Would you like to work more exercise into your daily routine? Physical activity is vital to healthy aging. It can reduce the burden of chronic diseases and prevent early death. General News, Quality of Life, Safe and Smart Travel, Transportation MAG becomes first organization of its kind to support Active People, Healthy Nation SM initiative Exercise, Healthy Living Would you like to work more exercise into your daily routine? Physical activity is vital to healthy aging. It can reduce the burden of chronic diseases and prevent early death. Losing weight and increasing cardiovascular health can even reduce co-morbidities that can worsen the effects of COVID-19. One great way to increase daily activity is walking or bicycling to work, school, or errands. That’s why the Maricopa Association of Governments (MAG) is pledging its support to an effort by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to help 27 million Americans become more physically active by 2027. MAG becomes the first metropolitan planning organization in the country to support the CDC’s goal of creating an active America. In a proclamation signed by the MAG Regional Council in January endorsing the Active People, Healthy NationSM initiative, MAG leaders committed to executing a strategy of Activity-Friendly Routes to Everyday Destinations. “This strategy will help to make it safe and easy to walk, bicycle, or wheelchair roll for people of all ages and abilities by improving the design of the region to include connecting routes such as sidewalks, trails, bicycle lanes, and public transit,” reads the proclamation. Since finding places and times to be physically active can be challenging, the goal is to provide commute options that promote a healthy lifestyle. Activity-friendly routes are a key priority in MAG’s Active Transportation Plan, and make exercising as easy as traveling to work. “As active transportation becomes a larger part of our transportation systems as a whole, we must prioritize safety and connectivity. The MAG Active Transportation Plan makes these elements a priority,” says MAG Active Transportation Committee Chair Jose Macias, who works as a planner for the city of El Mirage. “Supporting the healthy nation goals reinforces the commitment the region has to active transportation. It prioritizes activity-friendly routes that help users get and stay healthy while getting them where they want to go safely.” MAG is the designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for transportation planning in the greater Phoenix metropolitan region. Under federal law, MPOs are led by local elected officials to make transportation planning and funding decisions for metropolitan areas with populations over 50,000. There are more than 400 MPOs in the United States. # # # Published January 27, 2021