California WALKS Newsletter
In This Issue
News from Around the Network
New Resources
Upcoming Events
     

     
Have events, resources, or news you want to share with the Network?

Simply e-mail Tony Dang, State Network Coordinator. 
Issue 22  |  November 2012
News from Around the Network
Reflections from APHA 2012: Walking is Medicine 

What's the connection between walking and health? Read Cal WALKS' reflections on the 2012 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and how the message that Walking is Medicine reached over 12,000 public health professionals. Read more here.

New Resources
Free Safety Programs for California Communities
The UC Berkeley ITS Tech Transfer offers free Traffic Safety Evaluations and Pedestrian Safety Assessments
for any interested City or County agency. Tech Transfer is now accepting applications for the Fall 2012 and Winter 2013 cycle--this is a very popular program and there is generally a waiting list. We recommend interested parties to apply ASAP. Applications will be evaluated according to the California Office of Traffic Safety's safety priorities.
 
Funding for this program is provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety, through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
 
Didn't get a chance to attend Pro Walk/Pro Bike this year? Not a problem! Check out videos and presentations from the conference here.
 
The U.S. Department of Transportation has released its interim guidance on how states are to implement the new federal transportation bill, MAP-21. One major change for the federal Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program is an 80/20 match requirement--in other words, SRTS projects now must raise 20% of the total project costs in local funds, whereas SRTS projects were formerly 100% covered under federal funds.
Upcoming Events
November 8, 2012, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM Pacific 
On Thursday, November 8th, please join the first  Walking Action Network Discussion Forum--sponsored by America Walks and the Alliance for Biking & Walking. The forum will be an interactive discussion with other call participants, and promises to be an exciting exchange of ideas and strategies as well as an opportunity to learn about national activities and local strategies that support walking advocates.
 
November 13, 2012, 9:00-10:30 AM Pacific
This web briefing will have case studies of innovative intersection designs from Georgia and North Carolina. This Web briefing presents content on this topic from the 2012 ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibit, Advancing Transportation Knowledge and Practice held in Atlanta, GA. Cost is $25 per site

 
November 14, 2012, 12:00-1:00 PM Pacific

How are bicycling and walking maps evolving to meet community needs? Are paper maps still viable? Which on-line maps are used most often? Join APBP and presenters from Boston and Arlington County, Virginia, to consider different approaches to creating maps for trip planning in urban areas.


Cost: $50 APBP members/$75 non-APBP members, or multi-webinar discounts


This web forum will examine the new post-election landscape for the prevention fund, the looming threat of the 'fiscal cliff', and provide concrete recommendations for shoring up our national commitment to community-based prevention.
 

In preparation for the third and final round of the the  Strategic Growth Council's (SGC) competitive Urban Greening Grant Program totaling $20 million--administered by the California Natural Resources Agency--workshops will be conducted in locations across the state to provide technical assistance regarding project eligibility, competitiveness, and grant application preparation. Program guidelines are available at the SGC website. Click here for workshop dates, locations and other details. To RSVP, call (916) 653-2812 or e-mail urbangreening@resources.ca.gov.

November 20, 2012, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Pacific
 
Road diets, or the reallocation of road space through reduction in the number of regular traffic lanes, are of interest to communities that may be seeking to reduce traffic speeds, reduce crashes, improve accessibility for pedestrians and bicyclists, or achieve a number of other benefits. This webinar will present information about the safety benefits of road diets, particularly to pedestrians, and highlight examples of road diet implementation in the United States.


November 21, 2012, 11:00 AM-12:30 PM Pacific
This webinar will focus on opportunities to create streets that are not only good for mobility, but are also public spaces and destinations in their own right. Speakers will present case studies that range from revitalized Main Streets, street plazas and parklets, and flexible street designs that allow for festivals and celebrations. Across the country, communities are realizing the value of vibrant streets and districts that support local commerce and culture. This webinar will focus on how planning for streets as places-in the right context-can also improve traditional performance measures (safety, throughput and travel time) as well.


December 4, 2012, 10:00-11:00 AM Pacific
As the importance of  drawing upon community assets to sustain SRTS programs continues to grow, thinking beyond the "usual suspects" as partners is more important than ever. In this sixty minute program, we will highlight partner ideas from four outstanding programs that provide wonderful examples of building strong ties with other community organizations. 


February 7-9, 2013 | Kansas City, MO
The multi-disciplinary program includes over 90 plenaries, breakouts, workshops and trainings, and will feature cutting-edge policies and programs, projects, best practices, as well as strategies and implementation tools that address the challenges of implementing smart growth development principles. Scholarships to cover the cost of registration are available (deadline to apply: December 14, 2012)
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