February 9, 2026

Designing Communities for Everyday Mobility

In many communities, walking and biking shape how residents move and how places function. Achieving that kind of mobility requires intentional design, thoughtful infrastructure and an understanding of how people perceive safety and mobility.

“Safety is a really big issue,” said Martin Rutter, a Freese and Nichols transportation planner. “If we can provide safe infrastructure by separating pedestrians and cyclists from cars, it provides a perception of it being safer. It’s the perception of bicycling on roads being unsafe that’s difficult to overcome.”

That is why planners must create environments that visibly and functionally separate pedestrians and cyclists from vehicle traffic, particularly at intersections where conflicts are most likely to occur.

Freese and Nichols partners with communities across the country to put these principles into practice, helping clients plan and deliver transportation networks that support safe, connected and people-centered mobility. The firm’s work in Oklahoma offers a snapshot of how pedestrian-friendly design can be integrated into complex roadway projects, while similar approaches are applied nationwide.

Pedestrian-Friendly Design in Action

Improving Safety and Connectivity on Northeast 12th Street in Moore

Freese and Nichols provided comprehensive design services to reconstruct a portion of Northeast 12th Street between the Interstate 35 on-ramp and the Eastern Avenue intersection, a vital four-lane roadway in Moore. Following geotechnical investigations, the project team modified the intersection of Broadway and Northeast 12th Street to improve safety and efficiency.

To improve pedestrian accessibility and strengthen bicycle connectivity, the team implemented a 10-foot multiuse trail along one side of the roadway. The project also included a detailed hydraulic analysis and comprehensive drainage recommendations for the entire corridor.

 

Designing Jenkins Avenue for Safer, Long-Term Mobility in Norman

The Freese and Nichols project team designed improvements along a one-mile section of Jenkins Avenue between Imhoff Road and Lindsey Street. The design adopted a four-lane roadway with landscaped medians while incorporating targeted exceptions in residential areas to prevent excessive widening.

Services included drainage and traffic analysis, topographic surveys, surface utility engineering, right of way identification, document preparation and geotechnical and utility coordination. The team also updated City water lines, enhanced landscape and irrigation systems, installed pedestrian scale lighting and designed a roundabout at one intersection. A closed storm drain system was implemented to support effective stormwater management.

Before construction, Jenkins Avenue transitioned from a four-lane divided roadway to a two- lane section, creating operational and safety challenges that the final design addressed.

Considerations and Tips for Walkable and Pedestrian-Friendly Communities

Experience from projects across Oklahoma and beyond points to several consistent principles that help communities create safer, more effective walking and biking environments.

• Design for everyday trips, not just recreation.
• Prioritize safety and comfort, the strongest drivers of walking and biking.
• Apply context sensitive design, recognizing differences among downtowns, neighborhoods and corridors.
• Integrate active transportation early in planning and development, since retrofitting can be costly and difficult.
• Consider the long-term physical, mental, environmental and economic benefits to communities.

Why It Matters

“People walk or bike when they feel protected and welcomed to use their transportation of choice, and that comes from intentional design choices,” Martin said. “Environments that feel safe produce better behavior and more active travel.”

By pairing thoughtful planning with real world project experience, Freese and Nichols helps communities move from vision to implementation, creating transportation networks that support safe, connected and people-centered mobility.

For questions about mobility planning, contact Martin Rutter.

About Martin Rutter

Martin Rutter is a transportation planner at Freese and Nichols with more than 20 years of experience in strategic transportation modeling, town planning, urban mobility and multimodal solutions. Based in the firm’s Rogers, Arkansas, office, he has worked in both the United States and the United Kingdom and is an advocate for sustainable and alternative transportation. He partners with communities to develop transportation networks that support long term mobility, safety and quality of life.