audit will also identify problem areas and raise potential alternatives or solutions that can be approached through engineering treatment, policy change or education and enforcement measures.”

On the second day of Burden’s visit, he will provide a day-long training session for policy-makers and staff, and offer recommendations to make Marysville a better place to walk and bicycle.

For more information about the Marysville Healthy Communities Project, visit its Web site at www.marysvillehealthycommunitiesproject.com.