MDOT - Maryland Department of Transportation

09/29/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/29/2025 09:22

Maryland Hosts Annual Walktober Celebration to Promote Pedestrian Safety, Access and Health

Month-Long Celebration Includes Walk Maryland Day, Walk to School Day and Walkinar Series

​HANOVER, MD (September 29, 2025) - The Maryland Department of Transportation is joining partner agencies, nonprofits and communities across the state for the annual Walktober celebration, a series of walking events and online webinars throughout October highlighting Maryland's official state exercise and the importance of pedestrian safety, equitable access, transportation options and healthy lifestyles. For 2025, Governor Wes Moore has proclaimed October to be "Walktober," as walking is Maryland's official state exercise, and Walktober 2025 encourages everyone to step out to enjoy the many benefits of walking.

"October is Walktober -a time to celebrate the simple act of walking and the many benefits it brings to our health, our communities and our environment," said Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Samantha J. Biddle. "As we enjoy the cooler weather and changing seasons, I encourage everyone to take part in Walktober by walking more and joining local walk group activities happening across the state."


Festivities include the Walk Maryland Day on Wednesday, October 1 and Walk to School Day Wednesday October 8, along with walks across the state throughout the month. Walk Maryland Day encourages Marylanders to spend part of the day taking a walk. Marylanders can become "Sole Mates" by registering to join one of the official walks and logging their steps. Individuals are invited to take part in any of the official events - or simply walk at a location of their choice, whether alone or with others. To register for Walk Maryland Day, sign up on the Maryland Department of Health's page here​ and to sign up for a Walk to School Day event, sign up here .

Everyone can also sign up for the 90-minute webinars - or "Walkinars" - that will be held virtually 10:30 a.m. to noon every Thursday in October. Registration is available here . During the Walkinar sessions, local, state and national speakers will share resources to help build, strengthen and sustain partnerships to encourage walking, and will discuss tools and technologies in Maryland and across the country to promote pedestrian access and safety. The series is open to all and provides American Institute of Certified Planners with 1.5 Certification Maintenance credits per session. Topics include:
  • October 2, National and Local Impact: Walking, Health, and Communities
  • October 9, Safety: Designing Walkable Communities for All
  • October 16, Accessibility: How Transportation Trails Improve Community Access
  • October 23, Education: Teaching Walking Safety from a Young Age
  • October 30, State Agency Roles: Walking Across Maryland with the State Secretaries Roundtable

At the Maryland Department of Transportation, safety is a top priority. The agency's commitment is reflected in policies and data-driven initiatives aimed at improving transportation safety and accessibility across the state. The Department's Serious About Safety initiative brings together MDOT-led initiatives, legislative action and advocacy and engagement, building on the important safety programs and efforts already underway like the new Complete Streets Policy, the data-driven Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP), and the Sidewalk Data Collaboration project, a statewide database designed to help plan and prioritize sidewalk and pedestrian safety improvements.

To keep the public and transportation professionals informed, the Department hosts the MDOT in Motion webinar series which highlights multimodal projects and programs designed to help Marylanders move safely, connect them to opportunities and build stronger communities.
MDOT - Maryland Department of Transportation published this content on September 29, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 29, 2025 at 15:22 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]