Following the recent launch of Walk Friendly Communities (WFC), the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) has made available for download a webinar describing the WFC program.  The webinar provides an overview and details of the application process.  It also describes the WFC Community Assessment Tool, which was developed to provide an objective measurement method to recognize communities that have achieved high levels of walking and low rates of pedestrian crashes, while also acknowledging communities that are making progress in achieving these goals through policies, projects, and programs.

Earlier this month, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) announced its Park and Recreation Facility Construction Program (PARC).  For FY2011, a total of $25 million in grants are available through funding provided by the Illinois Jobs Now! capital program.  The maximum grant award for qualifying projects is $2.5 million. The application cycle runs from October 15 to November 29, 2010.

PARC was enacted in 2009 to provide grants to eligible local governments for park and recreation unit construction projects.  A qualifying park or recreation unit construction project could be the acquisition, development, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, improvements, architectural planning, and installation of capital facilities consisting, but not limited to, buildings, structures, and land for park and recreation purposes and open spaces and natural areas.

Eligibility requirements mirror the OSLAD grant program.  Units of local government that are authorized by Illinois law to expend public funds for the acquisition and development of land for public indoor/outdoor park, recreation or conservation purposes are eligible to apply.The PARC program will reimburse grant recipients up to 75 percent of approved project costs (up to 90 percent reimbursement will be available to local governments defined as disadvantaged).

For more information and to apply, visit the IDNR website.

A new study published in the American Journal of Public Health looks at the magnitude, direction, and statistical significance of the relationship between active travel and rates of physical activity, obesity, and diabetes.  The article, which examines aggregate, cross-sectional health and travel data for 14 countries, all 50 US states, and 47 of the 50 largest US cities, finds that at all three geographic levels statistically significant relationships exist between active travel and obesity, physical activity, and diabetes.

The study provides strong evidence of population-level health benefits of active travel, and concludes that “policies on transport, land-use, and urban development should be designed to encourage walking and cycling for daily travel.”

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center(PBIC), with support from U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and FedEx, officially launched Walk Friendly Communities(WFC), a national recognition program to encourage towns and cities across the U.S. to establish or recommit to a high priority for safe walking.  WFC willuse a comprehensive assessment tool to evaluate communities' commitment to improve conditions related to walking -- including safety, mobility, access, and comfort -- and will recognize communities that excel in fostering and accommodating walking.  Having concluded a pilot program in nine cities to test the online assessment tool, the program will begin accepting applications from communities around the country on November 1, 2010.

 

Secretary LaHood said of the program, “This initiative will [give] Americans more choices that foster active, livable communities … by improving pedestrian safety in areas across the country and providing a safe means of walking in and around their neighborhood."

TheLeague of American Bicyclists, in connection with the Alliance forBiking and Walking, has published a factsheet on “Bicycling and Rumble Strips” that outlines the dangers and negative impacts rumble strips can have for cyclists.  The factsheet summarizes national guidance on the design and installation of rumble strips by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as well as state policies and practices, highlighting some states that have rumbles strip policies, which accommodate bicycling well.

The City of Naperville and its partners hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of Segment 4 of the DuPage River Trail. The 2.5-mile extension of the regional trail begins near 87th Street and the West Branch DuPage River and continues south, along Ring and Knoch Knolls Roads, through Knoch Knolls Park, and ending at the DuPage River Sports Complex. The path includes two pedestrian bridges: one over a creek south of 87th Street and one over the West Branch DuPage River in Knoch Knolls Park (see the map below). Naperville received federal funding for this construction project through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ).

In addition, Section 2 of the trail (from Hobson Road to Bunting Lane) is now open. As part of the project, two new underpasses have been built to allow pedestrians and bicyclists to pass beneath both 75th Street and Washington Street. This project also received CMAQ funding. A ceremonial ribbon cutting for the project (75th and Washington intersection reconstruction) will take place on Monday, October 4, 2010.

 

The relationship between transportation and livability has been a recent theme in academic research, policy discussions, and planning practice -- including CMAP’s GO TO 2040 comprehensive regional plan. The concept of livability comprises interrelated ideas such as sustainability, quality of life, the character of place, and the health of communities.

The two-day conference, “Transportation Systems for Livable Communities,” will take place October 18 to19, 2010, in Washington D.C. This conference -- sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) -- will bring together research on the connections and interaction between transportation and livability and provide an opportunity for transportation and other planning practitioners to share research results, explore practical challenges, and identify directions for future research. Information and registration is available online at the TRB website.
 

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will be conducting two two-day workshops, “Designing Streets for Pedestrian Safety,” in the Chicago area during the last week of October.

These IDOT- and CMAP-sponsored workshops will address pedestrian safety issues through design and engineering solutions. Instructors cover the significance of land-use, sidewalk and walkway design, signs, signals, and crosswalks. Participants also take part in a field exercise at a nearby intersection. This course, funded by the FHWA, will be an opportunity for planners and engineers to learn about strategies for addressing pedestrian crashes and design-related barriers to pedestrian travel in our communities. Information about the workshops is posted at the CMAP Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety webpage.

The workshops are free. Space, however, is limited and registration is required. Up to 16.4 professional development hours (PDH) are available for the engineering community. The course dates, locations, and times are as follows:

October 26 to 27, 2010 (Tues. and Wed.)
Limited to IDOT and County staff and their consultants
Illinois Department of Transportation
District 1 Offices
201 West Center Court
Schaumburg, IL 60196-1096
Contact tmurtha@cmap.illinois.gov for more information about the IDOT workshop.

October 28 to 29, 2010 (Thursday, Friday)
For municipal, county, and IDOT staff and their consultants
Cook County Room
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning Willis Tower
233 S Wacker Dr Suite 800
Chicago IL 60606
Click here to register for the CMAP workshop.

Information from the developer of the course, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), on course content, goals, and target audience is available here.
 

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) presents the webinar “Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach” on Wednesday, September 29, from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CDT. The webinar will include presentations by James Daisa, P.E. at Kimley Horn and Associates, Inc. and Joh Norquist, president and CEO, Congress for New Urbanism. The webinar will provide a detailed overview of the contents of the newly released manual, Designing Walkable Urban Thoroughfares: A Context Sensitive Approach, along with supplemental information and case studies to demonstrate real world implementation of the concepts included in this guide to recommended practice. The webinar costs $100 for ITE members; $175 for non-members; and $50 for ITE student chapter members.

Part 5 (of 8) in the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) webinar series, “Designing for Pedestrian Safety,” will take place Monday, September 27 at 1:00 p.m. CDT. The webinar is entitled “Signalized Intersections” and will include presentations by Michael Moule, president of Livable Streets, Inc., and Fred Ranck, safety design engineer with the FHWA Resource Center. The webinar will explore pedestrian safety concerns related to signalized intersections and provide guidance for effectively accommodating pedestrians at these intersections. Participants will gain an understanding of pedestrian safety concerns at signalized intersections and will be able to address these concerns through appropriate treatments.

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

 

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.