New signs posted around parts of Sudbury point the way to the city's best walking routes.

They're part of the new Walk Sudbury initiative, a collaboration between the Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury, Downtown Sudbury and the city's Healthy Kids Community Challenge program.

The program aims to keep people active and exploring Sudbury's neighbourhoods, said Kate Barber, Healthy Kids Community Challenge project manager.

'Things aren't as far as they think:' project manager

"What I love about the signs is really just that reminder: each sign says how many steps and how much time it takes to walk to places and I really think it's great for people to remember that walking is a viable option and things aren't as far as they might think," Barber said.

Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury was the lead agency on the project and supplied all the volunteers.

Naomi Grant, co-chair of the coalition, said 25 volunteers worked on the project from start to finish, including posting the signs on 16 different walking routes. It took 200 volunteer hours and 300 kilometres walked, she said.

"It's a very grassroots effort, so we reached out to the community to brainstorm routes. We asked people in their neighbourhoods: what are the best ways to walk here, what are the barriers, what destinations do you like to go to. So it was very much from people sharing their local knowledge," Grant said.

A volunteer helps post signs for the new Walk Sudbury initiative. It's meant to get people active and exploring their neighbourhoods. (Facebook - Coalition for a Liveable Sudbury )

Each wayfinding sign shows how many minutes and how many steps until a specific destination. This information is colour-coded based on the destination (park, school, downtown,) Grant said.

Interactive map can be found online

Grant says two-thirds of the funding for the project came from the city's Healthy Kids Community Challenge program, while the remainder was funded by Downtown Sudbury. Most of the cost was towards the creation of the signs.

An interactive map can be found online at WalkSudbury.ca

Routes which have barriers are listed as problems on the website, Grant said. Barriers could include a busy intersection where it's difficult for pedestrians to cross, stairs which are not accessible with a stroller or wheelchair and any sidewalks that may need repairs.