On Thursday, September 22, 2011 the Public Health Law & Policy (PHLP) will present the webinar, “Creating Pedestrian-Friendly Streets: A Short Walk Through Legal and Practical Issues,” from 12:00 to 1:15 p.m.  The webinar will cover key practical and legal considerations involved in creating pedestrian-friendly streets. Presenters will also describe policy tools that can help make walkable streets the ‘default’ in communities, including PHLP’s  new directory of municipal codes from communities across the country that make streets safer and more comfortable for pedestrians.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is hosting a free webinar on ways in which schools can fund, organize, and maintain fleets of bicycles for use in classes focused on traffic and bicycling safety.  The webinar will include presentations from a state bicycling advocacy group, a school official, and a bicycle manufacturer’s grant program manager, each of whom have each built individual SRTS programs through strategically funding, thoughtfully organizing, and systematically maintaining fleets of bicycles for use in the classroom.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 14 from noon to 1:00 p.m. CT.  Registrationis required.

As part of its Promising Practices and Solutions in Accessible Transportation series, Easter Seals Project ACTION, in partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), is presenting a webinar on a recently released report by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) on the issues and design solutions for navigation of roundabouts and channelized right-turn lanes by pedestrians who have visual impairments.  (See our earlier blog post on this report.)

The webinar will feature panelists’ evaluation of accessibility at these complex intersection types and their understandings of the impacts of site geometry and operational characteristics on accessibility. The webinar will present the findings on infrastructure-based treatments aimed at improving the accessibility of roundabouts and channelized right-turn lanes. The panelists will include a certified orientation and mobility specialist, as well as a registered professional engineer.

The webinar will take place Wednesday, August 17, 2011, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CT.  The webinar is free but space is limited and advance registration is required.

On July 26, the U.S. Access Board will publish proposed guidelines for accessible public rights-of-way.  On that day, the guidelines will be posted on the Board’s website and will be available for public comment for four months.  The Board will conduct several events to present the proposed rule and to solicit comment, including a public briefing and press conference, a webinar, and hearings.

• Public Briefing and Press Conference (July 26, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET)

Members of the public and the media are invited to attend a Board briefing and press conference on the proposal on July 26 from 11:00 – 12:30 at the Board’s meeting space at 1331 F Street, NW, Suite 800, in downtown Washington, D.C.  Board representatives will review requirements of the proposed guidelines, highlight information sought from the public on various topics, and field questions from the press. 

• Webinar (August 9, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CT)

The Board will conduct a public webinar to review the proposed rule and to discuss subjects where input from the public is sought.  To register for this free webinar, visit www.accessibilityonline.org.

• Public Hearings (September 12 in Dallas, and November 9 in Washington, D.C.)

The Board will hold public hearings on the proposed rule in Dallas, Texas on September 12 (9:30 to 11:30 a.m. CT) and Washington, D.C. on November 9 (9:30 to 11:30 a.m. ET).  Members of the public will have the opportunity to provide comments on the rule at these hearings.  Further details will be included in the published rule.

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership (SRTSNP), with funding from the SRAM Cycling Fund, presents the third in their six webinar series: “Bike Parking, Storage and Security at Schools.”  The webinar will address common issues that schools face, present information on common solutions and highlight communities that have creatively faced this issue and as a result have more students bicycling to school daily.

The webinar will take place Thursday, July 14 at 2 p.m. CDT.  The webinar is free, but advance registration is required.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) will co-sponsor a web briefing on current issues, best practices, and additional training opportunities in connection with crossing signals for blind pedestrians.  The webinar will present information and findings from the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) report on accessible pedestrian signals (see previous blog post, “Report on accessible pedestrian signals”).

The webinar will be July 20, 2011, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. central time.  The webinar is free, but requires advance registration by July 15 with Easter Seals Project ACTION.  Space is limited.

 The third Safe Routes to School National Conference will take place August 16-18 in Minneapolis, MN. The conference is an opportunity for participants to share experiences, challenges, and successes in implementing Safe Routes to School projects and programs.  Early registration, at the rate of $300, is available until June 17, 2011.

James L. Oberstar, former Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the Congressional leader of the Safe Routes to School movement, will be recognized at the conference for his leadership and vision, and will address conference attendees.

Conference participants may also attend the Safe Routes to School National Partnership's free Annual Meeting, which will take place on August 15 from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. in conjunction with the conference. The meeting’s theme is "Building the Movement".  Register for the Annual Meeting as part of registration for the National Conference.

The Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) will offer a free webinar on the recently published Urban Bikeway Design Guidefrom the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO).  The webinar will introduce the guide and demonstrate how it may be applied.  The overview will be followed by a series of shorter presentations on how the principles of the guide are being applied in cities nationwide. Presenters will include Mia Birk, Joe Gilpin, Robert Burchfield, Hayes Lord, and representatives from other NACTO cities.

The webinar will take place on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm CDT.  The webinar is free but requires advance registration.

Easter Seals Project ACTION, in partnership with the National Complete Streets Coalition, will offer a two-part training webinar as part of Easter Seals’ 2011 Selected Topics on Accessible Transportation series.

The webinars will take place today, May 18, and next Wednesday, May 25 at 1:00 pm CDT.  The webinars are free, but require advance registration.  Space is limited.  More information and a link to registration is on the event page.

During the first webinar on May 18, instructors will introduce the principles of complete streets and help participants understand how those principles translate into design and function on the ground and in the street.  Each participant will be given a homework assignment to help reinforce concepts andto gain further knowledge about initiatives in their local communities.

The second webinar on May 25 will be an open discussion session. This will allow the presenters to answer participant questions and the group to discuss the homework assignment. This session will be discussion about what makes a community livable and accessible for all of its residents.

As Part 3 of its Pedestrian Safety Action Plan webinar series, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) will offer the webinar, Data Collection and Analysis.  The webinar will be taught by Charlie Zegeer, Director, PBIC.

This webinar will outline various processes for collecting and analyzing pedestrian data.  Specific topics include an overview of different types of data that can be collected – including police reports, facility inventories, and observational behavior data – as well as guidelines for collecting that data.

The webinar takes place today, May 18 at 1:00 pm CDT.  The webinar is free, but requires advance registration.

As part of their Professional Development Webinar Series, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) is presenting the webinar, “Using Social Media to Improve Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities.”  The webinar takes place Wednesday, May 18, 2011 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm CDT.

The webinar will include a brief explanation of different tools and their uses, a discussion of policies and best practices for managing content, and case studies where social media has helped improve bike/ped facilities and conditions: 1.  Bike|Walk|Idaho, 2. the NE 125th Street road diet project in Seattle, and 3. Cascade Bicycle Club's BikeWise.org project.

PDH credits will be available.  The cost is $50 per site for APBP members, $75 per site for non-APBP members. For more information and to register online, visit the APBP website.

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE), in conjunction with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), is offering a series of web briefings to on the content and methods of the new Highway Capacity Manual (HCM2010).

Among the major changes to HCM2010 is the inclusion of new multimodal methods and applications. Especially important for engineers and planners concerned with urban, multimodal, and non-motorized transportation, is the new Urban Streets methodology.  This methodology includes a new multimodal approach to determine level-of-service for automobiles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit riders on urban streets.

Upcoming web briefings will cover the new signalized intersection methodology (May 17) and auto mode in the new multi-modal urban streets methodology (May 19).

The Safe Routes to School National Partnership published a guide to curricula teaching bicycle and pedestrian safety.  The guide is designed to be used by educational practitioners and policy makers, government employees, parents, and students.

In its first two sections, the guide provides background and tips for systematic implementation of bicycle and pedestrian safety education.  The ‘Policies and Funding’ and the ‘Description of Categories’ sections will help teachers, parents, after-school instructors, bike club leaders, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals choose a curriculum that meets their needs.  The ‘Inventory’ section contains a matrix of basic information regarding various curricula around the country.  These are then described in more detail in the ‘Summary’ section, which offers one-page snapshots of each program, as well as a links to more information. 

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) will present a webinar in its Livable Communities Webinar Series entitled, “FHWA Resources for Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals,” on Tuesday, March 1, 2011, from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. CST.  The webinar will provide an overview of tools and resources available to communities to enhance walking and bicycling in their local area.

Presenters include:

• Dan Nabors, Senior Transportation Engineer at Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.,
• Charlie Zegeer, Director, Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center
• Libby Thomas, Research Associate, UNC Highway Safety Research Center
• Tamara Redmon, Pedestrian/Bike Safety Team Leader, FHWA

The second in a series of webinars sponsored by the American Public Health Association (APHA) on the ways in which transportation systems impact public health will take place February 15, 2011, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. CST.  The webinar is entitled “The Health Benefits from Active Transportation.”   It is free, but registration is required. 

Two more webinars – one in March and one April – will complete the series:

1. Health Impact Assessments (HIAS) in Transportation (Tuesday, March 15, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CDT)
2. Preventing Roadway Fatalities and Injuries (Tuesday, April 5, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CDT)

CMAP will present the upcoming Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) webinar entitled “Complete Streets: State of the Practice” on Wednesday, February 16, 2011, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

The webinar is free.  However, we have limited seating and will limit participation to the first 24 persons who RSVP in response to this post.  If you are interested in attending, please email John O’Neal at joneal@cmap.illinois.gov to reserve your spot.  If space is still available, then he will respond with instructions on attending. 

The webinar will examine the current state of the practice for complete streets. Topics will include:

• How support for complete streets is strengthened as collaboration with public health, transit, and other partners increases.
• A comparison of existing policies and how they match up to guidelines from the National Complete Streets Coalition.
• Examples of best practice at the local and state level.

The webinar will include a presentation on Charlotte, N.C.’s award-winning Urban Streets Design Guidelines and will look at how the city is implementing requirements for developers, which complement the use of public funds in building complete streets.

The American Public Health Association (APHA) is sponsoring anew four-part webinar series focusing on the ways in which transportation systems impact public health.  With speakers from across the nation, the series will cover state and local programs that consider health and equity in transportation planning, the health benefits of active transportation, health impact assessment tools, and innovative programs to prevent roadway deaths and injuries. The webinars are free, andregistration is required.  The webinar titles, dates, and times are as follows:

1. Community Health and Transportation Planning (Tuesday, January 18, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CST)
2. The Health Benefits from Active Transportation (Tuesday, February 15, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CST)
3. Health Impact Assessments (HIAS) in Transportation (Tuesday, March 15, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CDT)
4. Preventing Roadway Fatalities and Injuries (Tuesday, April 5, 1:00 to 2:00p.m. CDT)

The Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP) will host a webinar on “Bike Boxes” on December 15, 2010, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT.

A bike box is a colored or striped area at a signalized intersection that allows bicyclists to pull in front of waiting traffic.  Designed to be used only at red lights, the box is intended to reduce car-bike conflicts, increase cyclist visibility, and provide bicyclists with a small head start when the light turns green.  The concept is gaining popularity in cities across the U.S.  In Copenhagen, Denmark – where cyclist intersection safety has been studied longest and in the most depth – bike boxes have been demonstrated to improve bicyclist safety.

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).

As part of its Safe Cycling in Chicago program, the City of Chicago Department of Transportation released a video entitled “Use a Headlamp When You Bike at Night.”  The 90-second video, demonstrates the need for cyclists to use a headlamp and a rear red reflector or lamp at night.  The video was funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety.

The Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals (APBP) will host a webinar on the connection between Smart Growth and bicycle/pedestrian plans on November 17, 2010, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT.

Presenters will explore the ways in which communities are incorporating livable streets, aging in place, safe routes to school, and active transportation into local Smart Growth/comprehensive plans. Participants will learn how ideas like walkable urbanism and Trail Oriented Development (TrOD) underscore the economic value of proximity between home, services, and work.

 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).