The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed an online resource, the Health Economic Assessment Tool (HEAT) for walking and cycling.  The tool estimates the economic savings resulting from reductions in mortality as a consequence of regular cycling and/or walking. Simply put, HEAT calculates an answer to the following question: "If x number of people cycle or walk y distance on most days, what is the economic value of mortality rate improvements?"  While default parameters are set for the European context, they can be adapted to various situations.

The League of Illinois Bicyclists (LIB) has won this year’s Alliance for Biking and Walking Advocacy Award for Best Practices, which honors an organization that serves as a model for other bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations, and states that LIB “played a critical role in the effort to preserve dedicated funding for biking and walking in the next federal transportation bill,” and, by working with local groups, showcased “the importance and power of effective partnerships.”

The American Heart Association (AHA) is offering funding through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant to support ongoing public policy change campaigns that address childhood obesity, including programs that "increase physical activity during the school day and out-of-school programs" and  that "increase physical activity by improving the built environment in communities."  For more information and instructions on how to apply, visit the AHA website.

This webinar is designed to teach the “ins and outs” of fundraising for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) programs.

Participants will be given tips and tricks on where to find funding for SRTS projects and programs and how to go about obtaining it.  Scott Bricker, executive director of America Walks, will provide an overview of the issues surrounding fundraising and advice on how to develop appropriate goals and objectives.  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.

The webinar takes place tomorrow, April 24, 2012, at 12:00 p.m. CT.  The webinar is free but requires advance registration.

In March, the magazine Autoweek, covered Volvo Car Corporation’s plan to begin manufacturing its V40 sedan with a pedestrian airbag that deploys across the windshield in the event the car hitting a pedestrian. The airbag ejects from the hood to protect pedestrians from injury.  Volvo previewed the car and airbag at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2264 is dedicated to studies on topics related to pedestrian planning and safety.  The volume contains 20 papers exploring topics such as automatic pedestrian detectors, sign visibility for pedestrians, advance yield markings, midblock pedestrian crosswalks, signal-based countermeasures for pedestrian safety, and other topics.

In this volume, readers will find papers that examine phase optimization at intersections to minimize vehicle and pedestrian delays; crossing behaviors and activity of pedestrians at signalized intersections; the lower rates of physical activity by low-income and minority populations; and measurement of greenway use in Cary, North Carolina.  In addition, this volume highlights walking behavior prediction; probability models for pedestrian injury severity; pedestrian safety programs in central areas of large cities; risk of fatality in vehicle–pedestrian crashes; estimation of frequency and length of pedestrian stride in urban environments; and accessibility of complex intersections.

On Wednesday, April 11, 2012, at noon, CMAP will host Jeffrey Tumlin, Principal and Sustainability Practice Leader of Nelson\Nygaard Consulting Associates, for a Soles and Spokes brownbag discussion on sustainable transportation planning and the role that parking can play. Mr. Tumlin is the author of Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy, and Resilient Communities.  Mr. Tumlin’s full resume is here.  The brownbag will be held at noon in CMAP’s offices, 233 S Wacker Dr., Suite 800, Chicago.  For information on registration, visit http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/bike-ped.

A Rails-to-Trails report argues for investing in a more diverse transportation system that provides viable opportunities to walk and bicycle and to use public transportation.  The report demonstrates that increased investment in non-motorized transportation will lead to a more efficient use of federal transportation resources.

The Daily Herald news reported on the Village of Mount Prospect trustees’ approval of its village bicycle plan at their February meeting.  The comprehensive bicycle plan has been under development by Village staff, with help from the Active Transportation Alliance and Sam Schwartz Engineering, since 2010.  The plan sets goals and outlines strategies for making bicycle travel safer and more convenient in the Village by developing a comprehensive biking and walking network consisting of marked on-street bikeways, signed routes, and, where possible, multi-use trails.

The plan also calls for development of a safety and education plan to promote safe cycling and to inform residents about the benefits of cycling and a fully implemented bicycle network, including personal health benefits and cost savings; reductions in greenhouse gases, energy usage, and congestion on Village roads; and the encouragement to shop locally downtown and in other commercial areas.

A project to extend Anderson Road and build a bridge carrying it over Metra tracks near the Elburn station will provide accommodation for bicyclists and pedestrians, as well as direct access to the Elburn Metra Station, fulfilling important goals in CMAP’s GO TO 2040 plan.  A Daily Herald article covers Kane County’s current negotiations with the Village of Elburn over the construction and maintenance of the proposed roadway and bridge.

As part of their Women Cycling Project, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) and the Alliance for Biking & Walking are offering a free webinar on programs and approaches that engage, empower, and encourage women to bicycle, with insights and case studies from around the country.  The webinar will also include a brief update on these topics:

• Outcomes of the National Women Cycling Forum
• Plans for the interactive Women Cycling website
• Update on transportation legislation in Congress

 The webinar takes place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. CT.  The webinar is free but requires advance registration.

Cities for Cycling Road Shows highlighted Chicago and its current efforts to improve cycling conditions in a new video from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) best practices film series.  The film covers the recent workshop hosted by the City of Chicago and its DOT, at which planning, engineering, and design experts from New York, Portland, and San Francisco weighed in on what’s worked in their cities and what might work best here.

On February 8, 2012 meeting the Northwest Municipal Conference (NWMC) adopted both the North and Northwest Cook County Bicycle Signage Plan and the Northwest Highway Bicycle Facility Plan.  The Bicycle Signage Plan recommends a network of way finding and destination signs for the regional bicycle corridors identified in the NWMC 2010 Bicycle Plan.  The Plan is designed to be used by municipalities and other local agencies to implement segments of these routes, provides design standards for signs and their placement, and proposes incorporating a website address and smart phone technology on the signs to give riders more information about the full network.

The Northwest Highway Bicycle Facility Plan recommends a series of bike facilities, including sidepaths, bike lanes, and signed bike routes to provide a continuous, 20-mile bicycle corridor from Barrington to Park Ridge. The plan includes cross section views of the proposed improvements, cost estimates, and an implementation strategy.

Learn more and download the complete plans on the NWMC Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning website.

According to a City of Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) press release, the City installed or restriped39 miles of on-street bikeways in 2011.  According to CDOT reported that, in 52 different projects, there were: 17 miles of new bike lanes; nine miles of restriped bike lanes; nine miles of new marked shared lanes; two miles of new protected bikes lanes; one mile of new buffered bike lanes; and one mile of restriped marked shared lanes were completed.

CDOT also installed its first protected and buffered bike lanes, its first bike boxes, bike parking corral, and new bicycle-friendly intersection designs during the last year.  For more information, visit the CDOT Bicycle Program website.

The Chicago Metro Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA), in conjunction with the Illinois Technology Transfer Center (T2), the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, and FHWA will be offering a one-day seminar on proposed Public Rights-of-Way Guidelines (PROWAG). Participants will learn about the new ADA guidelines for work within the public right-of-way. Participants will also receive a copy of the current Proposed Final Rule, Special Report on Accessible Public Right-of-way, and student handbook that will help you plan and design current and future projects.

This seminar includes presentations by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General, Federal Highway Administration – IL Division, and Illinois Department of Transportation that will provide a history of the American’s with Disability Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) that impact highway agencies and provide an overview of proposed Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG).

The registration fee is $75 for APWA members, $90 for non-members, and includes hand-outs, breakfast snacks and coffee, and a certificate of attendance with 6.0 PDH's. $10 of the registration fee will be applied towards the 2013 Congress fund.  The seminar takes place March 21, 2012 at IDOT District 1 offices in Schaumburg.

Lunch is not included. Students can bring a brown bag lunch or eat at local establishments.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC), in conjunction with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), is offering a free webinar on pedestrian safety and accessibility considerations at modern roundabouts.  Modern roundabouts are an FHWA proven safety countermeasure and have been documented to reduce vehicle injury and fatal crashes when compared to signalized intersections.  However, the safety of roundabouts for pedestrians is less clear, and significant concerns about the accessibility and safety of roundabouts for pedestrians who are blind have often been raised.

This webinar will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, March 7, from 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. CT.  Register at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/941771786.

The U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety has launched a new website that includes links to detailed descriptions, related research studies, and evaluations of nine research-proven countermeasures -- superseding the 2008 guidance on the consideration and implementation of proven safety countermeasures -- which are considered highly effective and whose use should be encouraged. The nine countermeasures highlighted on the site address crashes that occur in the focus areas of intersections, pedestrians, and roadway departure.

The website provides a direct link to the January 12, 2012 memorandum from the Acting Associate Administrator for Safety to division administrators on the promotion of the implementation of proven safety countermeasures.

A new study has been released by the National Center for Safe Routes to School (NCSRTS), which explores and attempts to understand how school-level dynamics, which underlie the planning and implementation of SRTS programs, relate to the percentage of students who walk and bicycle between home and school.

The study begins with the question: Do successful Safe Routes to School programs have something in common?  It’s analysis identifies the following four key factors that successful SRTS programs share:

1. Identifying an in-school leader, often the principal, to champion SRTS.
2. Conducting activities that reinforce walking and bicycling, such as frequent walker/biker programs and Walk to School Day events.
3. Generating parent support for SRTS.

Establishing policies that support SRTS, such as early dismissal for students who walk or bicycle home from school.

A report issued by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) entitled, “The Role of FHWA Programs in Livability: State of the Practice Summary,” highlights the current state of the practice livability principles in relation to their implementation within the context of the federal-aid highway program.  The report offers examples of strategies and tools for implementing livability through different programs and agencies, and across various scales as they pertain to highway program planning and development.

In a dissertation entitled “Understanding Sustainable Transportation Choices: Shifting Routine Automobile Travel to Walking and Bicycling,” Robert Schneider, at the University of California Berkeley, examined factors associated with the decision to walk or bicycle rather than drive for short, routine trips.   The author used an intercept survey to gather travel data from 1,003 customers at retail pharmacies in 20 San Francisco Bay area neighborhoods.

The study results showed that automobile use was negatively associated with higher employment density, smaller parking lots, and metered on-street parking in the shopping district.  Walking was positively associated with higher population density, more street tree canopy coverage, lower speed limits, and fewer commercial driveway crossings.  In addition, an exploratory analysis of a small number of bicycle tours found that bicycling was associated with more extensive bicycle facility networks and more bicycle parking. However, people were more likely to drive when they perceived a high risk of crime.

The study also estimates the magnitude of mode shift that could occur if certain changes – increasing population and employment density, increasing the street tree canopy, and eliminating parking spaces – were made.