FOUR DAYS TO DECIDE

How will you travel to the polls on Election Day: November 4, 2008? When you look back years from now to recall the day American History was changed forever, what details will you share? Will you say, "On November 4, 2008, I made a conscious effort to be part of history. I decided that I would leave my car at home. I chose to WALK to the polls"?

Or, will you say, "I BICYCLED to demonstrate that 2 mile ride is faster, easier, healthier, and cleaner than driving the same distance"?

Perhaps your work and family schedule, distance from work, and other factors make biking or walking difficult, dangerous, or impractical, so you decide to use public transportation. Call BARTA today to make sure you have access to a bus route that gets you safely from work to the polls and home again. Make how you travel part of your story.

If you must drive your own car to the polls...make sure you fill it with coworkers and friends -- and VOTE ON NOVEMBER 4th!

Support the Berks County Conservancy

In an effort to prevent the loss of another excellent trail connection, let's be sure to do our individual parts to make sure we support the work of the Berks County Conservancy.

Critical connection is people, not trails

The issue: Conservation groups are urging the county to connect recreational areas with trails.
Our opinion: Linking those areas is a great idea, as is adding more trails, but it needs to be done right.

"In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks." The quote attributed to John Muir captures why we agree with the conservation groups that want to link up Berks County recreational areas with a series of trails: The payback is incalculable.
The health benefits of walking are well-known, and the need for it grows with America’s spreading obesity problem. Walking is an excellent, inexpensive way to burn calories, requiring nothing more elaborate than the proper clothing and the right footwear. Add to these the mental-health benefits of a walk through nature: Local hikers will testify that even normally dour and reserved Berks Countians typically greet others with a smile on the trail.

..."This underscores the importance of the vision described by Berks County Conservancy President Kimberly Murphy, a network of greenways — trails — that attach recreational hubs together."

...

Upset at the loss of their land, likely inconveniences and the prospect of threats to their privacy and security, angry residents fired back at special meetings of the county commissioners and elsewhere. The ultimate broadside that left the trail proponents’ sails in tatters may have been a petition against the trail, presented to the commissioners, bearing several hundred signatures. The project soon foundered, and the county returned the grant money.

[What?!?]

To Read the Full Article: http://readingeagle.com/blog.aspx?bid=4

Pedestrian Safety Tips for Halloween

PBIC News Brief
October 29, 2008
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/ss/users/link.php?UserID=91517&Newsletter=26&List=8&LinkType=Send&LinkID=464

Pedestrian Safety Tips for Halloween

CHAPEL HILL, NC — The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center offers the following tips for safety-related and general interest stories surrounding the upcoming Halloween holiday weekend.

Guidelines for safe walking at Halloween

• Young children need a parent or other adult to go trick or treating with them. There is no magic age when children are old enough to walk alone. Parents need to judge when their children are mature enough to go without an adult.
• Choose the safest routes to walk.
• Pick places where there are sidewalks or paths separated from traffic if possible.
• Look for well-lit streets with slow traffic.
• Remind children to watch for cars turning or pulling out of driveways.
• Limit the number of street crossings. Avoid crossing busy or high-speed roads.

Review crossing safety rules with children. Tell them to:

• Even when adults are looking, always look for cars for yourself.
• Stop at the curb and look left, right and left again for traffic. Wait until no traffic is coming and begin crossing. Keep looking for traffic until you have finished crossing.
• When crossing the street at an intersection, obey traffic signs and signals and look for yourself to see if cars are coming. Look left, right and left and then behind you and in front of you for turning cars.
• Walk, don’t run across the street.
• Think visibility. Wear bright colors, use retro reflective materials. Carry flashlights. In bad weather, visibility is even more important.
• Choose homes that welcome Halloween visitors. Look for well lit driveways, walkways or paths to the front door.

Do a costume check.

• Can the children walk easily in the outfit?
• Make sure the masks or head gear allow the children to see clearly what is around them.
• Be sure they can safely negotiate steps on dimly lit walkways.

When taking a group of kids trick or treating:

• Have a good ratio of parents/adults to children. For young children, consider 1 adult for every 3 children.
• Arrange the adults so that there is an adult in the front and one in the back. This is to prevent children from getting ahead or lagging behind the group.

Plan how to cross streets:

• Avoid busy, high-speed or multi-lane roads.
• Give children exiting the street room to enter the sidewalk area.

Remember children are not miniature adults.

• They often act before thinking.
• They have one-third narrower side vision.
• They can’t judge speed.
• They are shorter than adults and can’t see over cars and bushes.
• Make sure the children understand what is expected of them.
• Have a plan for dealing with disruptive kids.

Messages for Motorists

• Drive slowly through residential streets and areas where pedestrians trick-or-treating could be expected.
• Watch for children darting out from between parked cars.
• Watch for children walking on roadways, medians, and curbs.
• Enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully.
• At twilight and later in the evening, watch for children in dark clothing.

~Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

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Berks Community Television - Your Channel To Your Community - Archives


Correction: Please note the mailing address for WalkBikeBerks is:

PO Box 6795
Wyomissing, PA 19610

WALK THE VOTE

Do you want elected officials to seriously consider walking and biking as they fund infrastructure projects -- such as the ever widening of Routes 422 and 222 and other streets in neighborhoods throughout Berks County? Then SHOW them. Walk or bicycle to the voting polls on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Watch the following BCTV programs to learn more about the 2008 candidates...then WALK THE VOTE!

Better yet? Call in during the next forum...and ask the candidates what they will do to improve Complete Streets and Safe Routes to School in Pennsylvania. If you feel "your" candidate is not informed on the issues...take a moment to tell them what you expect in the transportation process.

LWV Candidates Forums
Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2008 at 7:00pm
PA House of Representatives, 124th District
Bill Mackey (D), David Argall (R)

Previous Candidates Forums
US House of Representatives, PA 6th District
Bob Roggio (D), Jim Gerlach (R)

PA House of Representatives, 130th District
David R. Kessler (D), Richard C. Gokey (R)

PA House of Representatives, 128th District
John C. Woodward (D), Samuel E. Rohrer (R)

US House of Representatives, PA 16th District
Bruce Slater (D), Joseph R. Pitts (R)Daniel Frank (C), John A. Murphy (I)

PA Senate, District 11
Michael A. O'Pake (D), Stephen P. Fuhs (R)

PA House of Representatives, 187th District
John Ritter (D), Gary Day (R)

The General Election is Tuesday, November 4th
For more information visit VOTE411.org.

Candidates Forums are presented as a public service of BCTV and the League of Women Voters.

What would you tell the FHWA about Transportation? You have less than 60 days to be included in their official report.

Claire stood as the representing member of WalkBikeBerks at a recent FHWA review of RATS. Her thoughtful comments are provided so that you too may participate in the transportation planning process. Please do not miss your opportunity to write to Kathy Dimpsey of the FHWA and express your comments for the official record. (See the closing of Claire's notes.)
_________________________________________________________

I attended the meeting of the Federal Highway Administration last Wednesday, October 22nd, at 633 Court Street. The purpose of the meeting was to review the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the City of Reading. The first hour of the meeting was open to the general public. However, I was the only person representing the general public. Everyone else present in the first hour also stayed for the second hour, which was only open to public officials. If for no other reason, I feel it was good that at least one person spoke about the importance of including walkers and bikers in all transportation planning. I truly think that walkers and bikers are not even on the radar of many transportation planners. Although I was able to speak for several minutes about the many benefits of sidewalks and bike lanes, I did sense that a few people wanted to get of to the "real" transportation problems concerning roads. In order to make public officials aware of the financial value of including walking and biking issues as part of the transportation plan, I mentioned the 2010 proposal, which is a plan that other cities are seizing in order to take full advantage of an opportunity to apply for $50 million for improved pedestrian crossings, bike lanes, and sidewalks. To my amazement, no one seemed too interested. People at the meeting were talking about prioritizing and lack of federal funds for transportation problems, but from the enthusiasm shown about the 2010 proposal, I might as well have said $50, instead of $50 MILLION. Ann Arbor is one of the cities applying for this funding, and my son attended a meeting there last week about this very proposal. The mayor conducted the meeting, the university community provided huge support, and many people from the general public attended the meeting. Reading seems to be lacking the support, enthusiasm, and/or expertise to be included in this unbelievable, golden opportunity. I don't understand the lack of interest in $50 million. For anyone who is interested in seeing the plans of other cities who have submitted proposals for the 2010 goldmine, the following link shows the plans of about 50 cities.http://www.railstotrails.org/whatwedo/trailadvocacy/2010Campaign.html The rest of the meeting addressed Route 222 construction, bridge repairs, strobe lights in traffic signals, the R-6 railroad extension to Reading, and safety issues connected with railroad crossings.Before I left the meeting, I was given a book about Smart Transportation for Michele. One of the officials (sorry, I didn't get his name) apologized for not reading Michele's statement at the meeting, but he assured me that her statement would be included in the official notes.If anyone wants more information about the meeting, he or she can contact Kathy Dimpsey at Kathy.Dimpsey@dot.gov. Kathy is a Transportation Planning Engineer for the U.S. Department of Transportation; Pennsylvania Division. Kathy said that the public has 60 days to submit comments regarding Reading's transportation plans, and these comments will also be included in the official report.

Exeter Township will Pursue Grant Money for Walking and Biking

10/21/2008
Last Update: 10/21/2008 4:05:00 PM
Exeter Township to pursue grant money for recreation
Several Exeter Township supervisors expressed interest Monday in pursuing grant money to make the township more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists.Background: A new Pennsylvania Department of Transportation initiative will give out $60 million to promote "smart" transportation, said Michele Barrett, president of WalkBikeBerks, a nonprofit group pushing to make Berks County more inviting to bicyclists and pedestrians.Each project can get up to $5 million, including $300,000 for planning, she said at a workshop for the township supervisors and planning commission members.Exeter could add trails to an upcoming revision of the township's park and recreation plan and can add the information into the next subdivision and land development ordinance, zoning officer Cheryl Franckowiak said.

To Read the Full Article: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=110654