Healthy Sav to Host Sept 16 Community Walk in Thunderbolt to Identify Barriers to Walking

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Sept. 7, 2025 - PRLog -- (Savannah, GA) Healthy Savannah has scheduled a Healthy Walk in Thunderbolt on Tuesday, Sept. 16, and is inviting community members to join local leaders from the City of Thunderbolt and Friends of Tide to Town's Community Outreach Team, in identifying barriers to walking and sharing input on how to make the area safer and more connected.

The 90-minute walk will start at 7:30 a.m. from the Tubby's Tank House parking lot, 2909 River Dr. in Thunderbolt, a historic riverside community on Savannah's eastside along the Wilmington River.

Thunderbolt was identified by the Friends of Tide to Town Board and its Community Outreach Team as the top priority area among seven locations across Savannah and Chatham County being targeted for improved walkability. Other priority areas include Garden City and Port Wentworth, as well as neighborhoods within Savannah's city limits.

The Tide to Town Community Outreach Team is a collaboration of organizations, including Healthy Savannah and the REACH Grant, Symbioscity and Kimley-Horn and various community partners, to plan and support the development of the Tide to Town trail system in a way that promotes economic, social, and recreational justice.

The equitable growth of the trail is further supported by the City of Savannah through its contracted collaboration with the Boston-based firm The Collaborative Inc. Over the past year, The Collaborative has worked to engage Savannah residents to create an Equitable Growth Plan for Tide to Town. Healthy Savannah has supported these efforts with its own goal to provide equitable access to transportation and recreation for all Savannah residents, particularly those in low-income communities, and through a five-year, $5.1 million Racial & Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) grant administered by Healthy Savannah and the YMCA of Coastal Georgia.

The effort is part of a broader regional initiative to improve walkability and bikeability throughout Chatham County. In 2023, outreach led by Symbioscity and Kimley-Horn underscored county residents' and leaders' desire for healthier, more walkable communities. The current focus on Thunderbolt builds on that work and represents the first in a series of community walks across the county.

"Healthy Savannah and its partners are all working together to advance this vision," said Devin Frails, Healthy Savannah's Physical Activity manager. "The seven priority areas will ultimately connect into Tide to Town's planned network of trails, providing safer and more accessible mobility options for all residents."

The September 16 walk will also serve as an opportunity for the City of Thunderbolt and community stakeholders to come together, assess conditions, and begin shaping a plan for improvements.

Event Details:
Location: 2909 River Dr, Thunderbolt, GA 31404
Date: Tuesday, September 16, 2025
Time: 7:30 a.m.