WASHINGTON, D.C. September 9, 2015 The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy released Step It Up! The Surgeon General 's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities today that addresses some of the key barriers to Americans having equal access to walkable communities. Following is a press statement from American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) VP of Federal Relations Dick Woodruff. We can prevent nearly one-third of all cancer deaths if people eat right, maintain a healthy weight and are physically active. The Surgeon General 's Call to Action to Promote Walking and Walkable Communities is an excellent tool to remind people just how important walking, and physical activity in general, is to cancer prevention and overall health. To fully maximize our potential to prevent cancer in this country, everyone in America must have safe and accessible opportunities to get the physical activity they need, be it by walking, biking or other similar activities. ACS CAN is advocating for funding for and implementation of community-based infrastructure, safety improvements and programs to improve the walkability and bikeability of communities. The federal Transportation Alternatives Program currently provides states and communities with funding to build sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, bike share systems and trails, and funds the Safe Routes to school program. Congress can create more equity among communities by passing the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act (S.705) to promote fair distribution of active transportation projects among communities of all sizes, create more options for small towns to access funding and facilitate projects in low-income communities. State legislators and local governments have a role to play too by designing safe and accessible options for active transportation in community planning policies. According to one study, the people who live in the most walkable neighborhoods are 2.4 times more likely to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity each day. By building safe and accessible bike paths and lanes, recreational trails and sidewalks, states and localities can play a role in helping to prevent cancer in their communities. ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.fightcancer.org. For More Info, Contact: Alissa Crispino or Steven Weiss American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network Phone: 202-661-5772 or 202-661-5711 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] #StepItUp #SurgeonGeneral #walking #nutrition #cancerprevention #ACSCAN #transportation