April 2011 issue

Issue: # 7

April 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

OTS Active Transportation Safety Training

April 20-22 in San Diego

California WALKS and UCB SafeTREC will facilitate community pedestrian & bicycle safety Toward Zero Deaths engagement training at the California Office of Traffic Safety's April 20-22 statewide seminar. Learn how-tos for pedestrian count and travel prediction, Health Impact Assessments, crash data GIS-mapping, new MUTCD signals/signs, SRTS, pedestrian law enforcement, federal Livability funding community safety engagement, crosswalk best practices and more.

For more California WALKS events, go to www.californiawalks.org.

California Department of Public Health Webinar Series

Communicating Climate Change as a Critical Public Health Issue

April 27---11-12 pm

Learn how to effectively communicate the health impacts of climate change to mobilize the communities you work with to adopt behaviors and support public policies that both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve health.

Space is limited. Reserve your seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/468677657

Integrating Health and Equity into Sustainable Community Strategy Planning (SB 375)

May 18---11-12:30 pm

Learn more about this wide reaching law and hear how local health departments and community advocates are collaborating to ensure that the sustainable community planning process incorporates broad health and health equity goals.

https://publichealthinstitute.webex.com/publichealthinstitute/onstage/g.php?t=a&d=964283727

Creating a Health Framework for Climate Action and Adaptation Planning

June 22---11-12 pm

Learn how cities and counties throughout California are planning for climate change, how health and equity can be integrated into these efforts and the important role community members can play.

For questions about any of these webinars, please contact Kathy Dervin at Kathy.dervin@cdph.ca.gov.

Breakthrough Communities Presents Planning Healthy Communities for

People of Color in California!

Climate Change, Sustainable Community Strategies and Health Equity

Workshop Dates and Places: Sacramento County Region, May 7, 2011;

Sonoma County Region, May 21, 2011;

San Diego County Region, May 28, 2011

COMING IN MAY....

Take this important survey and contribute to national walking knowledge!

Join California WALKS and America Walks in collecting valuable data on who walks and why we walk! America Walks is sponsoring an online survey among its members and affiliated organizations to understand what characterizes avid walkers and what distinguishes them from those less inclined to walk. The survey is not lengthy, is easy to fill out, and is designed to provide information usable in developing actionable steps to promote walking in the United States.

Starting May 2, 2011 check out the survey at: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dDRqeG0tNDR4Y1NLU2NNX29SVU5rNIE6MQ.

Tracking Pedestrian-Related Bills

Folks, here's a website that can help you track state legislation pertaining to matters pedestrian, walkability, and related topics: www.aroundthecapitol.com. Once the full page unloads, look to the right to see a schedule of when various committees meet.

Here's a sampling of bills that CalWALKS has been tracking:

AB 539 (Williams)---would increase fines and penalties for speeding in a school zone. To be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday, April 4.

AB 516 (Manuel Perez)----specifies a public participation process for developing a Safe Routes to School program. To be heard in the Assembly Transportation Committee on Monday, April 11.

AB 441 (Monning)---Would require Governor's Office of Planning & Research to develop guidelines to advise local and regional government agencies to add consideration of specific health issues into local or regional general plans. To be heard on Wednesday, April 6 in the Assembly's Local Government Committee.

CalWALKS, and some of our chapters, have endorsed both AB539 and AB516. We are now actively looking at AB 441.

California WALKS encourages you to contact the members of the Assembly Transportation Committee and also contact your own state legislators to let them know you support AB 539 & AB 516.

Here's the link to the names, formal email addresses, Sacramento office phone #s, and districts for the members of the Transportation Committee: http://www.assembly.ca.gov/acs/newcomframeset.asp?committee=24.

It is also worth noting that the Assembly Transportation Committee is chaired by San Francisco's Tom Ammiano.

So, in addition to contacting the office of the sponsor of any bill, you can also contact Tom's offices to offer support for any bill being heard in his Transportation Committee.

We encourage all to actively monitor bills of interest. Let us know what other bills you think CalWALKS should monitor for consideration of taking a position.

Bob Planthold, Chair

CalWALKS Board of Directors

Carbon Savings from Walking Trips

Save 1 lb Carbon with Every Mile You Walk!

1 mile driving (20 mpg) foregone (walking trip) = 1 lb CO2 saved based on the following formula:

Average car gets 22 mpg

1/22nd gallon =1 mile foregone

per this site (http://timeforchange.org/what-is-a-carbon-footprint-definition)

1 gallon of gas= 8.7kg CO2. 1kg=2.2 lbs.

8.7 x 2.2 is 19.4 lbs

so, in a car that gets 22 miles to the gallon, the vehicle generates .88 lbs CO2 per mile.

The calculations change depending on MPG, so if a car gets less than 22 mpg, it generates more carbon per mile, with 19.4 MPG being the 1 mile=1 lb CO2 point.

Count each mile you walk instead of drive as saving 1 lb of CO2!!

(Formula from the Massachusetts Climate Action Network) Thanks to WalkBoston for this info.

To join California WALKS, go to www.californiawalks.org.

Please contact wendy@californiawalks.org or call 510.684.5705 if you have any questions or want information about our organization.

.
Sincerely,

Wendy Alfsen
California WALKS

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