The great thing about attending a conference devoted to walkable communities is the sense of entering a country where everyone speaks the same language.

Terms such as "traffic calming," "road equity," and "rails to trails" are easily bandied about and everyone knows how many steps on the pedometer equals a mile. Last week's statewide gathering in Rochester, "Creating Walkable Communities: The Next Steps," sponsored by a host of enlightened state agencies, including the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Physical Activity Coalition, hummed with promise and great potential for a healthier, wealthier, more community-minded New York.

Pedestrian and bicycling interests were well represented, as were parks and trails, transportation and planning, historic preservation, law enforcement, health agencies and this year, proudly, so was The Walking Example Group. I was privileged to address the "Promoting Walking" session and boast not too modestly about the spirit and commitment of the WE-GO membership and supporters.

The keynote speakers included the A-list of leaders in active living, livable communities and health promotion.

The entertaining and engaging PBS television host Mark Fenton could galvanize the most reluctant couch potato into action, while clarifying that obesity is a symptom of the true epidemic of inactivity and poor nutrition.

Fred Kent, the founder of the Project for Public Spaces, is singularly inspiring regarding rehabilitating uninhabitable places or creating welcoming community areas and pointing out that architectural awards do not always indicate areas fit for human beings.

Most heartening were the opening addresses of Lieutenant Governor Mary Donohue and Secretary of State Randy Daniels. Not only were they both in step with the goals of WE-GO and the other conferees, their presence signified that we've gone mainstream. Transportation is not defined solely by internal combustion.

Walking is accepted as necessary to the health and well being of human beings and to keep the places they live in thriving. It's important that children can and do walk to school safely. The economic benefits of an extensive trails system is evident and the consensus is that thar's gold on them thar trails.

The problems have been identified, the objectives are clear and the ways and means are being established.

The days of short-term "solutions" to our transportation needs made on the cheap ticket are numbered. The endless, careless widening of roadways and poorly planned subdivisions and shopping areas have proven far too costly in terms of our health, our local economies, our safety and our quality of life.

Eighty-five per cent of American sprawl has happened in the last 30 years. As was evident at the Walkable Communities conference, our hard-earned wisdom will be well used during the next thirty years to reverse it and reduce it. Let's be sure that our pastoral, beautiful Otsego County is on the cutting edge of smart land use decisions.

Brenda Berstler is the founder of the Walking Example Group (WE-GO) a non-profit organization encouraging walking and walkable communities. Visit their website at www.we-go.org.