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June 2009 eNewsletter - Transportation |
| Dear California Convergence Participant, |
Welcome to the June issue of the California Convergence eNewsletter! This month's issue focuses on Transportation. Below we have highlighted a short story on transportation successes in the rural enviornment, and we have also compiled an extensive list of resources we hope will be helpful to anyone working in transportation and it's relation to food and physical activity environments.
Over the last 50 years, America's transportation system has seen little change. Our highways and bridges are crumbling, mass transit is routinely unavailable in the rural environment, and surface streets in urban centers are clogged with fuel-consuming vehicles, leaving little room for those seeking excercise and clean transport in a healthy enviornment. Thankfully, this bleak picture is seeing the begining of what many hope to be radical change.
The National Convergence Partnership website, which you will have an opportunity to read more about below, states, "A vision of healthy communities cannot disregard or devalue transportation. A healthy community is one in which people have access to healthy foods, feel safe, have opportunities for physical activity, breathe clean air, have access to gainful employment and feel connected to opportunity. Transportation is access, thus, transportation is opportunity."
Though not new, this is a sentiment that is growing within the food and physical activity community throught the state and the nation. Transportation advocates are realizing the benefits of joining forces with climate change advocates, health advocates, childhood wellness advocates, and so on. Communities are understanding that transportation and land use is not a "car and street" issue, but an issue of community wellness, health, and equity.
Read on to learn more about what is happening in Humboldt County, California, a proud, rural community where a diverse group of community stakeholders are coming together to change the way they live, work, and travel between. We also have information on the Local Government Comission and how it can help you advocate for a healthier, more inclusive transportation system wherever you may live. And finally, be sure to take the time to browse the extensive resource section. Health advocates throughout California are creating and sharing tools and best practices on how to change transportation systems in your comminty, and we have captured much of the latest and greatest here.
Next Month's eNewsletter will focus on Food Systems. If you would like your work featured in July's issue please contact us right away.
We encourage you to send us your feedback, comments, or ideas for the California Convergence eNewsletter. And again, be sure to check out Ning where you can share resources, best practices, join the discussion boards, or simply network with other advocates working to improve food and physical activity environments. | |
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| Transportation and the Built Enviornemt: Meeting the Challenges of the Rural Community |
For the past decade a growing movement has emerged across the country that recognizes the connections between land use, equity, and health. In the urban environment, this has meant redirecting recources to projects such as building new bike lanes, revitalizing parks, and building infrastructure to allow for greater pedestrian safety. In the rural environment, however, many challenges have prevented communities from implementing these changes in a similar manner. Low income individuals have a greater need for public transportation, which is often non- existent in rural areas; and it's not uncommon to see a large state highway acting as a main street in a small, outlying community, for example.
In 2003, Humboldt County residents came together to address these challenges. By forming the Humboldt Partnership for Active Living (HumPAL), with support from the California Endowment, residents of this mostly rural community have found a new way to address the relationship between land use choices and public health. Like many other coalitions across the state, HumPAL is recognizing the importance of bringing together a diverse group of community activists, policy makers, and advocates to increase the possibility of a healthier, more sustainable, and safe enviornment. See below in the resource section to visit a sampling of these HumPAL stakeholders.
In the past several years HumPAL has seen enourmous success working with the built enviornment. Recently, the coalition has emphasized transportation and it's relation to health. HumPAL has held walkability assesments of Humboldt neighborhoods to identify any barriers to clean and active transportation; has helped create the Health Impact Assessment of the Humboldt County General Plan update; and eventually began holding Safe Routes to Schools summits to encourage community stakeholders to come together to work towards developing active transportation near schools. Out of this the Humboldt County Safe Routes to Schools Toolkit was created, which you can also view below. Combined these efforts have allowed for greater safety for students and parents immediatly surrounding the schools, and has increased ridership on public transportation as more rural routes are added and uitilized and less cars are used on the longer commutes to and from school and work.
HumPAL has recently recieved funding, again from The California Endowment, to continue the HumPAL work with a particular focus on Safe Routes to Schools and Transportation, and they look forward to continuing, and expanding this work in the years ahead. Because the information provided here on HumPAL is not exhaustive, we strongly encourage you to visit their website to learn about how HumPAL was formed, who they are working with, and what their work will involve in the future. Click here to take a look. Be sure to also take a look at their toolkits we have listed below to learn more. |
| Local Governemnt Commision - What We Do |
A balanced, well-designed transportation system that addresses the needs of all modes of travel is essential to community livability and health. In 1991, the Local Government Commission (LGC) developed the Ahwahnee Principles for Resource-Efficient Communities, which underpin the LGC's work on healthy, sustainable communities, and address the issue of transportation in numerous ways, including:
- Communities should be scaled so that housing, jobs, daily needs and other activities are within easy walking distance of each other and of transit stops.
- Streets, pedestrian paths and bike paths should constitute a cohesive network of fully connected and interesting routes to all destinations.
- Community location and character, and regional land use planning structure, should be integrated within a larger transportation network built around transit rather than freeways. Since the Ahwahnee Principles were written, significant research supporting the link between the built environment - including the transportation system - and health have emerged. In addition, new approaches such as "Complete Streets" (see website below) have developed into strong national movements with broad-based support to create transportation systems that work well for all users. On the local level, there are steps a community can take to address health-related transportation issues. All of the following are services that LGC can provide, often at no cost to the community: - If there are safety concerns about children walking or bicycling to school, a Safe Routes to School workshop can help build community understanding of the issues and identify opportunities for improvement. Safe Routes to School work recently conducted by the LGC in Lindsay, CA led the school to report immediate safety improvements upon implementing a few no-cost solutions. - If a community wants to better work with its city or county planning or transportation department staff to address transportation issues, LGC can provide trainings or facilitate discussions that build collaboration on health issues. A Complete Streets workshop is one approach to building community-wide understanding. If the community is ready to address specific issues or opportunities, a Community Design workshop may be appropriate. - If a community is interested in addressing the underlying reasons that its streets are the way they are, a review of city/county codes and standards can identify opportunities to improve the way its transportation system is built. A few things are important to consider. There are often low and no-cost steps that communities can take to improve their transportation systems in the short-term. There are also important, long-term steps that can be taken; these require more time to implement, but are key to building collaboration and making lasting change. If you are interested in additional information on the relationship between health, transportation and other aspects of the built environment, please click here. Or to discuss LGC's services, contact Scott Clark at sclark@lgc.org. |
| Transportation - Websites, Resources and Toolkits |
Humboldt Partnership for Active Living
The Humboldt Partnership for Active Living is a coalition of individuals and organizations with a common interest in improving Humboldt County residents' opportunities to integrate and increase physical activity into their daily lives. Again, this is an excellent resource for those working in food and physical activity environments, especially in rural areas. Humboldt Partnership for Active Living - Safe Routes to Schools toolkit
This Safe Routes to Schools Toolkit is designed to be used by all school personnel, law enforcement officers, transportation planners and engineers, parents and community members in need of supporting materials for efforts to increase the number of children safely walking and rolling (by wheelchair, board, scooter, bike or bus) to school. The materials are divided in to sections and cross referenced for ease of use. Although this toolkit is specifically designed for use in Humboldt County, it's an excellent resource for those living in other rural areas who wish to implement a safe route to schools program.
Green Wheels
Green Wheels, an alternative transportation club that has now also formed a non-profit, works for a healthier community, economy and environment, advocating for balanced and sustainable transportation on the North Coast of California. Green Wheels designed the Jack Pass (see above) and, among other things, is currently involved in The Humboldt Country General Plan Update.
Transportation For America
Transportation for America has formed a broad coalition of housing, business, environmental, public health, transportation, equitable development, and other organizations that are seeking to align national, state, and local transportation policies with an array of issues like economic opportunity, climate change, energy security, health, housing and community development.
Transportation & Health 101 Toolkit
Created by researchers and experts in the fields , the Transportation & Health Toolkit 101 is a collection of documents that illuminates how health and transportation intersect and demonstrates how effective transportation policies can improve the health of communities and their residents.
Complete Streets Coalition
Instituting a complete streets policy ensures that transportation planners and engineers consistently design and operate the entire roadway with all users in mind - including bicyclists, public transportation vehicles and riders, and pedestrians of all ages and abilities. Click here to learn more.
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| California Convergence Events |
The Climate Gap: Inequalities in How Climate Change Hurts Americans and How to Close the Gap (Webinar)June 25 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Join Dialogue4Health (D4H) for a dynamic, solutions-oriented discussion with the authors of an important new report, The Climate Gap: Inequalities in How Climate Change Hurts Americans and How to Close the Gap. This conversation is the second in a series of D4H webforums around climate change mitigation and adaptation. The forum will focus on the hidden and often unequal impact climate change will have on the health of people of color and the poor in the United States, and policies to address this gap. Click here to learn more or register. CPEHN's Biennial Conference: Voices for ChangeJune 30, 2009 Los Angeles, California
June 30 is quickly approaching - register now to reserve a place at CPEHN's biennial conference, Voices for Change! Voices for Change promises to be a great forum to help you connect the dots between prevention and care in your daily work. - Hear about promising practices that are bridging the work of prevention and care - Build skills to make you a more effective advocate - Be one of the first to receive a copy of CPEHN's new report, The Landscape of Opportunity: Cultivating Health Equity in California. Click here to learn more or register. Safe Routes to School National ConferenceAugust 19-21, 2009 Portland, Oregon Whether you are a local practitioner, transportation planner, advocate, school official, engineer, parent, health professional, researcher, non-profit partner, or with law enforcement, this conference will provide valuable information for propelling your Safe Routes to School work to the next level. Click here to learn more or register.
Workshop Series - "Implementing SB 375: What Local Governments Need to Know about Climate Change Legislation"
Several dates and locations between April and July, 2009
Last summer California Convergence successfully helped push for health considerations to be included in implementation decisions to meet California's climate change targets. Now we can help our local elected officials learn how to implement health considerations as well. The workshop series will be hosted by the Local Government Commission, the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and Senator Darrell Steinberg. Click here to learn more and to register.
The 2009 SPARK Institutes Are Approaching...Reserve Your Spot Now!
Several dates between April and July, 2009
San Diego, California
It's getting to be that time again folks; time for Learning, Leadership and Laughter in the San Diego Sun! The '09 SPARK Institutes are shaping up to be another amazing experience for educators, and we look forward to seeing YOU in San Diego!
To learn more about the SPARK Institutes or to register, please click here. You may also contact Lindsay Santoro at lsantoro@sparkpe.org, or 1-800-772-7573 ext. 2239. |
| California Convergence - Grant Opportunities |
School-Based Interventions to Prevent Obesity
Deadline: July 6, 2009
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Project Grant encourages the formation of partnerships between academic institutions and school systems in order to develop and implement controlled, school-based intervention strategies designed to reduce the prevalence of obesity in children. The NIH also encourages evaluative comparisons of different intervention strategies and the detection of synergistic interactions between different types of interventions.
Please click here for more program and grant specific information
The Local Funding Partnerships Annual Grantmaking Program
Deadline: July 7, 2009
With the Local Funding Partnerships (LFP) Annual Grantmaking Program, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation partners with local funders to support new, ambitious projects that will address the specific health issues affecting their communities.
Please click here for more specific grant information and to apply.
School Wellness through Expanding Breakfast Grant Program
Deadline: December 1, 2009
The 2009 Dairy MAX School Wellness through Expanding Breakfast Grant Program helps schools begin new expanded breakfast programs to improve student access to nutritious meals. The goal of the expanded breakfast program is to increase the average daily participation by 50 percent or more by establishing one of the following alternative breakfast service options: Breakfast in the Classroom, Grab 'n Go Breakfast (served outside the cafeteria), or Breakfast after 1st Period.
Please click here for more specific grant information and to apply.Peaceful Pathways: Reducing Exposure to Violence
Deadline: December 31, 2009
Through this special solicitation from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Local Funding Partnerships, the Foundation partners with diversity focused funders and other local grantmakers to fund projects to reduce violence in specific communities such as those defined by race, ethnicity, tribe, gender, sexual identity or rural/frontier location.
Please click here for more program and grant specific information.
KaBoom Community Partnership Grants
Deadline: Rolling
KaBOOM! is a national nonprofit that envisions a place for children to play within walking distance to local residences in North America. In order to achieve this, KaBOOM! has created ongoing opportunities for community organizations to build a new playground or skatepark. Ideal community partners are usually child-serving non-profit organizations, but can be community development organizations, neighborhood coalitions, schools or any organization that can mobilize a volunteer work force and is in need of new play places.
Please click here for more specific grant information and to apply. | |
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Partnership for the Public's Health
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