NEW TEACHER TRAINING -- FREE ACT 48 Hours

NEW TEACHER TRAINING -- FREE ACT 48 Hours

• Augment Your School Wellness Plan
• Receive New PE Lessons For Life-Long Fitness and Activity

February 14 and February 15
8:00-3:00; lunch break provided
SAFE ROUTES BERKS
Berks County Intermediate Unit
BCIU Education Centre
2101 Centre Avenue (Route 61) | Reading, PA 19605
610-987-8300 (phone) 610-987-8400 (fax)
info@walkbikeberks.org

Bring your walking shoes -- this is an active workshop.
Substitute Teacher Costs provided to your district.

An extension of the PA Safe Routes to School education and encouragement program, Safe Routes Berks is a new program of Walk Bike Berks that introduces walking and cycling as fun, healthy, and environmentally friendly activities for children ages 5-13.
In addition to walking, bicycling, and school bus safety lessons, teachers will be provided materials for their students to learn to view the bicycle and their feet as good means of recreation, exercise and transportation. Encouraging students to bicycle and walk more addresses issues of active living, obesity and diabetes, and environmental health.

School District Employees – Safe Routes Berks’s train-the-teacher program educates elementary and middle school teachers and staff, providing in-service and professional development trainings at the Berks County Intermediate Unit.  These Professional Development trainings comprise of a 6 hour tutorial on pedestrian, bicycle and school bus safety lessons. Berks County teachers, public or private, who complete the training receive full access to the online resources and print materials, including teacher’s guide, activity books for students, educational videos, and 12 Act 48 credits. 

Register Today:
On-Line Registration Instructions:
To begin, please visit the website listed below and follow the step-by-step instructions that will display on the screen. Steps are also listed below for your reference.  We hope that you will find this online registration system user-friendly.
1.  Go to BCIU's Website www.berksiu.org
2.  On the left hand side of the screen under quick links, click on “My Learning Plan”
3.  Scroll down to Step One and click on the link"click here to view course catalog"
4.  Click "view now"
5.  Locate “Safe Routes Berks “Pilot”
6.  Click on the title of the training
7.  Click on "click to enroll"
8.  Following registration procedures that apply to you:
·        I’m a registered user – select this option if you have already created a personal account in My Learning Plan (MLP).
·        I’m a new user – select this option if you do not have an account.  By completing this you are establishing an account with a user-name and password in a secure location for future reference.  You can update or change any of this information as needed.
·        I’m a My LearningPlan.com user– select this option if you have an account with MyLearningPlan.com
For technical support on using the online registration system, please contact Heidi Gamler 610-987-8548.
Register by Wednesday, February 8.

The Safe Routes Berks educational program is funded in part through a Transportation Enhancement grant from the Federal Highway Administration - U.S. Department of Transportation, through the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Reading Area Transportation Study.

Walking advocates push for sidewalk near school

Andrew Yawger:
"The project will help the community and help move us toward a more walkable and safe township. This is a big win for Exeter Township!"
"More than just walking to school, there will also be a walking tour of historical sites in the area of, including the Exeter Station."

To read the full Reading Eagle Article, click here.

Gear Up for the First-ever National Bike to School Day

Wednesday, May 9th Celebration
Part of 2012 National Bike Month

(CHAPEL HILL, N.C.) January 19, 2012 – Prepare to switch gears this spring. The National Center for Safe Routes to School announced today that it will be coordinating the first-ever National Bike to School Day on Wednesday, May 9, 2012.

Bike to School Day builds on the popularity and success of International Walk to School Day, which is celebrated across the country – and the world – each October, and encourages a bike-focused celebration in the month of May. The National Center, which serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program, is planning the inaugural event in partnership with the League of American Bicyclists, the organization that leads the celebration of National Bike Month.
“Communities and schools have been holding spring walk and bicycle to school days for years,” said Lauren Marchetti, director of the National Center for Safe Routes to School. “This inaugural celebration not only provides an opportunity for schools across the country to join together to celebrate National Bike to School Day but also to build off of the energy of National Bike Month.”

“Celebrating Bike to School Day will increase the excitement surrounding 2012 National Bike Month,” said Andy Clarke, president of the League of American Bicyclists. “Bike Month – including Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day – has grown year after year and we’re pleased to add a school- and kid-focused event to the celebration this year.”

Save the date and stay tuned! A newly redesigned version of www.walktoschool.org will be unveiled in early April with more information about Bike to School Day and new event planning resources and tools, including a new GIS-powered walking and bicycling route mapping tool. A “Win a Bike Rack” contest is also being planned to help build excitement and encourage registration of both events and resources for this inaugural event. Bookmark www.walktoschool.org  and check back often to learn more.
National Bike to School Day is based on the Walk to School Day model. Walk to School Day was founded in 1997 as a way to bring community leaders and children together to build awareness for communities to be more walkable. The one-day event has now grown to a month-long celebration. In 2011, students and parents from more than 4,000 U.S. schools joined millions of Walk to School Day and Month participants worldwide. The reasons for walking have grown just as quickly as the event itself. For more information, visit www.walktoschool.org.

Bike to School Day, a part of the National Bike Month, will be held on Wednesday, May 9, the week before Bike to Work Week and Bike to Work Day.

About the National Center for Safe Routes to School
Established in May 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School assists states and communities in enabling and encouraging children to safely walk and bicycle to school. The National Center serves as the information clearinghouse for the federal Safe Routes to School program with funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Part of the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, the National Center  also provides technical support and resources and coordinates online registration efforts for U.S. Walk to School Day and facilitates worldwide promotion and participation. For more information, visit www.saferoutesinfo.org.

About the League of American BicyclistsThe League of American Bicyclists promotes bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation, and works through advocacy and education for a bicycle‐friendly America. The League represents the interests of America's 57 million bicyclists, including its 300,000 members and affiliates. For more information or to support the League, visit www.bikeleague.org. 

Nat'l Safe Routes to School State Network Report RELEASED TODAY!

In the winter of 2009, a board member of WalkBikeBerks rallied a large, diverse coalition of stakeholders across Pennsylvania to collaboratively write ands submit a grant application to build the Pennsylvania Safe Routes To School State Network Project. 

The application was accepted, and with the leadership of Pennsylvania Walks & Bikes, the PA SRTS State Network Project launched in January of 2010.

Now, you can read the final report of those efforts, combined with the efforts of the other state networks across the nation. 


Report includes policy successes, lessons learned and local success stories
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership’s state network project brings together state leaders to remove barriers to walking and bicycling to and from school. We write to share with you the National Partnership’s 2010-2011 report, entitled: Safe Routes to School State Network Project Final Report, 2010-2011: Phase II - Successes and Lessons Learned, which includes policy successes, lessons learned and local success stories that were a result of policy changes led by the 20 state network coalitions.
Key policy wins from each of the 19 network states and the District of Columbia included improvements to state Safe Routes to School programs that increased award and obligation rates for local community grant recipients and lower-income communities, policies creating street-scale improvements for walking and bicycling, school siting and joint use agreements, supporting lower-income communities and improving personal safety. State networks influenced the distribution of more than $100 million in Safe Routes to School funds.
This report was written by the Safe Routes to School National Partnership, a national network of more than 550 organizations. The report was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest health foundation. Originally launched in 2007 in 10 states, the project supported networks during 2010 and 2011 in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania*, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin.
Collectively, the 20 state networks engaged more than 900 partner organizations and agencies as active participants in improving the built environment and increasing physical activity for children, with a focus on serving lower-income communities. The networks each made substantial improvements to transportation policies and funding allocations, safety, land use, the environment and public health. In some states, networks were the first statewide group to address particular policy issues.

ALERT: Walking and Bicycling Safety are under attack!

Federal funding for bike and pedestrian safety
is once again on the chopping block.
Senator Rand Paul has seized upon the very serious T4 America reports examining the woeful condition of our country’s bridges to force Americans to make an unnecessary choice: safety in our cars while crossing bridges or safety while walking or biking in our communities.

Tell your Senators that we don’t have to choose. Protect bike and pedestrian funding against this misguided attack.

Senator Paul’s amendment would also change the TIGER program — competitive grants awarded to all kinds of transportation projects — so that projects to make walking or biking safer won’t be eligible. The amendment would also redirect a relatively small amount of funding — 10 percent of the TIGER program — into bridge repair. At the cost of safety for everyone who uses a road, states would gain enough money to repaint a few bridges.

And there would still be no real plan to fix bridges. Here’s what you aren’t being told about bridge repair:

States can already take up to half of their money for bridge repair and spend it on new highway capacity, no matter the condition of their bridges. And states can already spend most of what’s usually the biggest pot of transportation funding on almost anything they want. They could fix bridges, build transit, highways, bridges, sidewalks; it's all eligible, and totally up to the states. No mandates from Washington.

This amendment will be offered on the floor of the Senate tomorrow (Tuesday).

Write or call your Senators and tell them that this proposal will do almost nothing to fix our bridges while making us less safe.

Thank you again for stepping forward to help.
Stephen Lee Davis
Deputy Communications Director

Transportation for America

GREEN DRINKS: Wednesday

Green Drinks

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Green Drinks Reading
Join us for Green Drinks Reading!
Every third Wednesday at ViVA Bistro & Tapas Lounge
5:30-7:30pm


TOPIC

WalkBikeBerks will be speaking about Safe Routes To School (SRTS) and International Walk To School Day taking place on October 5th. SRTS promotes children walking and biking safely to and from school. October 5th, Walk To School Day is an international recognized day that promotes and encourages children to walk and bicycle to school on a regular basis. Since childhood obesity is a national epidemic, SRTS focuses on the health benefits as well as not only being good for the environment. The hope is that children will continue walking and biking throughout their lives. We will also discuss: How your school can participate in SRTS as well as WalkBikeBerks assisting schools and parents in this endeavor. We will give examples of Berks County schools that have SRTS programs and events. We will be including the five E’s of SRTS : Education, Encouragement, Enforcement, Engineering, and Evaluation. Cash bar and food will be available for purchase.

State Rep Mark Gillen Responds to My Letter -- Have You Written Yet?

Dear Michele,
Thank you for your email regarding House Bill 1475, which provides for convictions and points, for speed timing devices, and for specific powers of department and local authorities. Please know that HB 1475 was referred to the House Transportation Committee on May 5, 2011. I am not on the Transportation Committee and, therefore, cannot vote to bring it to the House floor. Rest assured, however, that I will keep your comments in mind if or when this legislation comes before me on the floor. Again, thank you for your email. It is always helpful to have constituent input as I seek to represent the 128th legislative district.

-----------------------------------------------
Mark Gillen
State Representative
128th Legislative District
------------------------------------------------
District Office
29 Village Center Drive
Suite A-7
Reading, PA 19607
Phone: (610) 775-5130
Fax: (610) 775-3736
------------------------------------------------
Harrisburg Office
409 Irvis Office Building
PO Box 202128
Harrisburg, PA 17120
Phone: (717) 787-8550
Fax: (717) 783-7862
_________________________________________________
My email message to Rep Gillen was:

Action I would like to see:   HB 1475:

Please consider that speed timing devices such as radar are traffic calming devices that save lives.

Traffic Calming Statistics

• Most pedestrian fatalities occur in urban areas (73%) at non intersection locations (77%) in normal weather conditions (90%) and at night (67%). (NHTSA, 2007)
• Road traffic crashes are the leading cause of death among young people (ages 10-24) in the world. (World Health Organization)
• They are also the leading cause of death among children in the United States. (United States Center for Disease Prevention)
• Speeding is the single most common traffic rule violation and contributes to one third of all road traffic crashes . (World Health Organization)
• Traffic Calming measures are a key intervention to road traffic crashes and deaths. (World Report on Road Traffic Injury Protection)
• If current trends continue, the number of people killed and injured on the world's roads will rise by more than 60% between 2000 and 2020. (World Health Organization)
• In 2005 there were nearly 3 million people injured on the roads in the United States. (US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration)
• There were 43,443 people killed on US roads in 2005 alone (US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration)
• There are an average of 117 fatalities per day due to traffic incidents (US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration)
• 30% of the people killed in traffic accidents each day are under 25 (US Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration)
• Each year, 400,000 people under age 25 die in traffic accidents, averaging more than 1,000 deaths a day. (World report on Road Traffic Injury Protection)
• In 2005, traffic accidents killed an average of 4 children under the age of 14 each day and injured 556 daily. In total, 203,000 children were injured and 1,451 were killed. (National Center for Health Statistics 2006 Report)
• Two thirds of children who are hurt or killed in traffic accidents are struck and injured within several blocks (.25 miles) of their homes (American Journal of Public Health)

Imagine: ZERO ROAD TRAFFIC DEATHS

Learn More.

Mount Penn Elementary School Wins Berks County Walk to School Challenge!

Here is our letter of Congratulations to the Winner:
WalkBikeBerks ● PO Box 6795 ● Wyomissing ● PA ● 19610
February 23, 2011

Mount Penn Elementary School
Antietam School District
2310 Cumberland Ave.
Mt. Penn, PA 19606

Dear Mrs. Bleacher,

Congratulations! Your commitment to increase the number of students who use active transportation to and from your school each day is a remarkable achievement.
WalkBikeBerks would like to recognize you for the wonderful efforts you make every day to care for the health and safety of the students at Mount Penn Elementary.

WalkBikeBerks is awarding your school $500.00 to build better walking and bicycling for Mount Penn Elementary School. Please email info@walkbikeberks.org with a good time for us to present you and your students with the Walk to School Challenge Cash Prize of $500.00.

We applaud you for identifying walking and bicycling as every day activities that will help school age students maintain healthy body weights, breathe cleaner air, and prepare their bodies for a successful day of study while at school.

Please find the attached graphs which reveal the results of our Walk to School Challenge. You can see that Mount Penn is the winning school for the highest percentage of students who walk and bicycle to school for this competition! Well done! Your program is an excellent example for all of the school districts in Berks County. Your students, your staff, and your community should be proud that you are making student health and safety a priority.

We look forward to helping you continue to build on your past success. When you work to increase the number of students who walk and bicycle to school, fewer students may suffer from overweight/obesity related issues such as Type II Diabetes, asthma, heart disease, some cancers, and mental health concerns such as depression and anxiety. WalkBikeBerks remains committed to helping you increase the number of students who use active transportation to Mount Penn Elementary.

Sincerely,
Michele Barrett
Safe Routes to School Chair

What is a Bike Train? And other videos on Bicycle Safety

Letter from The First Lady: Michelle Obama Supports Walking and Bicycling to School

To read the letter from our First Lady, click here.

To learn more about all of the wonderful things that are happening because of the National Safe Routes to School Partnership, click here.

Remember: as you prepare for Spring, consider building your Safe Routes to School Team now. It's not too early to plan for your participation in Walk to School 2011. WalkBikeBerks is happy to help. Just send a message to info@walkbikeberks.org.