For Immediate Release

Mount Penn Elementary Center and WalkBikeBerks host
International Walk to School Day, October 8, 2008 at 7:45 a.m.
Redner's Warehouse Market

801 Carsonia Avenue

Reading, PA 19606-1201

Contact:

Michele Bleacher, Assistant Principal
2310 Cumberland Avenue, Reading Pa, 19606

Phone: 610-779-3547

Fax: 610-779-6937

Or

Michele Barrett, Board President
PO Box 6795, Wyomissing, PA 19610
Phone: (610) 779-9702

Mount Penn, PA – Mount Penn Elementary Center and WalkBikeBerks will be joining schools from around the world to celebrate International Walk to School Day on October 8, 2008. More than 400 students are invited to walk to school along with parents, teachers and community leaders. Congressman Gerlach, Senator O’Pake, Representative Santoni, Mayor Nowotarski, Chief of Police Anthony Garipoli, Sr., Redner’s Spokesperson Eric White, Principal Kerry Hoffman, Executive Board Members of WalkBikeBerks, and the Excellent Teaching Staff of the Elementary Center have committed to walking with us. The event will begin at 7:45 a.m. with kids, parents and community leaders walking from Redner’s Warehouse Markets. Walkers will arrive at the school by 8:30.

In the U.S., International Walk to School Day is expected to include 5,000 schools from all 50 states. Walkers from the U.S. will join children and adults in 40 countries around the world. Walk to School events work to create safer routes for walking and bicycling and emphasize the importance of issues such as increasing physical activity among children, pedestrian safety, traffic congestion, concern for the environment and building connections between families, schools and the broader community.

“One of our goals at Mt. Penn Elementary Center is to support the wellness of our students, staff and community. We are excited to participate in an international event that encourages healthy choices. We plan to continue our efforts this year by encouraging and educating our students about pedestrian safety within our daily curriculum and programming,” reports Michele Bleacher, Assistant Principal at Mount Penn.

The event is being organized by WalkBikeBerks. WalkBikeBerks works to promote Safe Routes to School and Complete Streets county-wide. Please join us as we make walking and bicycling practical, convenient, and safe in Berks County, Pennsylvania.

Allison Topper, the executive director of Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition & Activity (PANA) , explains, “physical activity of any kind is great for kids, but walking or biking to school is a wonderful opportunity for parents and kids to spend quality time together and promote a healthier lifestyle for the whole family.”

PANA is a statewide coalition of various public and private partners working with schools and communities to promote healthy eating and active living. Walk to School Day is funded in part by PennDOT.

For additional information, please visit these Web sites:
PANA Safe Routes to School Academy http://www.srtsacademy.org/.
WalkBikeBerks http://walkbikeberks.blogspot.com/
International Walk to School in the USA http://www.walktoschool.org/
National Center for Safe Routes to School http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/

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Donations Needed

We are working hard to spread our message and gain new membership. To do this, we will be printing brochures to mail and display in local businesses. Each Board Member has contributed their own funds to make this possible, yet we still need your help. Consider donating $10, $15, or $25.00 today to enable us to promote walking and bicycling in Berks County.

We sought bids from eight different local printing companies, as well as from large chain businesses, and we have found the lowest cost, by far. We can purchase 500 copies of a tri-fold, full color brochure for $280.00.

If just 11 donors gift $25.00 each -- we will be able to continue the work we've begun. To learn more about what we have accomplished: please some time to browse this blog. With very little funding, we've done some fantastic work towards promoting and improving cycling and walking in our communities. Please help us grow and educate others with your financial gift today. We cannot be successful county-wide without your help.

OUR MOST RECENT VICTORY?

BIKES on BARTA -- Announced TODAY!

Bike racks will be installed on five Reading buses
From our news staff
In the next few months, some BARTA users will be able to take public transportation and ride their bikes. BARTA is installing bike racks on five of its buses, which will allow riders to store their bikes while traveling. The racks are similar to ones on buses in larger cities such as Philadelphia. Each rack holds two bikes.BARTA is spending $3,200 to buy and install the racks.

To read the full Reading Eagle Article, go to: http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=107887.

What else are we doing? INTERNATIONAL WALK TO SCHOOL DAY -- October 8, 2008

Next Wednesday, several leaders will join us to Walk to School with Mount Penn Elementary Center as we promote Safe Routes to School, including:

Senator O'Pake
Congressman Gerlach
Commissioner Leinbach
Representative Santoni
Mayor Nowotarski

BIKES on BARTA

Emily Weidner and Bob Hospidor, Executive Board Members of WalkBikeBerks, met with Executive Director Mr. Dennis Louwerse several weeks ago to discuss the possibility of installing bike racks on some of BARTA's buses.

We were pleased to hear that Mr. Louwerse is planning to suggest that BARTA purchase a number of bike racks to test out on a trial basis. Using BARTA's Route Listing map, a number of members of WBB reviewed the routes and selected nine that they felt might be appropriate. They are: Routes 1; 2; 8; 9; 11; 15; 17; 20 and 21.

We appreciate the progressive attitude of BARTA and look forward to assisting them in any way we can. To share your own support of BIKES on BARTA, contact:

BARTA
1700 North Eleventh Street
Reading, PA 19604
E-mail: barta@bartabus.com
Bus Info#: 610-921-0601
Special Services#: 610-921-2361

Why not ride today? If you travel to work on the bus, why not ask your employer about providing bus travel incentives for all employees who use BARTA? BARTA can develop a customized PASS program as easy as 1.2.3.
http://www.bartabus.com/

Walk to School Day 2008

For a list of schools participating in Walk to School Day 2008, visit PANA's list at:

http://www.srtsacademy.org/walk-to-school/documents/2008_Participating_Pennsylvania_Schools.pdf. **

I'm thrilled to see that my local community is participating. If you would like to support the local effort, or to learn more, please contact:
Robin Zook, Exeter Twp JHS, Exeter Township SD Reading 610‐779‐3320

http://etsd.schoolwires.com/jhs/site/default.asp

** The website will be updated sometime this week to include Mount Penn Elementary Center.

PennDOT Update

Update – August 19th, 2008
Pennsylvania’s first Federal Safe Routes to School infrastructure funding round has closed. During our first application cycle, 98 applications were received from around the Commonwealth, requesting $56 million in federal funding. Currently, we are working with our Districts, MPOs, RPOs, and our project selection committee to review all applications and begin the process of project selection. Winners will be announced on this page in October, but the date has not yet been determined. Please check back often for updates.

http://www.dot.state.pa.us/Internet/Bureaus/CPDM.nsf/SRTSHomepage?OpenFrameset

I'm sharing this with you now because finding this information on the PennDOT website is nearly impossible. If you want to find the most up-to-date information, access PANA's Safe Routes to School Academy website and use the links available there.

http://www.srtsacademy.org/grants/penndot.cfm

Thunderhead Alliance for Bicycling and Walking Retreat 2008

Nancy is in red with a blue and white sweater in the second row, third from the left.

I am in green in the third row, center, next to Scott Bricker (brown) from Bike Pittsburgh.

Hans van Naersen, League of American Bicyclists, is wearing blue, front row second from right.

John Boyle appears to be hiding in the back row, but we can still see you, John!

Pennsylvania was well represented on Bainbridge Island this past year. Even more folks attended ProWalk/ProBike the following week.

I had the greatest time learning from all of the many leaders around our nation and from Canada. Stephanie Potts (Complete Streets, Transportation for America, and Smart Growth America) was a truly delightful roommate...and I am so pleased to have met her. The work she is doing is driving the mission of WalkBikeBerks and other Thunderhead Alliance organizations nationally. Thanks Stephanie!

Mount Penn Elementary Center is gearing up for a spectacular kick off for their Safe Routes to School Program this year. With a grant from PANA, Mount Penn is able to spend $2,500.00 this year and another $2,500.00 next year educating, encouraging, and evaluating their Walk to School Program.

On October 8, 2008, Mount Penn students, teachers, and families will meet up with WalkBikeBerks at Redner's Market Warehouse on Carsonia Avenue to walk to school with some very special guests.

Congressman Jim Gerlach

Christian Y. Leinbach, Commissioner

Representative Danti Santoni

Mayor Joshua Nowotarski

Eric B. White, Consumer Communications Specialist, Redner's Markets, Inc.

Kerry C. Hoffman, Principal

Michele Bleacher, Assistant Principal

WalkBikeBerks Executive Board Members

The Exceptional Teaching Staff of the Mount Penn Elementary School

But why walk to school?

To enhance the health of kids Increased physical activity can combat a host of health problems facing kids today.
To improve air quality and the environment Replacing car trips to school with walking or bicycling can help reduce air pollution.
To create safer routes for walking and bicycling Sidewalks, education programs and traffic calming measures are some of the ways to improve conditions.

We are organizing a Walking School Bus...where adults lead children on a planned route -- a route the has been walked and mapped for it's safety, timed for its distance, and evaluated by our cooperating law enforcement officer. Children will meet us at designated "bus stops" and we'll all walk together towards school ... and away from:

Obesity

Related Health Problems such as Asthma and Type II Diabetes

Traffic Congestion

Emissions and Air Pollution

High gasoline costs

To learn more about Walk To School Day and how you can host your own event, visit http://www.walktoschool-usa.org/why/index.cfm.