Want Bike Routes on Google Maps? -- Suggest It

Visit Bike Routing on Google Maps - Suggest It and vote now.

-> According to an article in the Aug. 26th Marin County Bicycle Coalition newsletter, "It has come to MCBC's attention that a request for Google to create maps for the best cycling routes in any particular area has been posted on their 'Suggest It' page. MCBC thinks this is a great idea as well -- a tool in virtually every cyclist's interest. And we're asking you to flood Google with requests for it...
"If you want to do more than click a request, you need to write to the discussion forums and hope Google staff pays attention. If you choose to take this extra step, feel free to use the above talking points. Thank for helping! An onslaught just might get Google's engineers in gear..."
For more info and tips, go to the MCBC's website: http://tinyurl.com/ksv96t

To vote, go to: http://tinyurl.com/ctuuos

*Don't forget to vote for WALKING route maps, too!

~From CenterLines, the e-newsletter of the National Center for Bicycling & Walking.

3 Berks County sites trade on natural beauty

Take a hike

Copies of the "Hike the Highlands" cards can be downloaded at www.outdoors.org/hikethehighlands.

The free cards also are available for pickup at:

• Berks County Conservancy, 25 N. 11th St.

• Nolde Forest Environmental Education Center, Cumru Township.

• Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site, Union Township.

• French Creek State Park, Union Township.

The cards feature 22 recreation areas in the Pennsylvania Highlands. They include trail maps, descriptions, directions and other information about the sites.

Source: Appalachian Mountain Club
3 Berks County sites trade on natural beauty

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Asthma, Air Pollution, Children -- ASTHMA FREE ZONES

WalkBikeBerks encourages parents and school staff to walk or bicycle to school to reduce emissions and improve health for themselves, their children, and the communities where they live. If you cannot walk or bicycle to school -- please remember to turn off your engines when waiting in school zones. Let's work together to create Idle Free / Asthma Free zones near schools and parks -- so that our children can breathe clean air.

The Links Between Asthma and Air Pollution

by Molly Marie Griffin
June 15, 2009
You can't catch your breath, your chest tightens, your airways constrict and suddenly you feel like you're drowning on land. Asthma, a chronic, genetic respiratory condition, currently affects more than 22 million people in the United States alone.... Click Here to Read the Full Article

The final paragraph of the article brings the whole issue into focus:

"Things aren't looking great for asthmatics today, but all is not lost. During the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, the city closed roads downtown to private cars and allowed only public transit for 17 days. During that time, ozone levels dropped 28 percent and there were 20 percent fewer hospitalizations due to asthma. If only big cities like this, which have much higher asthma rates, will follow Atlanta's example or make permanent changes, someday we might all be able to breathe a little easier."

Here is a fantastic example of a community working to reduce harmful auto emissions near schools and playgrounds: http://www.hastebc.org/school-anti-idling-sign-order-form

Berks County Bicycle Club -- SHOOFLY Ride

Reminder the SHOOFLY ride is this Sunday, August 30.
Ride starts at 8AM.
Course closes at 4PM.
Let me know if you can volunteer or will be riding in the Shoofly.

Michele
484-638-1391

The BERKS COUNTY BICYCLE CLUB

presents the
Shoo-Fly Classic

Bike Ride
Sunday, August 30th, 2009
20, 40, & 60 Mile Ride Options
Also New This Year is an 18 Mile GPS Ride
In the Beautiful Oley Valley
-------------------------------------------
Come enjoy the fantastic scenery in the beautiful and historic Oley Valley. Take a nice gently rolling 20-mile ride through the valley out to a rustic covered bridge. Looking for more of a challenge? Then try our 60-mile ride to the Trexlertown Velodrome. This ride takes you over some of the same roads that pro riders from around the world have trained on. There is some climbing but the downhill payoff is spectacular. Need 100 miles? Then add on the beautiful 40-mile ride option out to the Daniel Boone Homestead.
Want to test your GPS navigation skills? New this year is an 18-mile GPS coordinate guided adventure ride. We’ll give point to point GPS coordinates to guide you around the course. You must have a working GPS device and a cell phone. We will provide you with a sealed map and SAG cell phone number just in case.
Snacks and drinks are provided for registered riders at our start/finish area and at mid-ride refreshment stops on the 40- and 62-mile loops. Support vehicles will patrol all routes offering assistance to riders if needed. Riders are provided with course maps and written directions. All routes are clearly marked. After the ride, relax and feast from a broad selection of goodies, pizza and our signature bite-sized SHOO-FLY pies.
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Click here to register for the Shoo-fly Classic.

Obesity Costs PA In Excess of $4 Billion Annually

In a period of time when health care is so heatedly debated, I can't help but wonder what first steps we can take towards solving the crisis ourselves. What might be the least costly, most effective means to reduce the cost of health care? Can it really be as simple as taking a 30 minute walk every day?

http://www.healthnotcosmetics.org/Website%20Files/ObesityExpenditure.pdf


"For the United States as a whole, obesity-attributable medical expenditures are estimated at $75 billion, with $17 billion financed by Medicare and $21 billion financed by Medicaid. State-level estimates range from $87 million (Wyoming) to $7.7 billion (California)." [Pennsylvania holds second place for the highest obesity-attributable medical expenditures -- $4.138 Billion annually.]

PANA SRTS Farrah Kauffman Guests on BCTV Tonight

BCTV
WalkBikeBerks
Monday, August 24 -- Creating Safe Routes to School in Your Community
Watch the archived show

Replays on: Wednesday @ 1:00 PM, Thursday @ 10:00 PM, Friday @ 9:00 AM
Web: http://walkbikeberks.org/
Email: walkbikeberks@yahoo.com
Producer: Bob Hospidor
Host: Michele Barrett

PA Grants
2009 SRTS Academy Grants! APPLY NOW!

October 16, 2009: Application deadline
November 1, 2009: Schools selected. All applicants notified

The program offers small grants in the amount of $5,000 each to schools (public or private), grades K–8 to help improve the safety of walking and bicycling to school.
In addition to the $5,000 grant, schools will be eligible to receive a FREE 2–day walkability audit, during which a team of trained experts will observe main walking routes to school and develop a comprehensive plan on how to improve the safety of those routes. This costly service will be FREE to all schools selected to receive the grant.

How do I apply?
Applying is as easy as 1–2–3! Follow these simple instructions:

1. Read the Safe Routes to School Academy Grant Program – Overview and Instructions
2. Print and complete the SAMPLE Safe Routes to School Academy grant application.
3. Go to http://www.srtsacademy.org/app/index.cfm?event=object_application/2009_srts_application to access the online application.

That’s it! The deadline to submit your online application is October 16, 2009.

If you have any questions, please contact Farah Kauffman at 717–531–1440, ext. 3

BIKE & WALK TO MONEY

I just returned home from the Safe Routes to School National Conference -- hosted in Portland, Oregon. While there is much to share about lessons learned for the Safe Routes to School movement -- today, I'd like to take a moment to reflect on an article just shared with me. The focus here is the economic benefits of reducing vehicle miles driven. Bicycling and walking play key roles in building the city's economy. Take a look!

Portland's Green Dividend (PGD FINAL.pdf)

CEOs for Cities :: Publications & Projects

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UPDATE ON TRAIL ATTACK

Teens were attackers, not victims, in Thun Trail assault, police say
By David Mekeel
Reading Eagle
8/18/2009
- A homeless man accused of stabbing a teen on the Thun Trail was defending himself after an unprovoked attack by a group of teenagers, investigators said Monday.Edward M. Drake, 48, who was living along the Schuylkill River, had been arrested and charged with robbery and aggravated assault after the July 31 incident.Cumru Township detectives later determined the teens were lying when they said Drake had attacked them with a knife, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said.Prosecutors withdrew all charges against Drake during a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge Nicholas M. Bentz Jr.Drake was released from Berks County Prison, where he was being held on $25,000 bail following his Aug. 3 arrest.Adams said authorities haven't decided whether to charge the teens with crimes.The incident unfolded about 7:30 p.m. July 31 when a teenager, whom police did not identify, told authorities he was riding his bike with friends when Drake jumped in front of him and demanded the bicycle.The youth said he was confronted on the footbridge over the Schuylkill River between Reading and West Reading.The teen said that when he refused to hand over his bike, Drake pulled out a knife and threw it, striking him near the hip.That's not true, Adams said.What actually happened was that the teens encountered Drake on the Thun Trail and decided to attack him, Adams said. The youths ganged up on Drake, kicking and punching him as they wrestled him to the ground.The teens fled, but one returned to retrieve a backpack he had left behind, Adams said.When Drake saw him coming, he feared he was going to be attacked again and threw a folding knife at the boy to try to scare him.The knife hit the boy, causing a minor wound, Adams said.Adams said it became clear something wasn't right with the original story when the teens began declining to cooperate with the investigation.Contact David Mekeel: 610-371-5014 or dmekeel [at] readingeagle.com.

Bicycle Crash Investigations -- Will there be a detailed report?

Ask a bicyclist about their crash -- go ahead. Most of them can tell you the details of their own story. They all seem to have one. Interestingly, many of those stories also include questions regarding how their crash investigation was handled. After witnessing a pretty bad crash myself just recently, I asked others to share their stories with me. I wanted to know: who conducts detailed investigations for bicycle crashes?

My Story:

On Thursday, August 6 at about 6:20 PM a bicyclist crashed on Gibraltar Road in Exeter Township at the intersection of Gibraltar and Pheasant Run Road. I witnessed the crash as a motor vehicle driver traveling north from Birdsboro towards 47th Street. The cyclist was traveling south on Gibraltar Road towards me in the opposite lane. The amount of traffic was moderately high and most traffic seemed to be going faster than the posted 35 mph – though I was not. Thank goodness. If I had been speeding, I would have hit and perhaps even killed the bicyclist.

I noticed the cyclist before the incident began because of the work that I do – advocating for bicycling and walking. I noticed that he did not appear to be wearing a helmet or have a visible bicycle light on his vehicle, but that he was riding in an upright position, seemed to have full control of his bicycle and was wearing a light colored (white) shirt. It was bright daylight and he was fully visible from a distance. He was wearing a backpack and appeared to be holding a water bottle in his right hand. As he came down a slight hill on Gibraltar towards me, I saw that his bicycle was in the center of his travel lane, which I thought was appropriate for the amount of motorized traffic and the lack of a shoulder or bike lane. A white Jeep was traveling directly behind him. As the bicyclist appeared to come down the lane in a straight controlled manner, his bicycle suddenly veered widely into my lane. I applied the break, I felt I was far enough away from him that it was unlikely that I would hit him with my vehicle. “What just happened?” I said.

I watched as the cyclist swung wide in the lane of oncoming traffic – make a broad, wide right turn towards Pheasant Run Road – then hit the curb and stop sign at the intersection. His body seemed to wrap around the stop sign post and then he fell to the ground, motionless. I picked up my cell phone and dialed 911 as I watched the driver of the white Jeep immediately park his vehicle in the grass just beyond the victim, throw his door open and run back to him. I found a safe place to park while I spoke to the 911 dispatcher. I explained that from where I was walking toward the cyclist that I could not see the cyclist move at all. His body appeared to be in the same awkward position as when he first fell. The 911 dispatcher asked me if the victim was breathing, but I was standing on the opposite side of the street at that point. I crossed the road and saw that the driver of the white Jeep was returning to his vehicle. “Sir, is he breathing?” I asked. The driver of the white Jeep did not look at me or speak to me, but got back into his Jeep and drove away. I spoke to the 911 dispatcher. “The driver of the white jeep is getting into his jeep and driving away. His license plate number is _______.”

As I continued to move towards the victim, another man in a sleeveless shirt with tattoos on his arms spoke to me. He said, “I made the call. I am an off-duty Reading Police Officer. I made the call. Get off the phone. No one hit him; no one is leaving the scene. I made the call. I saw everything.” So, I repeated what he was saying to me to the 911 dispatcher. I answered the questions of the 911 dispatcher and ended the call.

The female companion of the off-duty officer asked me, “Does Exeter have a paid emergency response service or do they have a volunteer service?” I answered that I was not certain, but I thought perhaps there was some paid staff. She responded, “Oh. I’m just wondering as it seems to be taking a long time for them to respond and I was wondering if paid staff are actually at the station ready to respond to a call or if they have to drive from home.”

During this time, many motor vehicles passed the scene. I also noticed four other cyclists traveling on that same right of way. One man appeared to be a bicycle commuter. Two cyclists appeared to be teenagers riding to see what was happening in their community. One man asked if he could help – but decided other than making a call to 911 (which had been done) there was nothing more for him to do. Only one of the cyclists wore a helmet and had a bicycle light on his vehicle. Five pedestrians also traveled that route – one man walking his dog, one runner, and two young people walking together. [Note – there is no shoulder, no bike lane, no sidewalk, no crosswalks or even share the road signs on this length of road.]

After several minutes, an Exeter Township ambulance arrived at the scene. The female companion of the off-duty officer spoke to me, saying, “Oh, they don’t have their lights or siren on. That’s weird.” That same woman also commented to the off-duty officer, “Don’t the police usually arrive to an accident with an ambulance?” The man answered, “Yeah, I don’t know.” A few minutes later, a police officer did arrive to the scene, and I noticed that there was no siren or flashing lights on his vehicle. Another few minutes, a second police officer arrived. The officers approached the off-duty officer and spoke to him in familiarity. I did not hear any questions about the accident or the victim. The EMTs were caring for the victim and began to stabilize his neck and body. At one point they asked the officers to assist them with the board to make sure that the victim was stable.

During this time a large white van pulled around the corner and parked where the white Jeep had previously been. A young man with dark curly brown hair approached the scene and stated that he was responsible for the victim – as the cyclist was a “consumer” from his group home. He reported that the cyclist was in his early 30s. The EMTs asked him to assist in speaking to the victim to try to get him to respond. They expressed that needed him to help them compare his normal ability to respond to his present condition.

An officer approached me, took my name, phone number and address. He stated that no one may actually need to speak to me about the incident, but as a witness they would need my contact information. I then walked away from the crash site to return to my vehicle and continue to my destination.

I can’t help but wonder – wouldn’t the driver of that white Jeep have something important to contribute to the investigation report? After all, he was directly behind the cyclist when he began to lose control of this bike, he saw him crash, and he was the first person to go to him after the crash. Did the police get his contact information and speak to him to make sure that the report includes the information necessary to determine the cause of the crash? Maybe they were able to contact him from the license plate I provided the 911 dispatcher? I also wonder if I was the witness who saw the full scene from the opposite lane – do they need me to provide a report of what I saw from my angle? Will the cyclist receive a full, complete report that may be necessary for his insurance purposes?

Sally’s Story
One evening at 4:40PM I was attempting to use the new crossings on the Martin Luther King Drive to get from the bike path to the Art Museum side. Inbound crossing went okay. Outbound crossing started okay, a driver in a large SUV stopped waved me across, I started across, and another driver, crossed the white line to pass and came inches from hitting me. I crashed my bike into the street landing inches from the second car’s tires. I suffered multiple bruises, scrapes, and was bleeding.

Here is the weird part: A police vehicle came upon the scene, the cop got out, spoke to me for 10 seconds, asked the driver to pull off the road so he (the cop) could speak to him, and then they both drove off! The cop never returned to check on me, to ask if I was able to get home, needed an ambulance, etc...I called 911 to see what I should do. They instructed me to wait and I did, for a total of 1 hour from the time I was almost hit till I had to start riding home to care for my injuries. Ok, I was not killed, and that's good.

But while standing there for an hour I saw near miss after near miss as drivers either did not stop for pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross, or as drivers tried to blow by a motorist who was trying to do the right thing. Should I have done anything differently?

Sally Poliwoda
Co-founder, Sturdy Girl Cycling

Ben’s Story

On Saturday, June 17, 2006, I was riding down Main St in Oley, shortly before noon. I was on a new custom bike with less than 500 miles on it. Just down and across the street from the fire company is an outgrown shop. As I approached this shop, a lady opened her car door directly in my path. I was traveling approximately 20 mph. Yes, I was in the door zone.

Literally, she opened the door at precisely the right moment for me to slam into it. I hit the door head on. The bike had a heavy rear end due to an internal gear hub, so the back end flipped up and over. I separated from the bike at about vertical and landed square on my back. I tried to get up to get out of the street, but I could not. I tried to slide on my back to get out of the street, but by that time some people from the outgrown shop (they were having a sidewalk sale) came over to me and told me not to move.

Since I was just down the street from the fire company, and there was a traffic accident elsewhere in Oley at the same time, an EMT was with me in about two minutes. They moved me to a backboard and walked me across the street to the fire company. Since the Oley ambulance was already engaged, I had to wait for the Fleetwood ambulance to take me to the hospital. I spent the afternoon in the hospital getting a variety of tests, but I was home by 6PM.

I was incredibly lucky. The results could have been devastating if I landed on my head rather than flat on my back. This accident was the impetus for me becoming an LCI. It also gave me a reason to purchase and recommend the Road ID(TM). The Oley police were called and were on the scene with the EMT's when I was still on Main St as well as when I was at the fire company. It was a pretty brief investigation for them. They determined it was the driver's fault, but it was an accident.

My family lives in Oley, so the people at the outgrown shop took my bike and gear and called my relatives. My mother retrieved the bike and took it to one of my relative's houses in Oley where I picked it up the next day. The bike did not look to be severely damaged to my relatives, but closer inspection showed that the fork was bent beyond repair and the frame was cracked in several places. The main parts of the bike were a total loss.

Because I was injured and had out of pocket medical costs, plus loss of the bike, I followed up with Chief White from the Oley police department. He was very helpful in explaining the legal aspects of the case from his point of view. He made it clear that it was her fault and that he would gladly ticket her if I would like. Her insurance may have paid for damages.

I felt the Oley police did a good job with the investigation, and in facilitating the return of my bike, gear, and wallet, to my relatives through the folks at the outgrown shop. Chief White was very helpful after the accident. I did not ask for the full report because I was not going to pursue legal action.

Benton Levengood
League Cycling Instructor
Board of Directors, WalkBikeBerks

What a Police Officer Has to Say about ‘Bicycle Crash Investigation, Part I’
“After reviewing a number of crash reports by officers and crash reconstruction experts, it is apparent that many important factors involved in bicycling are either unknown or unconsidered and quite often undocumented by crash investigation professionals.The state of the art in specialized bicycle crash investigation and reconstruction is rudimentary at best. Focused training in bicycle crash investigation is rare, if it exists at all.

In virtually every state, bicycles have most of the same rights and responsibilities as motor vehicle operators. Many officers don’t seem to know, or care, that they do. Training in bicycle traffic law is virtually nonexistent in police academies and crash investigation courses.

Unfortunately, many serious road cyclists know and understand traffic laws regulating bicycles far better than most street cops. Officers who have received quality bike patrol training, such as the IPMBA Police Cyclist™ Course, have been trained in the legal status of bicycles in traffic, proper and legal lane use, and other pertinent provisions.

When investigating a bicycle-vehicle crash, it may be a good idea to involve a trained bike patrol officer to help get a comprehensive perspective as to the bicycle-related factors and conditions involved. Criminal charges may be warranted. An officer knowledgeable in bike law could be a victim cyclist’s best advocate, or a legal opponent, providing the details for fair prosecution.

Some states don’t require, or even allow, a police crash report unless the crash involves a motor vehicle. Yet, it is quite possible to have a serious or fatal crash involving a lone cyclist, two or more bikers, or even a cyclist and a pedestrian. Since these don’t involve a motor vehicle, none would be reported on an official state or FARS crash report form. These incidents would be classified as a public accident of some sort. The obligation for a thorough and detailed investigation is no less important.”

~Kirby Beck, PCI #002T
Coon Rapids PD (MN) retired

Law Enforcement & EMT’s

For information on how to locate IPMBA Training, please click here.
IPMBA Police Cyclist Course
IPMBA Public Safety Cyclist II Course
IPMBA Survival Tactics and Riding Skills Course
IPMBA EMS Cyclist Course
IPMBA EMS Cyclist II Course
IPMBA Instructor Course
IPMBA Maintenance Officer Course
IPMBA Bicycle Response Team Training
IPMBA Security Cyclist Course
IPMBA Night Ops-Firearms & Tactics Course

WHAT TO DO IN A BICYCLE CRASH Call the police and get a report. There are a few things you need to know to protect your legal rights in a bike crash. If you are in a crash with a car, do not leave the scene without:

· tag number of the car
· names & phone numbers of witnesses
· driver name and contact information
· police officer name and badge number

Even in cases where cyclists are badly hurt, the police have not always identified the vehicle or driver involved. The ambulance personnel will not include this information in their report – you must make sure the information gets recorded by the police. If it is a hit and run, you need to file a police report as soon as you are able.


Your Turn

Support
· HB1110
· HB1109
· SB 776

Call and write to your state legislator today and ask them to support these bicycle friendly bills – to create safer access for cyclists on the streets in Pennsylvania.

The single most important action that you can take now is to contact your legislator and encourage them to support HB1110 or SB776 (Safe Passing Legislation). And HB1109, a harassment bill meant to protect cyclists from "bullies" on the roadways. An email, phone call or brief letter will only take a moment of your time, but is vitally important to the success of these laws.

Please also be sure to ask your legislator to support the Federal Safe Routes to School Program so that children can safely walk or bicycle to school.Contact Your Legislator

Reburbia: A Suburban Design Competition

Smart Growth Resource Library: Reburbia: A Suburban Design Competition

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Dwell Magazine and Inhabitat.com have announced finalists of the first-ever Reburbia competition: a design competition dedicated to re-envisioning the suburbs. The public is invited to vote online for their top choices August 10-17, 2009.

With the current housing crisis, the sub-prime mortgage meltdown, and rising energy costs, the future of suburbia looks bleak. Suburban communities in central California, Arizona and Florida are desolate and decaying, with for sale and foreclosure signs dotting many lawns. According to the U.S. Census, about 90% of all metropolitan growth occurred in suburban communities in the last ten years. Urbanites who loathe the freeways, big box stores and bland aesthetics stereotypical of suburbia may secretly root for the end of sprawl, but demographic trends indicate that exurban growth is still on the rise.

In a future where limited natural resources will force us to find better solutions for density and efficiency, what will become of the cul-de-sacs, cookie-cutter tract houses and generic strip malls that have long upheld the diffuse infrastructure of suburbia? How can we redirect these existing spaces to promote sustainability, walkability, and community?

Read more at the resource link below.

Resource: http://www.re-burbia.com/

WHAT TO DO IN A BICYCLE CRASH

What to do in a Bicycle Crash
Call the police and get a report. There are a few things you need to know to protect your legal rights in a bike crash. If you are in a crash with a car, do not leave the scene without:

• the tag number of the car
• the names and phone numbers of any witnesses
• driver name and contact information
• police officer name and badge number

Even in cases where cyclists are badly hurt, the police have not always identified the vehicle or driver involved. The ambulance personnel will not include this information in their report – you must make sure the information gets recorded by the police. If it is a hit and run, you need to file a police report as soon as you are able.

Vehicle strikes, kills woman on bicycle in Longswamp Township

Vehicle strikes, kills woman on bicycle in Longswamp Township

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Newswise Social and Behavioral Sciences News | Physical Inactivity Poses Greatest Health Risk to Americans

Thanks to Andy Clark from the League of American Bicyclists for bringing this article to our attention. This is another of many professional health organizations providing evidence that walking and bicycling are necessary components of daily living.

Newswise Social and Behavioral Sciences News | Physical Inactivity Poses Greatest Health Risk to Americans

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State police seek witnesses to pedestrian fatality in Deer Lake

State police seek witnesses to pedestrian fatality in Deer Lake

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Berks County Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan

The county is currently working on the revision of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan. The original document can be found here: ttp://www.countyofberks.com/planning/lib/planning/Reading_MPO_Bike-Ped_Plan.pdf.

Take time to read this plan, be informed, and express your needs for pedestrian and bicycle transportation access in Berks.

Not sure where to begin?

1. Take a walk and use this checklist to rate your neighborhood's walkability.
2. Go for a ride and use this checklist to rate your neighborhood's bikeability.

Complete the checklist and mail it, with any additional comments you would like to share to

WalkBikeBerks
PO BOX 6795
Wyomissing, PA 19610

We'll take your comments and checklists with us to the Reading Area Transportation Study meetings and committee workshops and make sure that your input is considered in the new Berks County Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation Plan.

Man charged with stabbing bicyclist, 16

Man charged with stabbing bicyclist, 16

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Today's Recommended Reading -- Finding A Balance

Balancing Public Space with Public Health

For many Americans, the drive from work or school to home is all too familiar: it begins with a long, multi-lane road infamous for its strip malls, lack of sidewalks, and high pedestrian fatality rates. It progresses to a jumble of connecting interstate highways packed with rush-hour traffic. And it ends with clusters of new, low-density, single-family residential developments lacking public parks, playgrounds, libraries, nearby stores or cafes, sidewalks, bicycle trails, and public transit. In much of this country, adults and children travel by private automobile to virtually all of their destinations, because they have no practical transportation alternatives. In poor communities, adults often rely on inadequate public transportation to get to work. Their children end up walking through unsafe neighborhoods to get to school.

Public health has traditionally addressed the "built environment" to tackle specific health issues such as sanitation, lead paint, workplace safety, fire codes, and access for persons with disabilities. We now realize that how we design the built environment may hold tremendous potential for addressing many of the nation's greatest current public health concerns, including obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, asthma, injury, depression, violence, and social inequities. Almost everything in our built environment is the way it is because someone designed it that way. We still have a remarkable capacity to plan ahead, shape the future, and adapt to new settings. This series will offer best practice examples that will inform the building of safer, more beautiful and healthier communities.

Balancing Public Space with Public Health, a new public television documentary series and public health outreach initiative, will explore how communities across the country are re-thinking and redesigning their built environments. More and more American communities are looking at the direct correlation of green public spaces and improved public health. The PBS series will be supported by a nationwide community-based outreach and publicity/promotion campaign, interactive web site, educational curricula for elementary school through college, a companion book, video resource library, and more.

Other resources for Balancing Public Space with Public Health:
Download the full project proposal (pdf, 1.1 MB)

Man eludes search after stabbing teen riding a bike on Thun Trail in Cumru Township

Dear Bicyclists and Pedestrians -- Trail Lovers across Berks County and beyond:

Take a moment to read this articled. When you have finished, please write to WalkBikeBerks and to the Reading Eagle to support trail use -- and to protect the riders and walkers who travel on this section of the Thun Trail.

~Michele

Man eludes search after stabbing teen riding a bike on Thun Trail in Cumru Township

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Report an incident here:
http://www.trailreporter.com/