Little Things Count

Little things count

Lance Simmens said people can’t alleviate global warming on their own but that there are things they should be doing to help. Some examples:
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs.
• Walk, bike or carpool instead of doing errands by yourself in your car.
• Use cruise control when driving on the highway.
• Keep vehicle tires properly inflated.
• Wash clothes in warm or cold water, not hot.
• Install low-flow shower heads.
• Take cloth bags to the grocery store instead of using disposable plastic bags.

To read the full article in the Reading Eagle, go to: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=68080

Congressman Gerlach Comes to Exeter

Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Exeter Township Building, DeMoss Road
1:00-4:30
Congressman Gerlach wants to hear from you
on ANY issue you want to address.

I would like to see every person in Exeter come to address the 422 infrastructure.

Supervisor Barbieri Resigns.

(11/19/2007)

At last nights' township meeting our township manager, Troy Bingaman read a letter from Dave Barbieri. Mr. Barbieri resigned from his elected position as Township Supervisor, effective immediately. Mr. Barbieri was not at the meeting. The supervisors need to fill his seat within 30 days. Do you have someone in mind? Now is the time to become part of the solution.

Write your recommendation for yourself or another resident to walkbikeberks@yahoo.com. You are strongly encouraged to contact the Exeter Township Manager, Troy Bingaman for more information: 610-779-5660 Ext. 226

RATS: The Bike/Ped Checklist Applies to 47th Street/422/Exeter Commons

Please go to: http://www.co.berks.pa.us/planning/lib/planning/rats/meetings_06/technov06minutes.pdf.

In November 2006, the Berks County Planning Commission and the Reading Area Transportation Study discussed the PennDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian Checklist and its application to the Exeter Commons/422 Shopping Center project. Read to learn more.

Dear PennDOT-- Write a letter about your community transportation needs

Please use the following as a template for YOUR OWN LETTER to PennDOT. Write to your state and local elected leaders as well as to your school board and school administrators. Let them know that you want the safest streets possible -- COMPLETE STREETS and SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL -- for your children and your entire community.

Dear [Elected Official]:

I am writing to request Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School in [Your Township].

First:
Please note that a focus of the [Exeter Township Planning Commission] is on maximizing pedestrian safety on [422]. I would also like to request that wherever PennDOT has the authority, to implement the Bicycle/Pedestrian Check List for the land-development/parking access into and on the [Exeter Commons Shopping Center] land development plan. It makes little sense to create a necessary safe passage of pedestrians and cycles across [422] only to face a vast, unsafe parking/access roadway. We in [Exeter] would like to see a 'village' shopping layout where pedestrians and cyclists can safely and comfortably move about within the shopping complex as well as across [422].
Second:
In addition, I have also included notes for a small new subdivision that intends to neighbor our community elementary school without implementing sidewalks and safe crossing elements. It seems only logical that if the roadway next to an elementary school is unsafe that we...all of us...make every necessary change to ensure the safety of the children attending that school. If cars are traveling too quickly along [Lorane Road] during school hours, should we not require 15 mph speed limit designations along that route? Should we not install flashing indicator lights to slow drivers in the school zone? Should we not add sidewalks and curbs whenever we improve or create new roadways that directly access all schools -- but especially neighborhood elementary schools? I am sure that PennDOT was (is still?) offering free pedestrian crossing signs to municipalities to request them, correct? Certainly the cost of sidewalks, curbs, painted crossing lines, and 15 mph speed limit signs cannot be so great that we cannot ensure the safe passage of school children?
Third:
I understand that the intersections of [562, Shelborne Road, and Oley Turnpike] are to undergo some serious changes in the near future. Money from Senator O'Pake has already been granted to [Exeter] for those improvements. (Correct?) As we are beginning to plan for those improvements, I would like to also request that -- because [Jacksonwald] Elementary is located at exactly that location, we do everything in our power to implement the Bicycle/Pedestrian Checklist in that project as well. I would like to see all of our elementary schools increase the number of students who currently walk or bike to school. Presently, I believe only one child walks to [Jacksonwald] and the entire community agrees that those roads are simply unsafe to access by foot or bike. Because the changes are going to be made, I would hope they are made to accommodate the traffic that needs to access that facility...students (teachers, parents, support staff) walking and biking to school. Again, I would hope for sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, speed limit signs, pedestrian crossing signs, and flashing school zone indicators. Please help me work to ensure that the Bicycle/Pedestrian Checklist is being implemented in every project in Berks County.


As always, thank you for your support and attention to my concerns.


Sincerely,
[Michele Barrett]
Founder WalkBikeBerks

Reading Eagle Newspaper: Fostering better use of roads a good idea

The Issue: A Berks County group is formed to find ways to make streets and highways more inviting to hikers and bikers.

Our Opinion: In this time of expanding waistlines, encouraging any kind of physical activity is commendable.

To Read the Full Article, go to: http://internetservices.readingeagle.com/blog/editorials/archives/2007/11/fostering_bette.html

WFMZ Coverage of WalkBikeBerks

Channel 69 covered Saturday's WalkBikeBerks meeting, you can see the video here.