Active Transportation Examples
State
Public Land in North Carolina Open for Bicycling and Walking
North Carolina law requires that any land purchased or leased with state funds must provide access to bicyclists and pedestrians (unless it damages the environment or a pre-existing law prohibits it).
http://ftp.legislature.state.nc.us/Sessions/2007/Bills/Senate/PDF/S1383v4.pdf
Tennessee Incorporates Biking/Walking Into Transportation Planning
In 2004, Tennessee passed a law that requires the state to develop and implement a comprehensive, long-range, multimodal statewide transportation planning process, which must be consistent with the transportation planning requirements of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The planning process must consider connections among highway, rail, mass transit, waterway, aviation, pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
www.tdot.state.tn.us/bikeped/pdfs/policy.pdf
Local
Columbia Connects the Town Through Trails and Bicycle Lanes
Columbia, Mo., received a $25-million federal grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to develop a non-motorized transportation system that connects businesses and shopping centers to parks, schools, neighborhoods, nature trails and other facilities through a comprehensive system of walkways and bikeways. Columbia received the grant money as part of a FHWA non-motorized transportation pilot program that involved three other communities. The more than 100 miles of new bikeways, and sidewalks in Columbia allow people to rely less on cars. The five-year project, called GetAbout Columbia, includes funds to develop a Web site and online bike maps, and conduct special events and trainings. Funding for these and other active living projects in Columbia comes from a variety of sources, including city sales taxes, private foundations and federal government grants. Columbia earmarks funds from a five-year renewable sales tax for improvements to its sidewalk and trail system, and it has received a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant through the Foundation’s Active Living by Design national program.
www.getaboutcolumbia.com
Decatur, Ga., Uses Health Impact Assessment in Transportation Plan In 2008, the city of Decatur adopted a community transportation plan that articulates its strategy for becoming “an active living community,” with a network of streets and sidewalks designed to encourage walking and bicycling. With a philosophy as its core, Decatur’s transportation plan also incorporates a Health Impact Assessment (HIA), which measures how transportation and land use decisions will affect health in terms of safety, social connections and physical activity.
http://greenliving.suite101.com/article.cfm/transportation_planning_and_public_health
Chicago Adopts Complete Streets Policy to Improve Bicycle Safety
Chicago adopted a policy mandating that the “safety and convenience” of pedestrians and bicyclists be considered in all future transportation projects. The policy is part of a more comprehensive Safe Streets for Chicago program, which includes enforcement, infrastructure and safety technology. Some safety technology includes public awareness efforts; countdown crossing signals; and policies and design standards, which include the development of a long-term pedestrian plan.
www.activetrans.org
www.usmayors.org/chhs/healthycities/documents/guide-20080306.pdf
Shelby Connects Trails to Town Facilities
With a population of 3,327, the city of Shelby in Eastern Montana is small and isolated. With the help of several outside funding sources, Shelby Mayor Larry Bonderud and a committee composed of city workers and residents planned a six-mile paved walking and biking trail that links the business district, residential neighborhoods, civic center, hospital and schools to public lands. Funding sources included the city of Shelby; the Community ; the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Urban Recreational Trails Program; and in-kind contributions of labor and materials. In 2006, Shelby received a $4,000 planning grant from the Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity Program to Prevent Obesity and Other Chronic Diseases (NAPA), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
www.nwpublichealth.org/docs/nph/s2008/baehr_s2008.pdf
Sales Tax Funds Safe Routes to School in Marin County, Calif.
In 2004, Marin County voters passed a measure enacting a half-cent sales tax to address transportation congestion issues. The measure included a Safe Routes to Schools strategy intended to reduce automobile-related school trips responsible for approximately 20 percent of peak congestion. The strategy addressed this issue on three fronts: an aggressive educational program, known as Safe Routes to School (SR2S); a capital improvement program called “Safe Pathways;” and a school crossing guard program.
http://www.marinbike.org/Campaigns/SafeRoutes/Index.shtml
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