CMAP is working with the Active Transportation Alliance (ATA) and TY Lin International to present the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Course in eight northeastern Illinois communities.  The courses are community-based workshops bringing together schools, local agencies, and communities to plan for safe routes to school at the community level.  CMAP is presenting these workshops to assist northeastern Illinois communities in the development of School Travel Plans, a requirement for applying for SRTS funding.

While these workshops are focused on specific communities and have limited space, observers may be able to attend a workshop; contact Kevin Dekkinga of the ATA (kevin@activetrans.org) to enquire regarding attending one of the workshops. 

To date, the following community workshops have been held or scheduled:

September 10: Elmhurst (completed)
September 15: Tinley Park (completed)
September 27: Lynwood
October 7: Alsip (tentative)
October 13: Aurora
October 15: Winfield
October 22: Batavia
October 26: Steger

If you are interested in scheduling a workshop for your community, contact Kevin Dekkinga at kevin@activetrans.org.  One more training may be available to be scheduled at this writing.  In addition, while the number of workshops is limited this year, we may continue this program in the future if substantial unmet need is demonstrated.

 

Registration is open for two "how-to" workshops on applying to the Illinois Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program.  The workshops, to be held in Bolingbrook (Thursday, October 7) and Chicago (Friday, October 8) will help communities understand the steps necessary to apply for federal SRTS funds, which allow communities to put the infrastructure and programs in place to facilitate walking and cycling to school.

Workshop registration is required and is available online.

The workshops will be conducted by Megan Holt-Swanson, Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) SRTS Coordinator, and will start with a one-hour mini-workshop on the five “Es” of Safe Routes to School.  Following the “5 Es” workshop, Holt-Swanson will go through step-by-step instructions for the development of the school travel plans (required) and for filling out the application.  She will also review best practices and next steps for potential applicants.  The workshops will end with a question and answer session.

These "how-to" workshops are free and open to all Illinois communities and schools.  They will be of particular interest to communities participating in CMAP’s eight day-long SRTS Community Workshops, which present the national SRTS Course curriculum.

• The October 7 workshop will take place in the Village of Bolingbrook at Bolingbrook Town Center, 317 West Briarcliff Road, Bolingbrook, IL.  The preliminary “5 Es” mini-workshop will run from 12:45 to 2:00 p.m.  The main workshop will be from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m.
• The October 8 workshop will be at CMAP offices, 233 South Wacker Drive, Suite 800, Chicago, IL.  The “5 Es” mini-workshop will be from 8:45 to 10:00 a.m.  The main workshop will run from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

More information about the Illinois SRTS Program is available on-line.

 

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) offers a series of webinars on the Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program and how to apply for funding.  Please note that an Illinois SRTS program call-for-projects opens on October 1, 2010.  School Travel Plans (required) must be submitted by November 15 (or November 1, if you wish to receive IDOT feedback on your plan).  Actual SRTS applications are due December 15, 2010.  For more information on the SRTS program and how to apply, and to sign up for email updates, go to IDOT’s website, or contact Megan Holt-Swanson, IDOT SRTS Coordinator, DOT.SafeRoutes@illinois.gov or 217-785-2932.

The following is the schedule of upcoming SRTS webinars:

September 21, 2010, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
  The 5 Es of SRTS: Enforcement and Engineering
  Reserve your seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/669806330

October 5, 2010, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
  The On-line School Travel Plan
  Reserve your seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/760612059

October 19, 2010, 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.
  The On-line Application
  Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/211509643

 

On September 23, join experts from the Netherlands for the opening session of the ThinkBike Workshops: A Dutch Boost to Chicago’s Bike-ability.

Geoffrey Baer, of WTTW Channel 11, will emcee the session.  There will be a presentation by Hans Voerknecht, project manager of Fietsberaad International, on Dutch approaches to mainstreaming bicycling.  There will also be a presentation by Arjen Jaarsma -- an internationally-known expert in urban transport, traffic engineering, and sustainable mobility -- on the place of the bike in a sustainable transportation system.  Finally, Adolfo Hernandez, of the Active Transportation Alliance, will give his “Top Ten Ideas for Improving Cycling in Chicago.”

This event is free and open to the public.  It will take place on Thursday, September 23 from 8:30 to10:30 a.m. at the James Thompson Center located at 100 W. Randolph Street in Chicago. Prior registration is required at www.activetrans.org/dutchbikeplan.

 

The National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) released an updated edition of their publication, Increasing Physical Activity through Community Design -- A Guide for Public Health Practitioners and Livable Community Advocates (known as the IPA Guide, for short).  The IPA Guide explains the connections between community design and people’s levels of physical activity and health.  It offers advice on how communities can organize and take action to increase physical activity in their neighborhoods and reverse national trends toward increased obesity, physical inactivity, and related diseases and health problems.

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) will host the webinar “Bicycles, Pedestrians, and Transit” on September 15, 2010, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT.  The webinar will examine the interconnections and synergies between non-motorized transportation and transit, with presentations by Amanda Woodall of Chicago’s Active Transportation Alliance, Cynthia Hoyle of Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District, and Dustin White of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.  The presentations will explore the common ground between transit and active transportation professionals and advocates, and look at ways to overcome institutional challenges to cooperation. 

The cost is $50 per site for APBP members and $75 per site for non-APBP members. Register online.  For more information, contact Debra Goeks (262-228-7025 or deb@apbp.org ).

CMAP – in conjunction with LYKAH Consulting – will be presenting the webinar at its offices in downtown Chicago.  Attendence is limited to the first 20 persons to RSVP.  Please email Tom Murtha at tmurtha@cmap.illinois.gov to reserve your spot and receive additional information and directions to CMAP offices. 

Part 4 (of 8) in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) webinar series, “Designing for Pedestrian Safety,” will take place Thursday, September 9 at 1:00 p.m. CDT.  The webinar is entitled “Intersection Geometry” and will be presented by Chicago’s own John LaPlante, Director of Traffic Engineering at T.Y. Lin International.  The webinar will give an overview of issues related to intersection design and geometry, and will provide guidance for building intersections that slow speeds, reduce pedestrian crossing distance, and reduce conflicts.

The webinar is free and online registration is available.  For more information, email webinars@hsrc.unc.edu.

According to an August 13 Evanston Now article, the City of Evanston and its Health Department are encouraging youth of all ages to walk to school in groups or with their parents during the first week of classes (August 30 through September 3).  The city-wide education and encouragement program is called Walk Week.  It is designed to promote walking to school and physical activity generally.  A factsheet outlines the program and its goals.

Walk Week is free and open to all students in both public and private schools. Registration is not required. Suggested routes and safety information are posted on the Evanston/Skokie School District 65 website.  Program materials are available for pick-up at Evanston libraries, recreation centers, and YMCA/YWCA.

America Walks, a national non-profit organization promoting walkable communities, in partnership with the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP), will convene the Equal Footing Summit at the ProWalk/ProBike conference in Chattanooga, TN in September.  The Summit will adopt and launch America Walks’ National Walking Strategy, which is designed to achieve the following outcomes:

• Make walking a national, state, and local priority
• Unify policies, programs, and strategies with a National Walking Strategy
• Convene and grow a strong base of support for walking
• Speak with one voice to make America more walkable

The Equal Footing Campaign steering committee is writing the National Walking Strategy and Action Plan to unify public health, transportation, recreation, and economic development interests around goals designed to make America more walkable.

The Equal Footing Summit will be held on September 16, 2010 in Chattanooga, directly after the conclusion of the Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference.  For more information or to register for the Summit, visit the America Walks website.

The Wednesday Journal of Oak Park and River Forest reports that the Village of Oak Park has amassed a small fleet of bicycles for Village workers to use when on the job and traveling around town.  The Village began offering the bikes as a way both to save money on gas and to give employees a chance to exercise when at work.

Public Works Director John Wielebnicki praised the program, which began in 2008, saying, "It's a great way to find parking in downtown Oak Park; it's great exercise; and it's amazing what you can see as a public works director when you're riding around on a bike," explaining that spotting a pothole or damaged sign from a bike is much easier than from an automobile.

Village streetlight technician, Kevin Norris (photo courtesy of Wednesday Journal staff, M. Stempniak)

The employee bike program was first suggested and outlined in Oak Park’s bikeway plan, adopted in 2008.  According to the Village manager, other aspects of the bike plan will be implemented later this year, including bike route signage and bike rack installations.  "We know that bicycle use is growing in Oak Park because we keep adding additional bike racks around town, and as soon as we put them out there, many times, they're filled up," he said.  

In August, the Village of Arlington Heights and its Bicycle Advisory Commission organized a “car-free day” to encourage residents to leave their cars parked at home and head downtown by foot and bicycle.  The event, part of the Taste of Arlington Heights festival and other downtown events, was designed to fill the streets with people and activities and to raise awareness of Village efforts to make biking and walking easier, safer, and a more popular mode of transportation.  Local businesses, the Chamber of Commerce, the Arlington Heights Bicycle Club, and advocacy groups praised the car-free day as a way to promote walkability and bikeability and to educate cyclists and drivers about safety, rules-of-the-road, and the advantages of increasing non-motorized travel.  The Village offered valet bike parking as part of the event.  Arlington Heights bikeway maps are available online at Bicycle Advisory Commission website.

 

The City of London and Transport for London (TFL) announced the opening of the first two of twelve planned "cycle superhighways," that radiate out from the city center into London suburbs and designed to serve as major bike commuter routes.  The completed facilities are 7.6 and 8.5 miles in length, consist of two five-foot wide lanes (one in each direction), and are painted bright blue.  You can view a system-wide Cycle Superhighways map and read more about the plan on the Transport for London website.

Creative Commons image, from www.flickr.com/photos/19871340@N00/472668297/

 

On Monday, August 30, and Tuesday, August 31, residents of the region will have the opportunity to make their voices heard and provide input on : A 21^st Century Agenda for Conservation and Reconnecting Americans with our Great Outdoors.  The planned events are part of series of public listening sessions occurring around the country, organized by the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Health and Human Services, Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the White House Council on Environmental Quality.

The first public listening session will take place Monday, August 30, at 5:30 p.m. at the Field Museum.  The focus will be on parks, open space, and nature.  This forum is sponsored by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Chicago Wilderness, City of Chicago Department of the Environment, Openlands, and the Field Museum.  For more information, see the Chicago Wilderness announcement.  CMAP’s executive director Randy Blankenhorn will be speaking at this event on the importance of preserving open space and greenways. 

The following day, August 31, two listening sessions will take place at Northwestern University and Prentice Women’s Hospital – a general, adult session and a youth session, respectively.  The focus of these sessions will be health and the outdoors.

All listening sessions are free and open to the public.  If you cannot attend, you can also submit your ideas to the America’s Great Outdoors Ideas at http://www.doi.gov/americasgreatoutdoors/.

 

WalkScore -- a website that scores the walkability of a location (on a scale of 1 to 100) -- recently made some tweaks to improve accuracy.  Originally, WalkScore ranked locations based upon the proximity of nearby amenities, such as supermarkets, restaurants, dry cleaners, cafes, etc.

However, the website recently made some changes to improve the accuracy of its rankings.  First, the walkability “score” of a particular location is now based upon the measurement of the actual walking distance, as opposed to “as-the-crow-flies” distance.  Secondly, the scoring program now incorporates pedestrian friendliness metrics such as intersection density and block length.  In addition, the website has added a separate Transit Score number as a calculation of transit service quality for more than 40 metropolitan areas, where transit data is available.  The Transit Score number is calculated by assigning a "usefulness" value to nearby transit based on its mode, frequency, and walking distance to nearest stop.  Finally, WalkScore has introduced new, interactive “heat maps” to visualize and “find the most walkable neighborhoods in the top 40 U.S. cities.”  Overall, Chicago ranks fourth, behind San Francisco, New York, and Boston.

                                                                                              Source: www.walkscore.com 

The biannual Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference will be held this year in Chattanooga, TN from September 13 to 16.  The conference theme is “Bringing Livable Communities and Regions to Scale.”  The conference will offer attendees the opportunity to learn about innovative bicycle and pedestrian work underway nationally and internationally, and the chance to be part of the discussion about what the future may – and should – hold for non-motorized Transportation in this country. An updated conference program is available on the National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW), and online registration and reservations for mobile workshops are also available online.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has created an easy-to-use, searchable database of bike maps.  Please note that the maps in the database are users’ maps, not planning maps.  For each state in the U.S. (as well as for other countries), there are three categories: City, County, and Trail. 

The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) published a Legal Research Digest on the liability aspects of bikeways.  The report should be of interest and use to Transportation planners, engineers, and officials; public and private sector attorneys and risk managers; financial officers, policy makers, and bicycling advocates.

The report reviews federal, state, and local laws and policies relating to bikeways and examines the legal risks incurred by public entities in providing or designating bikeways.  It examines claims against public entities for cycling accidents, defenses to such accidents under tort claims acts and state recreational use statutes, and the courts’ decisions.  The report concludes that “although there have been some tort claims against public entities for bikeway accidents, the defendant public entities prevailed in nearly all cases.”

Part 3 (of 8) in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) webinar series, “Designing for Pedestrian Safety,” will take place tomorrow, Tuesday, August 17 at 1:00 p.m. CDT.  The webinar is entitled “Treatments at Unsignalized Pedestrian Crossings” and will be presented by Charlie Zegeer, PBIC Director.  The webinar will provide an in-depth look at pedestrian safety considerations at unsignalized crossing locations and an overview of effective countermeasures to use when planning and designing for pedestrians at such locations.

The webinar is free and online registration is available.  For more information, email webinars@hsrc.unc.edu.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration released a summary report, “Factors Contributing to Pedestrian and Bicycle Crashes on Rural Roads,” that examines the differences between pedestrian and bicycle crashes in urban and rural settings in North Carolina. The report also examines problem areas, such as specific crash types and crash locations, on rural highways that are of potentially high priority for safety treatment or treatment development.

The Active Transportation Alliance has launched a crash support group and hotline to help people who have been involved in a bicycle or pedestrian crash and who need information or support.  The crash support group meetings are facilitated by a trained professional and are free and confidential.  The hotline is available 24 hours a day and will help crash victims answer questions like “What do I do next?,” “How do I find a lawyer?,” and “What are my rights?”  The hotline number is 312-869-HELP (4357).  This number should not replace calling 9-1-1 when you are involved in a crash, or sustain injuries in a crash that require medical attention.