Recent Hispanic immigrants to the United States often rely on bicycling and walking as their primary means of transportation. However, recent immigrants are sometimes not familiar with U.S. traffic signs, signals and practices. Language barriers may also affect their ability to understand how to safely travel. For these and other reasons, recent Hispanic immigrants are at a higher risk of being involved in pedestrian and/or bicycle crashes.

In an effort to reduce pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities involving newly-arrived Hispanic immigrants, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) publishes traffic safety materials in Spanish, which can be downloaded by visiting www.nhtsa.gov/links/ped_bike_sp.html.

The program committee of the 20th American Trails National Symposium is currently seeking presentations for its 2010 conference in Chattanooga, TN, on November 14-17, 2010. The theme for the 2010 Symposium is Trails: The Green Way for America.

The Committee is seeking presentations that introduce new ideas, convey useful strategies, identify lessons learned, and strengthen participants’ existing skills and knowledge in the spirit of the Symposium theme. Potential topics for presentations include, but are not limited to, the general topic areas included on the conference website. The deadline for submitting proposals is April 9, 2010.

The Northeastern Illinois Regional Greenways and Trails Plan 2009 Update sets out a vision for an interconnected network of stream- and land-based green corridors and 2,700 miles of multi-use trails throughout the seven-county region. It consists of both a map and document (click for a copy of the map, the high resolution copy of the back of the map, the low resolution copy of the back of the map, and the plan document) and was developed in coordination with CMAP partners. It serves as a basis for planning and programming funding, as a framework and guide for making connections between communities and to regional greenways and trails, and as a consideration in major infrastructure investments. To request a copy, contact CMAP's Curtis Kelley (312-386-8636 or ckelley@cmap.illinois.gov).

Transportation facilities for pedestrians must meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). However, many jurisdictions have not yet complied with the direction from ADA Title II to create and implement a transition plan for addressing deficiencies in their public infrastructure. As of 2002, approximately 68 percent of municipalities did not have or did not know whether they had a transition plan (according to a survey conducted by Chicago Area Transportation Study).

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) is offering a webinar on creating and institutionalizing an ADA transition plan on Wednesday, March 17, at 2:00 p.m. CST.

The webinar will answer the following questions:

• What, exactly, is a transition plan?
• Who needs to do one, and why?
• When does it need to be done, and how often updated?
• What are the relevant federal standards and guidance?
• What is the state's role

Registration is $75 per site for non-APBP members and $50 for APBP members. CMAP will participate in the webinar, and government officials and staff, and the interested public are invited to our offices at 233 S.Wacker Dr., Suite 800 to attend. If you would like to attend, please email Yesenia Ambriz (yambriz@cmap.illinois.gov) to be put on the visitors’ list.

The Village of Hoffman Estates released a draft version of their Comprehensive Bicycle Plan and Map for review and comments. The Village is accepting comments on the plan through March 31, 2010 at bikes@hoffmanestates.com.

The Village Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) oversaw the development of the plan, which includes maps of existing and potential on- and off-street facilities and an evaluation of the Bike Level of Service (Bike LOS) for potential on-street routes. The draft plan also includes sections on education, enforcement, encouragement, funding, and coordination. For questions, please contact Village Traffic Engineer Nathan Roseberry (nathan.roseberry@hoffmanestates.org or 847-252-5806).

The world's most popular internet search engine is getting more bicycle-friendly. On Wednesday, March 10, 2010 Google began providing a service offering turn-by-turn bicycle directions on Google Maps. You will be able to see trails and bike lanes directly on the map and drag-and-drop points to customize your route Commuting and recreational cyclists will be able to use the web-based technology to plan trips or explore biking trails and routes in Chicago and 149 other U.S. cities, Google officials said in this Chicago Tribune article.

PBIC releases Summary Report

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) produced a summary report to share the resources, training, and research developed by the national clearinghouse and highlight many of the milestones of the past ten years in its mission to support livable communities. The Summary Report, along with other resources on biking and walking can be viewed online at the PBIC website.

An important new report, Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility in Europe, is now available. The report was jointly sponsored by theFederal Highway Administration (FHWA), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). The report was co-authored by Priscilla A. Tobias, State Safety Engineer at the Illinois Department of Transportation. It presents the results of a scanning study done in Europe to identify and assess innovative and effective approaches to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility. Download the report now from the library of APBP's International Practices group.

An article from the Journal of Public Transportation, published in November 2009, outlines the history of bike-sharing programs from the first generation programs to present day third generation programs – a progression involving increasing ease of use, implementation, and maintenance. The article, “,” includes a detailed examination of models of provision, a discussion of the benefits and detriments of each, and a description of capital and operating costs. The paper concludes with a look into the future of what a fourth generation bike-sharing program could be.

According to an article in the Washington Post from February 28, "The nation's two largest groups -- baby boomers shedding their houses as they become empty nesters and millennials reaching their 30s and moving into their own homes -- largely prefer densely populated, walkable communities."

"Urban planners project that 86 percent of the growth in new households will be single people or couples without children at home -- and neither group wants to live in remote suburbs or in houses surrounded by big lawns."

"'People want to live near culture and with bars and restaurants right outside their doors,' said the director of planning and zoning for the city of Alexandria. 'We're not abandoning the suburbs, but we're providing more choices."

On February 26, the National Center for Safe Routes to School announced that it was now accepting applicationsaccepting applications for up to 35 $1,000 mini-grants for creative, youth-focused ideas that support safe walking and/or bicycling to school. Eligible activities must occur at an elementary or middle school in Fall 2010 and support the overall goal of Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs -- to enable and encourage children nationwide to safely walk and bicycle to school."

"'Communities across the country are finding new ways to make it safer for children to walk and bicycle to school,”' said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School in this press release. “'These mini-grants encourage communities to get students involved in the effort to foster a culture of walking and bicycling in their own neighborhoods and schools..'..."

Apply online at the SRTS webpage.

On February 23, 2010, Congressman Earl Blumenauer released the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R. 4722). This bill creates a competitive grant program for communities to build bicycling and walking networks. For the first time, communities would be able to compete for multi-year funding to build active Transportation systems just as they do now for transit and road infrastructure.

Read more about the ACT act Act in the America Bikes press release.

The March edition of the National Park Service’sRivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program newsletter, “Conservation + Recreation,” is all about bikes and the ways they contribute to recreation, tourism, public health, and clean, green Transportation in our country’s cities, parks, and public lands. The article “Pedals and Possibilities” highlights the formation of the Bike Sharing Advisory Committee, which brings together members from the Central Federal Lands Highway Division, NPS, and other technical experts to study existing bike sharing programs, risk management issues, and best practices. The committee’s goal is to make recommendations to federal land managers about bike sharing programs for visitors and employees, as a way to reduce congestion and meet public health and sustainability goals.

Pro Walk/Pro Bike Call for Proposals

The National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW) announced the Call for Proposals for Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2010. The deadline to submit a proposal is March 5, 2010. NCBW seeks proposals for poster sessions, 90-minute panel presentations, and 90-minute guided discussions or workshops. For more information, visit the conference website. The conference will be held September 13-17 in Chattanooga, TN, and the theme of the conference will be “Bringing Livable Communities and Regions to Scale.”

The DuPage River trail, between E. Bailey St. and 1800 S. Washington St., in the City of Naperville, will be closed to all traffic from March 1-31, 2010, as part of the City of Naperville Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released a report with interactive maps on February 17, 2010, that ranks the overall health of each county in the U.S.  County health rankings were determined by the residents' lifespan and their overall health.  Counties were ranked on a variety factors that affect health – including air pollution levels and the built environment.  These factors, as they relate to Transportation infrastructure and facilities, can promote or discourage active, healthy modes of travel such as biking and walking.

Chicago and several other cities throughout North America are profiled in an article on bike-friendly areas in the March 2010 issue of National Geographic Traveler.  Chicago’s McDonald Cycle Center, the City’s 12,000 public bike racks, 141 miles of marked, on-street bike lanes, and 35 miles of shared-use trails, as well as the annual event "Bike the Drive" (Memorial Day weekend), are all pointed to as helping make Chicago a leader among North America's bike-friendly cities. 

The Safe Routes to School (SRTS) National Partnership announced late last year an expansion of the State Network Project to 19 states and the District of Columbia beginning in January 2010. The expansion should increase the ability of SRTS to achieve its goals of making the journey to school safer, healthier, and more enjoyable.

SRTS released a new report in January 2010, Putting Traffic Safety First: How Safe Routes to School Initiatives Protect Children Walking and Bicycling.  The report highlights successful initiatives and strategies of SRTS programs across the country.  Learn more about the report and the role of Safe Routes to School in the Complete Streets movement by reading a blog post from Margo Pedroso, deputy director of the National SRTS Partnership.  On February 11, SRTS released another report in collaboration with UC Berkeley’s Safe Transportation Research and Education Center and PPH Partners. The report, Safe Routes to School - Local School Project:  A health evaluation at 10 low-income schools, presents the results, lessons learned and recommendations from the Local School Project.  The project provided technical assistance to SRTS programs at ten schools around the United States to help make it safer and easier for children to walk and bicycle to school.

The National Bike Summit will be held March 9-11, 2010 in Washington, D.C. The summit is targeted towards bicycling advocates, industry executives, and education experts. You can register on line at the League of American Bicyclists. Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff are confirmed for the opening plenary talk on Wednesday, March 10. Celebrated TV host Mark Fenton of the new Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) series “America Walking” will also speak.

A new report, “Valuing Bicycling’s Economic and Health Impacts in Wisconsin,” concludes that “bicycling contributes nearly $1.5 billion to Wisconsin's economy every year.” The report makes it clear that recreational bicycling is among Wisconsin’s top outdoor activities in terms of economic impact, and increasing bicycling has the potential to deliver impressive health benefits and savings.