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Active Community Environments are places where people
of all ages and abilities can easily enjoy walking, bicycling,
and other forms of recreation. Priority recommendations
include utilization of urban planning, transportation
policy and infrastructure changes to promote non-motorized
transportation, as well as enhancement of safety and perceived
safety of communities.
The descriptions below illustrates what organizations
and communities are doing to support active community
environments.
In
2003, the State Legislature dedicated $1 M in state
resources to create the Safe Routes to School demonstration
program. In 2003, WSDOT was sucessful in acquiring
funding from FHWA for a demonstration project to
improve conditions for older road users.
Safe Routes to Schools answers the call for how
people can work together for traffic safety, transportation
efficiency, ealthy children, strong neighborhoods,
and reduced pollution. Regional Coordination for
Active Community Environments is a five year partnership
project involving the state and Regional Transportation
Planning Organizations. The project goal is to improve
the health and quality of life for Washington's
citizens by, incorporating transportation policy
and infrastructure changes that improve bicycle
and pedestrian facilities and safety, and using
urban planning approaches related to zoning and
land use that promote physical activity.
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Target
audience: Safe Routes - Schools or School Districts
in partnership with their local governments. Regional
Coordination for Active Community Environments -
Regional Transportation Planning Organizations across
the state.
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Evaluation:
These programs both have strong evaluation components,
but are just now being implemented. More information
about impacts and outcomes will be available soon.
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Partners:
Safe Routes to Schools is a partnership between
WA State Department of Transportation, DOH, Bicycle
Alliance of WA, Office of the Superintendent of
Public Instruction, and WA Traffic Safety Commission.
Regional Coordination for Active Community Environments
is a partnership between WA State Department of
Transportation, DOH, CTED, and Regional Transportation
Planning Organizations.
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Lead
agency role: Washington State Department of
Transportation is working to increase the number
of physical activity opportunities available to
children and create active community environments
through programs like Safe Routes to School and
demonstration projects to improve conditions for
older road users (e.g., SR 522 and SR 7). Through
these and other programs, the department is enhancing
the safety bicyclists and pedestrians and providing
more people the opportunity to walk or bike to more
destinations.
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For
more information:
Paula Reeves
Tel: 360-705-7258
Fax: 360-705-6822
Web: Bike
and Walk
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The
overall goal is to prevent obesity by providing
low to moderate physical activities such as walking
and promoting sound nutritional lifestyles in King
County. A key objective is to partner with community
stakeholder groups and planning efforts to identify
safe walkable routes.
The program itself is an interdisciplinary team comprised of public health, transportation,
recreation specialists, neighborhood associations, citizen advisory boards and committees,
and local residents that have participated in the design and planning of activities.
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Target
audience: All King County residents.
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Evaluation:The
interest that is generated by the walking maps and
requests for materials. The project is now King
County-wide and has expanded to the City of Seattle
and South County with the hope of increasing the
number of youth and adult walkers.
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Partners:
Suburban Cities, Tobacco Prevention Program, King County & Seattle Parks and Recreation
Program, Animal Control, Surface Water Management, Neighborhood Associations/Community
Advisory Boards, Department of Natural Resources.
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Lead
agency role: Public Health-Seattle & King
County provides public health services and programs
which promote healthy living conditions and prevent
diseases among King County communities.
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For
more information:
Allene Mares
Tel: 206-205-1712
Fax: 206-296-0166
Web: Walking
Maps
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Goals
of the Spokane Grassroots Neighborhood Action Teams
(GNATs) are to build an infrastructure to increase
awareness of health issues around the current obesity
epidemic and to mobilize community groups for policy
development and environmental change. Six GNAT groups
were formed and four focus on creating an environment
which promotes physical activity: Airway Heights-Creating
safe paths for families in the community and a Walk
Your Child to School Day; Children with Special
Needs-Developing plans for a universally accessible
playground for children with various needs; West
Central-Starting a community garden; and Cheney-Working
to establish a skate park and improving walkability
in Cheney.
The program itself is an interdisciplinary
team comprised of public health, transportation,
recreation specialists, neighborhood associations,
citizen advisory boards and committees, and local
residents that have participated in the design and
planning of activities.
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Target
audience: Families and communities in the Spokane
Area.
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Evaluation:Pre and post survey results documenting
experiences as well as changes in knowledge, awareness, and importance of policy and environmental change.
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Partners:
Catholic Charities, Catholic Diocese, City of Airway Heights Parks & Recreation, City of Cheney,
East Central Community Center Head Start, Eastern Washington University, EWU Occupational Therapy
Program, Mama's Group, Safe Kids Coalition, Second Harvest Food Bank, Spokane County Extension Food &
Nutrition, Spokane County Medical Society, Spokane Parks & Recreation, Spokane Public Schools, Spokane
Regional Transportation Council, Spokane SCOPE, Spokane County Traffic Safety Commission, Spokane Transit
Authority, The Heart Institute of Spokane, Tidyman's, Washington State Dairy Council, Washington State
Department of Health, Washington State University, WSU-Cooperative Extension, and YMCA Downtown & Valley.
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Lead
agency role: Spokane Regional Health District
is a public health agency for Spokane County.
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For
more information:
Heleen Dewey
Tel: 509-324-1555
Fax: 509-324-1599
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Multiple
programs such as Walk Across America and transit
orientation to increase senior's ability to be healthy,
independent and live actively by making opportunities
available to: exercise, use transit, learn about
nutrition, work together, and help our City provide
a walkable community.
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Target
audience: Those over 55 years of age living
on Bainbridge Island and in North Kitsap County.
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Evaluation:We compare
the attendance in programs with our previous attendance or our expectations for new projects
and from personal accounts from participants and feedback through surveys.
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Partners:
We co-sponsor programs with the Park District, the City, the schools, Kitsap County Health
District and local Health Providers. We work with Kitsap Transit, Kitsap County Senior Information
& Assistance and Helpline House. We network with managers of subsidized housing, and a local bicycle
advocacy group. We attend State, National and International "Walkability" conferences.
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Lead
agency role: The Wellness Team participates in and provides support
for Senior Center exercise classes, health information, nutritional programs,
special events, orientation to using public transit, the Walk Across America program,
preparing fruit for the coffee table, and working with the City of Bainbridge Island for
pedestrian safety and access.
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For
more information:
Marcia Rudoff
Tel: 206-842-3383
Fax: 206-780-3438
Eileen Magnuson
Tel: 206-842-6873
Fax: 206-780-3438
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