Public Health Community Lines Up Behind Complete Streets

Public Health Community Lines Up Behind Complete Streets

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Transportation Design Impacts How We Live Our Lives

It is so vitally important that you participate in transportation design in your own community -- as it impacts your time, costs, and way of life. One of many ways for you to become involved is to attend any one of the following meetings to learn what decisions are going to effect you in the near future. If you are not able to attend these meetings, consider joining WalkBikeBerks so that we are able to help you be actively involved in community design.

The Reading Area Transportation Study is the designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO) for transportation in Berks County. Below is the official 2009 schedule of meetings for both the Technical Committee and the Coordinating Committee. As they are prepared and approved, links to meeting agendas and minutes will be added.

Technical Committee
Coordinating Committee
January 8 (Agenda)(Minutes)
January 15 (Agenda)(Minutes)
February 5 (CANCELLED)

February 24, 9:00 A.M.
SPECIAL STIMULUS MEETING
(Agenda)(Minutes)
March 5 (Agenda)(Minutes)
March 19 (Agenda)(Minutes)
April 2 (CANCELLED)

May 7 (Agenda)(Minutes)
May 21 (Agenda)(Minutes)
June 4 (Agenda)(Minutes)

July 2 (CANCELLED)
July 16 (Agenda)(Minutes)
August 6 (Agenda)(Minutes)

September 3 (Agenda)(Minutes)
September 17 (Agenda)(Minutes)
October 1 (Agenda)(Minutes)

November 5 (Agenda)(Minutes)
November 19 (Agenda)(Minutes)
December 3 (Agenda)(Minutes)


Link to 2008 Meeting schedule, agendas and minutes
Link to 2007 Meeting schedule, agendas and minutes
Link to 2006 Meeting schedule, agendas and minutes
Link to 2005 Meeting schedule, agendas and minutes

All meetings begin at 1:30 p.m. and are held in the Conference Room of the Berks County Planning Commission, 633 Court Street, 14th Floor, Reading, PA. This location is accessible to persons having disabilities, and is accessible to BARTA fixed-route service. Any person having special needs or requiring special aid is requested to contact Alan Piper, Transportation Planner at 610-478-6300.

New Report Finds Obesity Epidemic Increases, Mississippi Weighs in as Heaviest State

New Report Finds Obesity Epidemic Increases, Mississippi Weighs in as Heaviest State

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Safe Transportation Means Better Public Health! (Congress)

CLICK HERE.

Please send your Representative a message in support of safe transportation. It’s a public health, human rights, and economic development issue! For more information, visit http://www.makeroadssafe.org/.

Join Us to Make Berks County Streets Safer, Healthier, Stronger, More Livable

Board Meeting
Saturday, July 25
9:00 AM
*LOCATION: GOGGLE WORKS
201 Washington Street, Reading, PA 19601

*Please note that our regular meeting location is the Holy Cross Church at 329 N. 5th Street, Reading. This location change is only for this one meeting -- and we will return to the Holy Cross Church for meetings in the future.

Pennsylvania Walks & Bikes Hires First Paid Staff

Posted Jul 22, 2009 by erok under BikePGH in the News

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PA State Legislators and Bicycle Advocates at the First PA Bike Summit, May 5 2009. Michele Barrett is front and center. Can you find Scott and Erok from BikePGH?

One step in taking Pennsylvania off the List of “Least Bicycle Friendly States”

PA Walks & Bikes is a new organization working to create healthy, sustainable communities by making walking and bicycling safer, more convenient, and more enjoyable. On June 30, PA Walks & Bikes received a $30,000 matching grant from the Alliance for Bicycling and Walking. The Board of Directors, advocacy executives from Bike Pittsburgh, Greater Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition, and Walk Bike Berks, appointed Michele Barrett, as its new President and Executive Director.
“Michele was selected”, says Hans van Naerssen, a founding member and President of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, “because of her record of success in Berks County, her passion for livable communities, and her leadership skills.
Since its inception four months ago, PA Walks and Bikes organized the first state level Bike Summit where attendees met with various legislators to promote Safe Routes to School, Complete Streets, and a new safe passing legislation for bicyclists and other vulnerable road users.
PA Walks & Bikes was one of only seven recipients – out of 94 nationwide applications – to receive a start up grant. The Advocacy Advance Grant will be used to jump-start the emerging advocacy organization and to fund innovative campaigns with the potential to dramatically increase biking and walking. Members will work to ensure state bicycle and pedestrian laws, policies, and funding are enacted. This grant is part of the Advocacy Advance Partnership with the League of American Bicyclists.
“Bicycling and walking are simple, every day solutions to so many issues we face today. When Pennsylvanians choose livable communities where they can easily walk or bike to most destinations, they can enjoy better health, higher quality of life, less traffic congestion, lower transportation costs, stronger local economies, reduced air and water pollution, reduced carbon emissions, and higher real estate values. Perhaps most importantly, improving pedestrian and bicycling accommodations increases access for everyone in a community, even the most vulnerable road users. While no single measure can ‘fix’ all of the problems we face, I am excited to work with the many others who are making biking and walking part of the statewide approach to get Pennsylvania moving again,” Michele Barrett. The new grant combined with matching contributions makes this possible.

At least four vehicles in crash on Route 61 in Ontelaunee Township

At least four vehicles in crash on Route 61 in Ontelaunee Township

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