pedestrian bumper sticker
Issue: # 9August 2011
IN THIS ISSUE
UPcoming Events & Webinars
ACTION ALERT: Caution: Do Not Yield!
EPW Transportation Bill
Research & Reports

                      UPcoming Events

3rd Safe Routes to School National Conference August 16-18 in Minneapolis, MN. Register at www.saferoutesconference.org . California WALKS Youth Video Voice panel will be a part of this conference. 

                    

                                   ********************

 Crossing Solutions at Roundabouts and Channelized Right-Turn Lanes for Pedestrians with Visual Impairments---Webinar

 

On August 17 at 2 p.m. EDT, ESPA and the Transportation Research Board will present a webinar on how visually impaired pedestrians can navigate roundabouts and channelized right-turn lanes. Panelists will evaluate accessibility at a complex intersection and discuss the impacts of site geometry and operational characteristics on site accessibility. Professional development credit is available for engineers. To participate, you must register by August 12. E-mail any questions to [email protected].

 

         Older Adults and Ped SafetyWebinars

                  in English and Spanish

 

"Teaching Children How to Walk Safely as They Grow and Develop"--a Spanish language presentation about how parents can help their children learn pedestrian skills.

 Date:   August 24

Time:  11 am-Noon

Register at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/898920842. 

 

"Cuidando con Nosotros"--"Watching Out for Us", coordinated by California WALKS, on August 29 at 11am-Noon. Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/869943299

 

Title:   Older Adults and Pedestrian Safety - What Can We Do?

Date:   Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Time:   10:00 AM - 11:30 am  PDT

 

Pedestrian fatalities for adults 65 and over are higher than for any other age group. The panelists will discuss walking and its relationship to chronic disease prevention, as well as successful senior intervention programs. Reserve your space now at: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/914086142.

 

All are free from NHTSA by UNC HRC/PBIC

TRB Emerging Issues in Safe and Sustainable Mobility for Older Adults Conference
 
August 30-September 1, Washington D.C. Join California WALKS on August 30, presenting at Noon-2:00 p.m. Poster Session: Engaging Older Adults in Safe and Active Transportation and Mobility Policymaking, Rhianna Babka and Wendy Alfsen,

                    

                      October Conference for Older Adults

 

California WALKS "Engaging Older Adults" (using video and photovoice) as effective health advocates for increased access, safe mobility, physical activity and access to goods and services" a joint HTN-NHTSA, PBIC, UNC Older Adult Pedestrian Safety project has been accepted for oral presentation at APHA conference this fall!

  
3001.0, Aging and the Built Environment, Rhianna Babka, Wendy Alfsen, Diana Rodriguez, scheduled for Monday, October 31, 2011 at 8:30 AM. Join us in Washington D.C.: http://apha.confex.com/apha/139am/webprogram/Session31726.html. Also California WALKS Youth Leader, Diana Rodriguez has been selected to the National Youth Council of the APHA Community-Based Public Health Caucus, http://www.sph.umich.edu/cbphcaucus/pdf/NewsletterArchive/2011/Winter2011Newsletter.pdf  
 
 
Save the Date, November 3
Sustainable, Walkable Communities Workshop, Sacramento, CA--A California WALKS Network event sponsored by WALKSacramento.
 

Action Alert!   

Caution: Do Not Yield! Protect "Safe Routes to School" and other Pedestrian Infrastructure Funds in the Federal Budget  

As we speak, the Federal Transportation Authorization bill is working its way through both chambers of Congress. A proposal in the House of Representatives threatens to cut the already meager amount of dedicated funding for pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure in vital programs such as "Safe Routes to School", Transportation Enhancements, and Recreational Trails. Write your congressperson, along with Senators Boxer and Feinstein, and urge them to preserve the dedicated funding that will help keep pedestrians and bicyclists safe, support physical activity, and revitalize local economies.
     
                          EPW Transportation and Infrastructure Bill 

California WALKS has written a letter of support for Senator Barbara Boxer's EPW Transportation and Infrastructure bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). MAP-21 protects current funding levels and includes specific provisions dedicated to pedestrian safety and accessibility, which will enable more walking to preserve the independence of our aging population and combat the epidemics of obesity and high blood pressure.

 

 Pedestrian Safety Research Pioneer Dahianna Lopez honored with Chancellor's Award

 

UCSF News - May 20, 2011

 

UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann, MD, MPH, joined the UCSF community for the 2011 Founders Day Luncheon when the University recognizes faculty, staff and students for their extraordinary contributions to advancing the mission of education, research and patient care.

 

The individuals, who celebrated the occasion with their friends, family members and colleagues, delivered heart-felt speeches about their work. San Francisco's Injury Center Prevention Director, Dahianna Lopez, received the Chancellor's Award for Public Service.

                                      RESEARCH & REPORTS
 
            Walking More & Walking Less---Results from America WALKS 2011
                National Walking Survey
 
Among the survey's findings from the 2011 National Walking Survey:

 

1) as neighborhood walkability increases, school-age children walk or bike more to school and are driven in cars or schoolbuses less.
2) the most-cited reason for walking was to "maintain good health." Despite this, only 4% of doctors advised patients to walk, and only 6.6% learned of the benefits of walking through the media.
3) more than 50% cited motorists using cellphones and speeding motorists as safety problems for pedestrians; about two-fifths cited a lack of sidewalks and unsmooth walking surfaces as a danger.
                             California WALKS Makes MTC Headlines
California WALKS Board speaks out in favor of automated traffic enforcement--red light cameras help prevent pedestrian deaths as fewer drivers run red lights! See Oakland Tribune OpEd: http://www.insidebayarea.com/opinion/ci_18609450.                    
  

       Positive Traffic Developments in San Diego

San Diego Association of Government recently decided to move $800M from I-5 funding into three non-highway transit-oriented projects: grade separation for railroads, improving access to public transit centers, and smart growth incentive programs. Read the article in its entirety at: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/jul/22/sandag-moves-800m-i-5-expansion-transit-oriented-p/.

                                                             

                                   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.

For more information or to join California WALKS, go to www.californiawalks.org.  

Please contact [email protected] or call 510.684.5705 if you have any questions or want information about our organization.
Logo.         
 
Sincerely,
Wendy Alfsen 
 
California WALKS


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