More great walking webinars

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Health and Equity in Transportation: Promising Methods and Modes to Improve Health Outcomes

APHA will host a free webinar series on critical health and equity issues within the transportation sector. These three, 60-minute APHA webinars will explore the ties between public health and:

· Increased use of public transportation;

· Reduced injuries, particularly for children and young drivers;

· Reduced inequities from increased access to goods and services; and

· Other topics within transportation, such as updates on the federal surface transportation authorization.

We invite professionals in public health, transportation and other related sectors to participate in this new webinar series for 2012. Participants must register to join the webinar. NOTE: registration is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Register here.

1: What Public Transit means for Public Health

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

2-3 pm EDT

Explore how public transit may impact health, via increased physical activity, improved air quality and reduced risk of injuries from crashes. Hear about health impact assessments (HIAs) that estimated how increased spending on public transportation and sustainable modes of transportation can both benefit health and reduce social inequities. Introductory remarks by APHA Associate Executive Director Susan Polan, and presentations by Tracy Buck, MS, RD, Nashville Metro Public Health and Brian Cole, DrPH, UCLA School of Public Health.

Making Pizza (and Pedestrians) Safer

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As I learned recently in this NPR story, Dominos pizza has taken a creative approach to improving the safety of its electric delivery scooters in the Netherlands. Concerned that the quiet vehicles might catch pedestrians unawares, with unfortunate results, the company added a quirky soundtrack to the motors. Annoying? Possibly, but at least they'll be hard for pedestrians to miss...

This Week on Foot

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This we everyone is talking about the latest research from the Brookings Institution showing what's Now Coveted: A Walkable, Convenient Place. In reaction there's this Op Ed on Walkability confirms the obvious and points to transportation expenses, this post on The economic value of walkability and transit, and this one about Urban walkability: the new driver in real estate values.

Meanwhile, the L.A. City Council wants no part of sidewalk repair cost proposed as part of AB 2231. Improvements to Oxnard street will come at a cost, and it's not just the price of repairs--but how much to we pay in health costs when we don't maintain walkable environments? We Can't Rely on Doctors Alone to Make the U.S. Healthier...

...or safer, and even though one person wonders Do pedestrians have a death wish? In Our take: Pedestrian safety matters. But does it matter to everyone? That's not so clear in Washington, D.C., where the Fate of Bike-Ped Compromise Still Unknown as House Reconvenes, or in California where Napa to Pedestrians: Drop Dead, or at Least Fall Down.

Fortunately in the Moreno Valley: Pedestrian safety campaign begins, and they're working on Reducing the risk of pedestrian death in Vancouver, while a 'Pedestrian hybrid beacon' lights up in Metropark and  Re-thinking traffic control for pedestrians in New Zealand.

Back here in my neighborhood, a Man gets life sentences for running over Woodland Hills pedestrian in 2009 chase, while further away Summertime Pedestrian Mall Heats Up Business In Little Italy and even further away Dubai residents get the boot into pedestrian footbridges.

Were you wondering How many people bicycle and walk in Missouri? The first definitive data EVER from MoDOT is available this week. And finally, for all you conspiracy theorists out there, an Opinion: Complete Streets conspiracy theorists should offer proof.

Upcoming Webinars

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June 5, 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm EDT
Tools for Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety and Exposure Analysis

Researchers at the UC Berkeley Safe Transportation Research & Education Center (SafeTREC) will describe several tools that are available to evaluate pedestrian and bicycle safety.
            
David Ragland, Ph.D., will provide an overview of several initiatives to reduce pedestrian and bicycle crashes in California.  These efforts have produced tools and methodologies that have been used in California and could be applied in other communities outside of the state.
            
John Bigham, MPH, will discuss the Transportation Injury Mapping Tool (TIMS), an interactive website to query, map, and download collision data in California.  The presentation will include a live demonstration of TIMS to view maps of pedestrian and bicycle collision data and evaluate the benefit-cost of constructing different safety countermeasures.
            
Robert Schneider, Ph.D., will present the final topic, estimating exposure for pedestrian and bicycle crash risk analysis.  This will include an overview of the importance of exposure data, different methods of estimating pedestrian and bicycle volume data, and recent volume modeling efforts in Alamdea County and San Francisco, California.

Register here.

June 7, 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm EDT
Federal Funding 201 - How Safe Routes to School Projects Actually Get Built: An Overview of Obligation and Obligation Authority/Limitations
        
Federal Funding 101 covered the basics of the complex federal funding process. On June 7, 2012, we will discuss the final phase of federal funding, obligation. Obligation is the final stage of the federal regulatory process; once a project or program is obligated, it is ready to begin, but not before. It can take a long time to get Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements projects and programs to this point: learn how the process works, and what you can do to help your state program and local applicants to get through this complex process. And learn about obligation authority/limitations, or how and why some of the federal funds may not even be made available to communities in your state. Find out the answers to these and other questions, and ask your own!

Speakers:
Darren Flusche, policy director, League of American Bicyclists, Advocacy Advance program
Robert Ping, technical assistance director, Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Dawn Foster, SRTS coordinator, California Department of Transportation (Caltrans )

Register here.

June 14, 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm EDT
Slowing Drivers down: Why It Matters and Two Communities' Solutions

Presenters: Scott Bricker, Executive Director, America Walks
Elizabeth Stampe, Director, Walk San Francisco
Mark Lear, Traffic Safety Programs, Portland Bureau of Transportation

Traffic safety, especially the speed of cars around schools, is one of the biggest barriers to walking and biking to school reported by parents. Reducing the speed of traffic around schools is a good step to make routes to school safer and encourage families to walk and bike. This webinar highlights strategies used by two communities to successfully slow vehicle speeds around schools.

Scott Bricker, Executive Director of America Walks, will review relevant research around speed and pedestrian and bicyclist safety and provide a general overview of steps your community can take to slow vehicle speeds around schools. Then, Elizabeth Stampe, from Walk San Francisco, will discuss how Walk San Francisco worked with the City’s transportation department to enforce an existing state law and helped to reduce speed limits around 181 schools. Finally, Mark Lear, from the Portland Bureau of Transportation, will describe the City’s development of a “neighborhood greenways” network with speed limits of 20 MPH. He’ll present some basic design elements of Portland’s greenways and discuss how they built a diverse community coalition to achieve their goals.

Register here.

Nope, it's not.

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Maybe it's time to plant a few more street trees in Woodland Hills?

Will AB 2231 have unintended consequences for sidewalks?

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Assembly Bill 2231, introduced by Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes, shifts responsibility for sidewalk repairs from adjacent property owners to local jurisdictions. The bill is touted by groups such as the California Association of Realtors because it "rightfully stops local governments from shirking responsibility for these sidewalks and protects property owners from huge repair and legal costs for damages they did not produce."

That might be good for homeowners, but is it good for sidewalks? The bill imposes a state-mandated local program, which means that ultimately the State could be responsible for paying sidewalk repair costs if the Commission on State Mandates determines the costs are reimbursable. Given the state of California's budget, that possibility is uncertain at best, meaning local jurisdictions would likely have to pay for repairs.

Great! you say -- one way or the other, we'll finally get some much-needed sidewalk fixes. Don't be so sure. At least one city says it would remove its sidewalks rather than bankrupt itself trying to repair them. There's also the risk that jurisdictions would decide to cut down shade trees that threaten to cause sidewalk damage (or maybe just make it a policy not to plant them). Given this, it's no surprise groups like the League of California Cities and California Association of Counties oppose the bill (although the reason they give for doing so is a little discouraging: "It is difficult to justify repairing a sidewalk for a homeowner in a residential neighborhood instead of filling potholes on a thoroughfare that serves as a primary route for the movement of people and goods…").  

I don't fault Fuentes for wanting cities to take responsibility for sidewalk repair. Though it's clearly not the reason he's sponsored the bill (he's more interested in scoring points with homeowners worried about liability than in ensuring pedestrian connectivity), it galls me when cities argue they have a mandate to maintain the traveled way for vehicles--but not pedestrians. Still, I believe there is a real risk that AB 2231, if passed, could lead to fewer sidewalks. Until the bill is changed to address that problem, it's not one I believe pedestrian advocates should support.

This Week on Foot

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We're visiting Seattle this week, where the City Council rejects mayor's plan for more stores in neighborhoods due in part to concerns over too much walkability. As one person said during public testimony (to loud applause), "We don't need more walkability in our neighborhood." Is there such a thing a too much walkability, or are the problems with the mayor's proposal more nuanced (e.g. a perception that they favor new development over existing retailers)?

It does seem like an odd complaint, given that everywhere else they're jumping on the walkability band...sneakers? This week we learned about Microcities: The Rise of the Mini Home and the Walkable Neighborhood, found out that Home Prices In ‘Resilient Walkable’ Communities See Strongest Recovery, and discovered that Now Coveted: A Walkable, Convenient Place. Even the Military rethinks base planning for energy efficiency, walkability.

And it's not to soon, because it's been a dangerous week out there for pedestrians, with a Pedestrian struck by Metrolink train in Anaheim and a 101-year-old pedestrian killed by 91-year-old driver in Burbank. Fortunately Volvo introduces pedestrian airbarg in 2013 V40 model, and Safe Kids Receives $25,000 To Improve Pedestrian Safety. There even a new Campaign tackles pedestrian deaths on Northern Ireland roads.

Meanwhile, closer to home we're wondering How many agencies does it take to make a better LA street? Already Hollywood's EaCa Alley Already Action-Packed, without a ton of agencies dipping their feet in the water. Elsewhere in the country Central Maui Pedestrian & Bicycle Master Plan to be Unveiled, there's a A second act for the walkable neighborhood in D.C., and the Walkability - Coalition submits suggestions on approving walking areas in Estherville.

Finally this week, we learn about Gas and Cigarettes and Addiction Funding--and how it might not be a great idea to depend on them to fix our walkability problems.

Driverless cars will save the world!

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Photo courtesy of the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles

Okay, I don't really think that.

But I do think they deserve more than a knee-jerk, negative reaction (see discussion here and here). Pedestrians (and planners, for that matter) tend to think of the car as their natural enemy, and it's true the car causes a lot of problems--for everyone, not just those who travel on foot. Does that mean we should reject any change in the technology that might continue to perpetuate an auto-centric world? Let's consider the costs of cars and private vehicle travel, and see what robo-cars might do to change them.

1. Public Health
According to CDC data about 30,000 Americans are killed in traffic crashes each year, at a cost of $41 billion. If that sounds discouraging, consider that over 90 percent of traffic deaths and injuries take place outside the US, killing 1.3 million people annually and injuring another 20 to 50 million. I probably don't have to tell you that pedestrians are disproportionately represented in those deaths and injuries, right?

Driverless cars might not eliminate this problem entirely (the laws of physics still apply if someone darts in front of a car), but they have the potential to seriously decrease deaths and injuries from crashes. Imagine no more distracted driving, drunk driving, speeding, red-light running--or people cutting you off on the freeway. For me, this alone is reason enough to support further investigation into driverless technology.

There are other health consequences from driving, of course. Air pollution from vehicles contributes to high asthma and cancer rates, particularly in neighborhoods near freeways. Driverless cars may have a small impact on this by reducing congestion, but the real benefits from pollution reduction will come from other technologies. And by making it easier to drive, robo-cars might contribute to the ongoing obesity problem in our country (and elsewhere). We shouldn't ignore their potential to create a new kind of lazy (car-potato?), but I'm not convinced the obesity epidemic, with its myriad causes and solutions, is reason enough to reject robo-cars outright.

2. Congestion
Congestion costs Americans over $100 billion per year (not including associated health costs). As transportation experts have said for years, the best solution is well within our reach -- if only we could find the political will to implement it. Until then we hunt for the second-best options, and driverless cars are one of them. They would remove most of the delays caused by crashes, and allow vehicles to travel faster and more smoothly.

However, let's be clear: driverless cars would not solve the fundamental problem of congestion (namely, lots of people trying to get the same place at the same time on the same route). They have the potential to ease congestion by improving roadway efficiency, but they won't eliminate it entirely.

This week on foot

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 Photo courtesy of Comox Valley Record

This week has been full of debate over driverless cars. Oops — wrong future! says Google-Funded Pundit: Forget Transit, the Future Belongs to Robocars. But Driverless cars don't change geometry.

On the other hand, students might--like South Brunswick High School Students Seek Sidewalk. And it's a good thing, because this week we learned why Why Seniors, Children, and the Poor Are at Greater Risk of Traffic Deaths, which may explain why Some Comox Valley elementary students get aboard 'walking bus' to stay safe during their walk to school.

Elsewhere in the country Five Points Officials Looking to Make Area Safer to Walk as well, while King County's 'Complete Streets' Hopes To Reverse Health Effects Of Sprawl, Washington-DC Area Planning Board Approves Complete Streets Policy and Essex County Complete Streets Policy Adopted.

But it's not Complete Streets for everyone. Is the world's fastest pedestrian signal in downtown Muncie? I can't say, but I do know a "Diverging diamond" doesn't help make a walkable corridor. And those walkable corridors are important, since New housing forecast mostly good for walkable communities.

And while we're talking about walkability, don't forget that Parks should be pedestrian friendly. So should bridges, like the Pedestrian bridge dedicated to long-time trail leader in Maine. And maybe even...Vegas? I guess it's one of those Walkable Places Where Glitz Is King.

But cars are king in Kenya: Mwau's Car Knocks Pedestrian to Death, reminding us that the question of walking vs. driving is also one of who has the power.

Finally this week, in California the Senate OKs bill to increase fines for cell phone use while driving-- but across the country they've taken the opposite approach: Texting while walking banned in N.J. town.  

Big Parade This Weekend

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Not only do you get to explore LA on foot, you get to do it with a bunch of other people who love to walk in LA! Walks take place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Get the details here.

2011 LA Bike and Pedestrian Count Results

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They claim no one walks in LA, but the results of the LA County Bike Coalition's newly-released
2011 City of Los Angeles Bicycle and Pedestrian Count suggest otherwise. Counts at just 33 intersections show about 20,000 peak period walkers. Pretty impressive for a city supposedly in love with the car.

Although the report (understandably) focuses primarily on bike travel, it does at least provide some good base data for pedestrian travel in Los Angeles. Hopefully as Los Angeles Walks ramps ups its advocacy efforts, we'll see additional analysis for pedestrians (suggestion for next year: conducting counts during the hours of peak vehicle travel could mean we're missing some of the story about peak pedestrian and bike travel--especially since the counts don't cover the walk-from-school hours). I was particularly interested to see that in many cases the LA counts were higher than those in the US Census journey to work data, suggesting an underreporting of bike and pedestrian travel in the Census. This underscores the importance of devoting more resources to researching pedestrian and bicycle travel--without good data, we're more likely to sell ourselves short (or Congress might).

Like Where the Sidewalk Starts on Facebook!

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Where the Sidewalk Starts likes you--and now you can like Where the Sidewalk Starts. The blog has a new Facebook fan page to go along with its great new design! Check out the page to read all the latest posts, as well as other fun stuff about pedestrians and walkability.

This week on foot

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This week an Advocacy group says public supports federal funding for bikes, pedestrians, and according to the FHWA: Small Investments in Bike/Ped Infrastructure Can Pay Off in a Big Way. So why are we still dealing with the Buckled sidewalks emblematic of city government's failure?

Meanwhile, Three pedestrian deaths elicit varied reactions in San Francisco. Maybe they should look to Florida, where in South Beaches: Flags help with pedestrian crossings, or further north, where Chicago unveils wide-ranging transportation plan that features 20 mph speed limits in Chicago and increased crossing times for pedestrians. 

Outside the US, other cities are also getting innovative with their planning efforts, like in Canada where Calgary abandons cul-de-sac design. Elsewhere in Canada, we learn Most pedestrian-involved crashes caused by turning vehicles.  But another study shows that Sleepy teen pedestrians more likely to get hit. And it's not just lack of sleep that's dangerous for pedestrians. Cuba warns of rising rail danger, faster trains, and here in the US FRA Guidance on Pedestrian Safety Still Misses the Real Problem.  

With all this focus on pedestrian safety and walkability, it seems odd that WeHo Tables Sat. Night, Pedestrian-Only Robertson Blvd. Plan. After all, Walkable neighbourhoods: Key to Hamilton's creative industries--why not LA's industries too? Maybe it's just beacuse Downtown ranked the 'most walkable neighborhood in Los Angeles' and WeHo is jealous?

Finally, New Urbanism Needs a Re-Boot according to one speaker at this week's Congress for New Urbanism. Perhaps it should focus on the Pub shed: Mapping your five minute stumble distance might get people interested in walkability, right?

Free Webinar - Lessons from SRTS Award Winners

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May 22 - 10:00 AM PST

One of the best ways to build a SRTS Program is to take a page from a winning playbook. Each year, the National Center for Safe Routes to School has the privilege of recognizing one Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program in the country for outstanding achievement in promoting safe walking and bicycling to school. This year - a first in the history of the James L. Oberstar Safe Routes to School Award - two schools will receive this national honor: Heatherwood Elementary School in Boulder, Colo., and Omro Middle School in Omro, Wis. In this sixty minute webinar you will have the opportunity to learn from these award winning programs.

Register here.

May SRTS conference call

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All are welcome and invited to join this month's call.

Details:
Thursday, May 10th from 9-10 am
Conference Call Number: 866-394-4146
Guest Code: 878934528#

Lots of good stuff on the agenda, including:
SCAG RTP/SCS Update and Next Steps (5 mins)

• Next Steps – lessons learned, going from here. Developing our SoCal SRTSNP Network Regional Platform 2.0

Regional Planning Spotlight

• Orange County Regional Bikeways Planning with Carolyn Mamaradlo, Associate Transportation Analyst, Transit & Non-motorized Planning, Orange County Transportation Association

Get the full agenda here.

Complete Streets Abu Dhabi

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Lest you think the US and Europe have the monopoly on Complete Streets, take a look at this Urban Street Design Manual from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Aside from noting that with enough money from oil and gas production, your planning department can have a pretty snazzy website, I was fascinated by a number of small (but significant) policies that marked this design manual as unique to its city, such as:

A sikka in Abu Dhabi

• A whole section devoted to techniques for shading sidewalks
• The use of sikkas (narrow pedestrian pathways found in new and historic neighborhoods)
• An emphasis on creating spaces that allow privacy and security for women
• The incorporation of ablution sinks into the street furniture (and reuse of their water for landscape irrigation) 

This highlights something important about complete streets: they're not just about building sidewalks, they're about building community identity. Streets should reflect and encourage the character of the neighborhood  they are located within. That means more than just adding some pretty street furniture, or "branding" the community with special signage. There are real cultural differences in the way different communities use streets. For example, in South and Central American countries (and many Latino neighborhoods in the US),  streets function as a sort of extended front yard where a diversity of activities (vending, socializing) take place. They have a different place in the culture of the community than you might find in, say, a neighborhood in Woodland Hills. (For more info, see James Rojas discussion of Latino Urbanism here.)

True complete streets should be designed to take into account the way a particular culture uses its roadways, including spaces and features that will complement the history and demographics of a particular neighborhood. A roadway in a area with an aging population, for instance, might include a particular focus on universal design. Space for street vending or small-scale businesses might be more important in some commercial areas than room for cafe seating. As we move towards more function-driven street design, we should consider not just the generic purpose of a roadway (commercial-serving, residential neighborhood, bicycle corridor), but also the specific desires and needs of its users.

Walk with Jane this Weekend

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Photo courtesy of Jane Jacobs Walk

Or at least, with her spirit. This weekend planning aficionados across the country hold walks in honor of Jane Jacobs,  author, activist, coiner of the phrase "eyes on the street" and generally planner extraordinaire. Find out more about walks in your area at this link, or this one.

Payback for Promoting Walkability

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As detailed in this recent story from the Daily News, the Woodland Hills Chamber of Commerce plans to drop the Woodland Hills Homeowners Association from its membership because the homeowners have filed a suit over the recently-approved Village at Topanga here in Woodland Hills. The homeowners are concerned about the project's lack of walkability, saying the project violates the Warner Center Specific Plan because it encourages car use, and that potentially significant project impacts weren't considered in the project's environmental impact report. They are particulary concerned that the anchor store--a Costco--will do little to promote alternative transportation use.

But Chamber of Commerce representatives argue that, "This is in direct conflict with what the chamber stands for...We want this development for our community." Maybe the Chamber hasn't read the studies showing walkability is good for business?

While I agree that pretty much anything is better than the empty parking lot that covers the site right now, I find this kind of petty retaliation for legitimate concerns over project design discouraging....almost as discouraging as our Councilmember's feigned bewilderment over why anyone wouldn't want an auto-oriented development in their neighborhood.

Free Webinar - Federal Funding 101

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May 3, 11:00 AM

Join the SRTS Partnership for an overview of the basic federal funding process for walking and bicycling and Safe Routes to School.

Transportation funding can be a complex and confusing process, from applying for money and completing paperwork and forms, to the ‘obligation’ process which can take years to complete. Understanding these systems can help you to better navigate and advocate for federal funds that can increase bicycling and walking.

Have you wondered how the mysterious federal transportation funding process works?
Do you want to learn techniques to successfully apply for federal Safe Routes to School, Transportation Enhancements and other funding through your state department of transportation?
Are you curious about how the new federal transportation bill may end up and what that may mean for you?

Find out the answers to these and other questions, and ask your own! Register here.

Are Bike and Pedestrian Committees Boys' Clubs?

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Photo courtesy of www.oldbike.eu

A new study from the Mineta Transportation Institute, An Examination of Women's Representation and Participation in Bicycle Advisory Committees in California, paints a disappointing picture of the role women play--or don't play--in the development of bicycle and pedestrian policy in our state. In a review of 42 government-formed bicycle and bicycle/pedestrian advisory committees throughout California, authors Hilary Nixon and Cathy DeLuca found that women made up only about 19 percent of members on all bicycle advisory committees and 24 percent of members on all bicycle/pedestrian committees. Further, women were the majority on only three committees.

This matters, because women's travel is different than men's. Women do more "trip-chaining" (linking a trip to work with a trip to school with a trip to the grocery store), take more shopping trips, and carry more associated baggage--and children--when they travel than men. Issues surrounding safety and security play a different role in the travel of women than men. Where a man might think nothing of walking down a dimly-lit street or an empty alley, a woman might change her route to avoid them--or choose not to walk at all. This isn't to say men never face danger on the street, but they're less likely to change their travel patterns because of it.

When women's voices aren't part of the dialogue about bicycle and pedestrian policy, the particular challenges that female cyclists and walkers face might never come up. This can lead to transportation systems that don't "work" for the women who rely on them.

In interviews with committee members, the authors attempted to understand the cause of the gender disparity on bike and pedestrian committees. Many of the interviewees cited the "male-dominated nature" of the committees as part of the problem. Not only did it discourage women from joining committees, it made them hesitant to voice their opinions or engage fully in policy discussions.

"When the other members of the committee laughed at bicyclists who were afraid of riding on [a certain road], in an area that terrifies me, I was sure I didn’t belong there."

This Week on Foot

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The big news this week comes from Walk Score, which answers the question How car-centric is your city? Public transit ranked by the site, with cities like New York and San Francisco scoring big, although LA finished a respectable 11th.

This week also brings much debate over urban form. It's the A second act for the walkable neighborhood as Walkable cities poised to eclipse suburbs, but at least one person argues that ‘Evil’ suburbs deserve more respect.

Some people who don't deserve more respect are drivers in Bangalore, where a new Survey finds Bangalore has India’s worst-behaved motorists. Looks like they are behaving that well in North Carolina either, where Pedestrian deaths on the rise in the Palmetto State. Maybe that's why Pedestrians need a head start at intersections, health chief says. And if that sounds confusing, the Traffic light for pedestrian safety explained in Las Vegas, a city not known for pedestrian safety.

Elsewhere in the country Interstate 17 pedestrian bridge needs flair, some say in Arizona, and in the Seattle area Highland Park Elementary gets $25,000 for child pedestrian safety, and there's a New Approach to Dallas Streets Moves Forward at City Hall.

Back in California, there's a new Report: Federal bike and pedestrian plan a success in Marin , while we learn Where the Sausalito sidewalk ends: A walkers’ paradise? Probably not, but at least Covina moves toward improving pedestrian safety at Metrolink Station. And it's a good thing they are, since it might help address the poor Urban Air Quality Could be Making Children Obese.

Speaking of kids, this week we learn Why Millennials will not buy these 8 products in the future (one of them is a car), and What street hockey can teach us about livable streets.

Finally, in a pedestrian advocacy move after my own heart, Volunteers trek beer From SODO to Green Lake to promote neighborhood walkability . LA Walks, interested in an Angeleno version?

Visualizing Pedestrian Crashes

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A nice (or maybe not-so-nice) summary of pedestrian and bicycle crashes in the US.

California Car Accident Lawyer

Cool Ped Stuff #21: Walk with a Doc

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Photo courtesy of walkwithadoc.org

Created in 2005 by Dr. David Sabgir,  Walk with a Doc aims to "encourage healthy physical activity in people of all ages, and reverse the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle in order to improve the health and well-being of the country." The idea is simple: each weekend people meet at a set location for a short walk with a local physician. Not only does it promote physical activity, it also provides an informal way for people to talk with a doctor about their medical concerns. Check out the list of locations to find out if there's a walk happening near you.

A New Day, A New Blog Design

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Thanks to Ironwood Design Studio for the new look!

Sing Your Heart Out for Your Feet

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Join LA Walks this Saturday from 7pm to 11pm at Atwater Crossing for a fundraiser to support pedestrian advocacy in our fair city. More information and tickets available here.

Pedestrian-Friendly Research

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Vehicle Speed Impacts of Occasional Hazard (Playground) Warning Signs
The main objective of this study was to estimate the speed impact of occasional hazard (playground) warning (OHPW) signs along residential streets. Three types of data were collected at each of three study sites approximately one month before and one week to one month after the installation of a pair of OHPW signs. Vehicle speed data were collected with a pneumatic tube device. Manual observations were recorded, and focused on the magnitude and location of the on-street parking and park and/or playground activities occurring at the study sites. Linear regression analysis was used to estimate the change in mean vehicle speed associated with the presence of the OHPW signs, while controlling for the effects due to activity levels on the streets and the playgrounds. At one site the OHPW sign had no discernible effect on mean vehicle speeds, while at the other two sites mean vehicle speeds decreased by 1.5 mph and 0.9 mph following installation of the OHPW signs.

Evaluation of Alternative Pedestrian Control Devices

A literature review, field study of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) installations in Oregon, and a static survey on the sequencing of the Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB)/High Intensity Activated Crosswalk Signal System (HAWK) were completed as part of this study.

The field study conducted in this project was designed to compare side and overhead-mounted beacons and RRFBs. The field study results indicated that the environment surrounding the crossing has an impact on compliance and that the presence of a median can increase compliance.

The PHB study verified that drivers are confused about what these devices are and how they operate. For the first deployment of a PHB in an area, a public education program is recommended during the early deployment of the PHB.

The study includes guidelines for installation for each of these devices. The major recommendation is that RRFBs be installed on medians when side-mounted devices are considered and at locations with posted speeds of 40 mph or less unless additional features such as stripping, signing, and advance warning RRFBs are used.

Effect of Changes to the Neighborhood Built Environment on Physical Activity in a Low-Income African American Neighborhood
The authors  examined how changes in the built environment affected residents’ physical activity levels in a low-income, primarily African American neighborhood in New Orleans. The researchers built a 6-block walking path and installed a school playground in an intervention neighborhood. They measured physical activity levels in this neighborhood and in 2 matched comparison neighborhoods by self-report, using door-to-door surveys, and by direct observations of neighborhood residents outside before (2006) and after (2008) the interventions.

Neighborhoods were comparable at baseline in demographic composition, choice of physical activity locations, and percentage of residents who participated in physical activity. Self-reported physical activity increased over time in most neighborhoods. The proportion of residents observed who were active increased significantly in the section of the intervention neighborhood with the path compared with comparison neighborhoods. Among residents who were observed engaging in physical activity, 41% were moderately to vigorously active in the section of the intervention neighborhood with the path compared with 24% and 38% in the comparison neighborhoods at the postintervention measurement. This analysis shows that changes to the built environment may increase neighborhood physical activity in low-income, African American neighborhoods.

**And if all those weren't enough, TRB has posted a whole trove of "practice-ready papers"

• The Impact of Traffic Lights on Dangerous Pedestrian Crossings and Violations: a Case Study in Montreal
• Creating Safer Mid-Block Pedestrian and Bicycle Crossing Environments: The Zig-Zag Pavement Marking Experiment
• Pedestrian Infrastructure on the Public Right-of-Way: Aging Pedestrians and Prioritizing Sidewalk Hazards Using the Ultra Light Inertial Profiler (ULIP)
• Evaluation of the Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacon At A Pinellas Trail Crossing In St. Petersburg, Florida
• The Relative Effectiveness of Pedestrian Safety Countermeasures at Urban Intersections: Lessons from a New York City Experience
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Infrastructure-based Countermeasures on Pedestrian Safety
• How Common Is Pedestrian Travel To, From, and Within Shopping Districts?

This week on foot

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It's been a dismal week for pedestrians in LA, where Pedestrian killed in East Hollywood; driver sought by police and a Pedestrian Hit by Car on Echo Park Avenue Has Died. That's why we're Seeking Pedestrian Advocates in L.A., Where People Actually Do Walk! Just not very safely...

Speaking of pedestrian safety, this week Pedestrian safety takes focus at community round table in Las Vegas, while Hundreds Of Magnets A Key To Pedestrian Safety Plan in Ridgewood, NJ. Meanwhile in Florida they're wondering, is Blanding Boulevard too dangerous for pedestrians? If it is, it's not the only dangerous street. Across the country Oregon Pedestrian Deaths Soar; Reminders Given, even as a Pedestrian mall project moves forward. I guess if you want to Think Pedestrian - and Save Lives  you need Hundreds Of Magnets A Key To Pedestrian Safety Plan.

But even as people in San Francisco are complaining that Rare pedestrian deaths exploited by bicycle foes  , and they're wondering How Walkable is Washington? the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Announces Latest Round of Walk Friendly Communities. Why does this stuff matter? Well for one, Where You Live Could Make Your Kids Fat. And if that doesn't convince you, here's A Data-Driven Case for Walkability.

CicLAvia This Weekend

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Don't forget the latest installment of CicLAvia this Sunday. Get the route and all the details here.

Become a PreventObesity.net Leader

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PreventObesity.net is a project of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provides free communication, promotion and assistance to registered Leaders working in the childhood obesity movement,  especially in communities at highest risk for obesity. Some of the tools offered to Leaders include:

• A weekly insider alert newsletter
• Ability to organize PreventObesity.net supporters in your community and 70,000 nationally
• Access to the Map of the Movement, showing other activists in your area
• Blogger outreach analysis and webinar hosting

 Leaders are professionals or volunteers who are actively working to change policies and environments to help children eat better and be more active. They must be focused on changing policies and environments, and organizing others/contributing to organizing efforts. Leaders should be working on one of PreventObesity.net's six issue areas:

• Ensure foods and beverages in schools meet dietary guidelines
• Expand community access to high quality food
• Expand physical activity programs in and out of school
• Improve built environment in communities to increase physical activity
• Use pricing strategies to promote purchase of healthier foods
• Use regulation/policy to reduce youth exposure to unhealthy food marketing

If this describes you, register as a Leader here for free.  

How We Walk

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This week Slate Magazine features a four-part series on walking by Traffic/How We Drive author Tom Vanderbilt. It's full of interesting details about the science of walking (e.g. people walking up escalators instinctively sway--even when the escalator is broken) and insights into why Americans don't walk more:

"...in an America enraptured by the cultural prosthesis that is the automobile, walking has become a lost mode, perceived as not a legitimate way to travel but a necessary adjunct to one’s car journey, a hobby, or something that people without cars—those pitiable “vulnerable road users,” as they are called with charitable condescension—do. To decry these facts—to examine, as I will in this series, how Americans might start walking more again— may seem like a hopelessly retrograde, romantic exercise: nostalgia for Thoreau’s woodland ambles. But the need is urgent. The decline of walking has become a full-blown public health nightmare."

Extreme Walks: Greek Edition

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From the always-creative Greeks, a new advocacy video that has been making the rounds. Enjoy!

This Week on Foot

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As usual, the pedestrian world has been active in the past two weeks. First, the bad news: here in LA,
Red-light scofflaws will catch a break as the City turns off its red-light cameras. And that's not the only challenge pedestrians have been facing. A Phone booth blocks pedestrians from busy Brooklyn intersection, a Metrolink train kills pedestrian in Ventura County, and SI Crosswalks in Need of Improvement.  Yes, all over the country Pedestrians Yield For Cars, Hope They Don’t Get Hit. It would appear Few US cities prepared for aging baby boomers--or even their younger pedestrian counterparts.

But pedestrians, don't despair. Plenty of people are Speaking up for pedestrians. In one city Street markings placed for pedestrians safety, Rapid City's New signs aim to make pedestrian crossings safer, and Chamblee uses streetscape project to make city more pedestrian friendly. The 2012 Florida Legislature Helps Bicyclists and Pedestrians and Artists bring life to empty storefronts.There's even some help from Technology: Making a safer path for pedestrians.And at the national level, From Minnesota to Mississippi, America Tells Congress to Preserve Bike-Ped Funding, like in thisGuest commentary: Transportation bill must keep local communities in mind. Sure, It's hard to make Harford bike and pedestrian friendly, but Adopting a corner a simple way to keep street safer. And don't forget How Walkable Streets Can Reduce Crime. 

It's been a week of police stings, as Police ticket pedestrians, drivers in North Hollywood crosswalk sting and Jaywalking, speeding targeted by police in pedestrian-safety mission. Of course, one mayor took a more creative approach to pedestrian safety: this Texting lane just for laughs, but issue serious. And speaking of serious issues, you can learn about S.F. bicyclist involved in fatal collision discusses incident online. It shows just how important it is to create Complete Streets: Designing Roadways for the Benefit of All--cyclists and pedestrians.

Decisionmakers in the Los Angeles region seem to understand that, as this week SCAG adopted a RTP/SCS touted far and wide for its commitment to alternative transportation. “This Plan Will Make Air Pollution a Relic of Our History”  some claim. Time will tell if that's true, but at least SCAG seems to be a little more forward-thinking than leaders in Imperial Beach, where  Pedestrian Scale Lighting With Solar Panels Shot Down by City Council

Finally this week we learn How Local Transportation Decisions Can Put Public Health Front and Center, and are reminded that A Picture Worth 1,000 Arguments for More Walkable Streets.

Let's argue for more walkable streets, shall we?

Lessons from SCAG's Complete Streets Training

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Last week SCAG offered a full day of training on implementing Complete Streets, courtesy of its Compass Blueprint Toolbox Tuesdays program. Here are a few of the key lessons and resources from the training. You can download copies of the training materials here.

Incorporate all users into street designs

AB 1358 (the California Complete Streets Act) requires jurisdictions to incorporate complete streets into the Circulation Element of their General Plans as they are updated, but does not provide specifics as to how this should be accomplished. The training identified four steps to implementing Complete Streets:

1.       Adopt a general Complete Streets policy
2.       Identify a project/coordination team that can implement new regulations
3.       Develop pilot programs to create and refine detailed Complete Streets design criteria
4.       Review criteria and amend based on results of pilot programs

Complete streets should accommodate all roadway users, including vehicles, transit, bikes, and pedestrians, paying particular attention to those with reduced mobility (e.g. people in wheelchairs) and vulnerable users (bikes and peds). Complete streets should also incorporate stormwater best management practices like bioswales where possible.  

Complete streets generally do cost more to plan, and require more coordination between local agencies (planning, engineering/public works, fire) and the public. For example, a project like the Allision Avenue Streetscape Plan would cost as much as $150,000 to design and another $1.3 million to construct for about 3,000 ft of roadway.

Examples:
Dallas Complete Streets Manual
San Ysidro Community Plan Update
Allison Avenue Streetscape Plan (La Mesa, CA)
Ocean Park Boulevard (Santa Monica, CA)
Mission Avenue (Oceanside, CA)

Design streets based on function, not “classification

In the past streets have been constructed according to a one-size-fits-all hierarchy (e.g. major arterials, collector streets, local streets) using generic street design standards that were applied to all roadways regardless of purpose. These standard designs, which remain in place in many jurisdictions, lead to over-engineered streets with wide travel lanes and inadequate facilities for non-motorized users. They also fail to take into consideration the purpose and neighborhood context of a particular roadway, ignoring the fact that some roads are, to use a term from the training, “destination roadways,” and not roads intended to move as many people as rapidly as possible.

It's National Walking Day

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photo courtesy of the San Diego Union-Tribune

The American Heart Association has declared today National Walking Day, and is encouraging everyone who's able to walk to work. Since I think my 90-mile commute would be a little challenging on foot, I'm planning a daytime walk around my office. You can read about one intrepid San Diego walker's efforts to make it to and from her job in one piece here.

Leaving No Stone Unturned: Tips and Tricks for Funding Your SRTS Program

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Another great webinar from SRTS and America Walks:
Tuesday, April 24 10:00 AM PDT

One of the greatest challenges that Safe Routes to School organizers face is obtaining funding for their programs. Whether it is for small incentives for the students, healthy snacks for walk or bike to school days, flyers and advertisements for events, or eventually hiring a staff member, finding funding is an important part growing your program. Unfortunately, it can often seem like a daunting task.

In this sixty minute webinar, we will help make fundraising for your SRTS program less intimidating by providing tips and tricks on where to find funding an how to go about obtaining it. First, Scott Bricker, Executive Director of America Walks will provide an overview of the issues surrounding fundraising and advice on how to hash out your goals and objectives. Next, Ian Thomas, Executive Director of the PedNet Coalition, will go into an in-depth discussion of what type of budget your program may need, potential sources of funds, and tips for successfully raising money from those sources. Finally, Kathy Smith, a Program Officer from the Partners for Health Foundation, will provide a Foundation's perspective on grant applicants and provide tips on how you can "look" ready for funding.

Register here.

Pedestrians: Not Quite Equal in the Eyes of the Law

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During a recent crosswalk sting here in the San Fernando Valley, police issued over a dozen tickets to pedestrians for violations that included starting to cross a street when a red hand was flashing. As one officer on the scene explained it, "The red hand works for two reasons: to basically safeguard the pedestrian and allow the traffic to start moving."

That got me wondering why (at least here in California) we allow drivers to speed through yellow lights, but refuse to extend the same privilege to pedestrians. Here's language in the CA Vehicle Code:

"A driver facing a steady circular yellow or yellow arrow signal is, by that signal, warned that the related green movement is ending or that a red indication will be shown immediately thereafter."

However, when the flashing "Don't Walk" or red hand signal is shown, "No pedestrian shall start to cross the roadway in the direction of the signal."

Notice that while a yellow light is just a warning to drivers, and doesn't prohibit them from entering an intersection, a flashing red hand means a pedestrian can't even start to cross--even a really speedy one, who knows they can make it across the intersection in plenty of time.

While some might argue that this is to protect pedestrians, I have to suspect (particularly given the statement of the police officer above) that the law is written this way to make sure those pesky pedestrians don't interfere too much with drivers who want to make right turns on red. If we really care about promoting alternative transportation modes at the same level of driving, we're going to have to examine laws like these that subtly bias the transportation system against pedestrians.