Barry Wellar is helping pedestrians, cyclists and transit users take back their streets.

For too long, city governments have catered to drivers of privately owned vehicles, sacrificing the safety of pedestrians and the environment, according to Wellar, professor emeritus, department of geography at the University of Ottawa.

These days, he is an expert witness in cases where people sue municipal governments after slipping and falling on sidewalks, or after pedestrians are hit by cars.

He was in Waterloo recently speaking to a citizens' group -- the Pedestrian Charter Steering Committee -- about how to get municipal governments to make cities more pedestrian-friendly.

The steering committee wants the cities of this region to implement the principles of the Pedestrian Charter, which is sort of a bill of rights for walkers and cyclists.

The charter has been adopted by Kitchener, Cambridge and Waterloo Region. The City of Waterloo is thinking about it. Other cities, such as Toronto and Ottawa, have adopted the charter.