It's International Walk to School Day!

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Celebrate with your favorite kid by doing the Ped Safety Dance, or check out an activity at your local school. Here are just a few of the fun things happening this week at schools around the region.

Westlake Elementary School
We always invite the City's Bike Patrol and Horse Patrol to International Walk to School Day. We get the word out via a big banner at the front of the school and via the weekly email newsletter sent to all parents. This is the kick off of a year-long program, "Westlake's Walking and Wheeling Wednesdays," in which we have walking and biking events the first Wednesday of every month. We give the kids punch cards to attach to their backpacks which they can get punched every month. There are incentives for walking of biking 3 months in a row and for walking or biking every month of the year.
Linwood E. Howe Elementary School
We will be working with a local Girl Scout Troop to hold a bike clinic the weekend before so that families can get their bikes tuned up and students can learn about and practice bicycle safety. On Walk to School Wednesday, local city and school district officials will meet us in front of City Hall to walk to school. This will be the kick-off event for monthly Walk to School Wednesdays, which will be part of our encouragement efforts for our Safe Routes to School Program. 

William Mckinley Elementary School
We set up stations at all four corners on the way to school. Everyone who walks gets a juice and muffin and a wristband that says "I Walked".

Bell Gardens High School
Bell Gardens will host Safe Routes to School Week during the week of October 17th. The events will promote walking as a viable form of transportation and educate students about new infrastructure improvements, how to walk safely, the importance of physical activity and practicing healthy eating habits.

Tulsa St Elementary School
Cliff Kids sponsors us and donates healthy snacks for those that walk. We have all the walkers sign a banner and hang it up in the Cafeteria area.

Sunset Hills Elementary School
We always have a theme like "Buzz on up to School" or "Hop on up to School" We draw encouraging notes on the sidewalks for the children as they enter the school. We give out toe tokens for the children who walk. we also try to provide a healthy snack to those who walk. We also collect "slightly used" tennis shoes to give to charity.

This Week on Foot

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This week has been full of more buzzing about the recent study of the bike-ped relationship. As multiple sources point out, according to the Study: Pedestrians safer with more bikes on the street and
Local Data Confirm: NYC Bike-on-Ped Injuries Declined as Cycling Rates Rose . So, I guess it's no surprise that the Bike-Pedestrian Safety Study Draws Jabs.

Meanwhile in New York, A New Look Is Coming to Times Square: Minimalism, and  Audible Pedestrian Signals Debut At 25 NYC Intersections!

But it's not just New Yorkers thinking about pedestrian infrastructure. In Pennsylvania a Group wants to make Kennett Square more "walkable", and there's a Pedestrian bridge finished over Maine Turnpike.

Of course, here in LA it's the vehicle infrastructure people care about, as Protesters to Demand Their 'Apron' Parking Spots Back. Given the dangers pedestrians face here, like the Pedestrian struck by car and badly injured in El Monte or the Pedestrian Struck on PCH in Pacific Palisades, it's a shame cars are getting all the attention.

But in other parts of the country, pedestrians are getting their due, like in Oregon where a Report highlights bike, pedestrian activity in region, Baltimore where Pedestrian, bike safety issues are focus of efforts, and Philadelphia where AARP and the Mayor's Commission on Aging Partner to Make Philadelphia Streets More Walkable for the City's 50+ Population.

Unfortunately, similar efforts in Florida may not have been enough, as Traffic deaths drop in Florida, but pedestrian deaths climb. But across the ocean in Abu Dhabi Pedestrian deaths drop by a third, so at least there's some positive news out there--and speaking of positive stories, if you're looking for one, check out how this Pedestrian hit by train tells story of recovery.

Cool Ped Stuff # 18: Elmer the Safety Elephant

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Elmer the Safety Elephant’s Poem Look all ways
Before you cross the street.
Use your eyes and ears
Before you use your feet.

Courtesy of our friends to the north, Canada's Elmer the Safety Elephant teaches kids how to remain safe in all sorts of circumstances--including when walking to school, which is particularly important because coming up on October 5 is International Walk to School Day. I'll post some info about local activities, but check out the website if you'd like to see what your local school is up to next week.

More Walk Friendly Communities

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The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has announced another set of Walk Friendly communities that are working to improve a wide range of conditions related to walking, including safety, mobility, access, and comfort. They include:

Gold Level
Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN
San Francisco, CA

Silver Level                                      
Alexandria, VA
Philadelphia, PA
Santa Monica, CA

Bronze Level                                     
Cary, NC
Corvallis, OR
Davidson, NC
Lee’s Summit, MO    

“We were very pleased to have a great mix of designated communities this round,” said Carl Sundstrom, WFC program manager. “Through the application process, communities share their best practices and, in turn, we’re able to share this information to all of the communities who apply through the technical assistance we provide.”

You can read more about the program and all the Walk Friendly communities on the Walk Friendly Communities website. Think your community deserves to be on this list? Applications open for the next round in November.

Oh, and of course I have to mention that to date, my hometown of Seattle, Washington, has been the only Platinum-level Walk Friendly Community awarded. Kudos to the Emerald City!        

This Week on Foot

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Just as we've been discussing the relationship between bikes and pedestrians, this week a Study looks at pedestrians hospitalized after bicycle crashes in New York State, and shows that the numbers are higher than previously suspected. But in Chicago, it's trains not bikes that are the problem and Suburban train crossings prove most deadly. And of course, here at home it's the vehicles, like the Angry driver allegedly runs down pedestrian in Redondo Beach.
At least in some places they're thinking about pedestrian safety and walkability, like in Lompoc where Safe walking routes focus of health summit, St. Louis where there's a Pedestrian 'lid' over highway on track for Arch improvements, or even outside the US where Pedestrian-friendly model roads mooted, a Pedestrian Safety Blitz Deemed a Success, and  Uruguay Street pedestrian nightlife area opens in Beirut.

Back in the US Ann Arbor police begin ticketing motorists who don't stop for pedestrians, but in Pittsburgh DU Police may begin ticketing negligent pedestrians. Fortunately elsewhere in Pennsylvania they're taking a brighter stance on walking, like in one small town where Tredyffrin sidewalk ordinance aims for a walkable community.

Speaking of small towns, this week the NRDC brings us news of How a small community is becoming greener - with help from some important friends. And in a slightly bigger community, Putnam Avenue Closed For New Pedestrian Plaza in New York...but Pedestrian Plazas Remain Magnet for Homeless at Night, Despite Outreach  , which some folks aren't too happy about.

In North Carolina it's distracted pedestrians they aren't happy about, as the N.C. DOT to pedestrians: don’t text and walk, and in Glendale one person doesn't seem happy about any pedestrians, as we learn in A note to Saint Pedestrian.

Finally, on a lighter note, one take on Pedestrian Art examines how ordinary objects on the street can make walking a little more interesting.