Happy Thanksgiving from Trailnet!

Thanksgiving dinner courtesy of the bicycle-powered rotisserie.

Happy Thanksgiving from Trailnet! Eat well, soak up some quality family time, and take advantage of the days off to be active. We'll catch you on the flip-side, well-rested and re-energized from the great food and long walks, runs, and/or bike rides.

Good News for Bike/Ped Funding

Caption: The street shown above include bike lanes, sidewalk, and pedestrian curb cuts, all of which are supported by the government's proposed policy statement

The Obama administration just took another step to support funding for pedestrian and bicycle accommodations that support public transportation. If you haven’t heard the news, this could make significantly more funding available for non-motorized infrastructure projects in the next few years. Since good news is meant to be shared, please pass this onwards. See below for info sent out by the National Complete Streets Coalition:

The Obama Administration isn't letting the delay in transportation reauthorization prevent them from doing more to encourage walking, biking, and taking public transportation. The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) just issued a "Proposed Policy Statement on the Eligibility of Pedestrian and Bicycle Improvements under Federal Transit Law." The statement makes the case for investing in bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure around transit stops and stations in order to increase ridership and improve livability. Importantly, it clarifies the use of transit funds for these types of projects: the new policy would make all pedestrian improvements with 1/2 mile and all bicycle improvements within 3 miles of a stop or station eligible for funds from several transit programs. In explaining support for these types of projects, FTA quoted Secretary LaHood's summer testimony that mentioned complete streets.

Federal Highway Administration has also posted program guidance on their website to clarify that Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Program funds can be used for bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs. The League of American Bicyclists discusses how CMAQ funds can be used for bicycle and pedestrian projects in your community in a timely new report.

It's time to BAN texting-while-driving

Caption: Screeeeeetch! Boom!

You have probably heard many stories about the dangers of texting-while-driving. Perhaps you have even seen the gruesome videos that show mangled cars and worse. As an organization that promotes walking and biking, we at Trailnet are acutely aware of the dangers of this new American past-time because our constituents do not travel in reinforced steel boxes. Instead, our constituents travel au naturale, on foot, on bike, and in wheelchairs.

A recent AP article tells of a New Jersey cyclist that was struck by a driver who was too busy texting about a drug deal to notice the cyclist's bright reflective vest. Read it for yourself:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091118/ap_on_re_us/us_texting_crash_drug_charges

Also, Transportation for American recently released the report Dangerous By Design that chronicles the thousands of annual pedestrian deaths caused by poorly designed roadways. This is yet another reason why every city, metro area, and state needs to adopt a Complete Streets policy. Check out the report below:
http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/

Poorly designed streets + drivers not paying attention = a caustic environment for the ~30% of American adults who don't drive...not to mention the 100% of children who don't drive

If you agree that it's time to make texting-while-driving illegal, we encourage you to contact your local and state elected officials with your concerns.

Yours in solidarity for common sense,
-Trailnet

Livable Streets Network

Caption: The Livable Streets Initiative Website

The Livable Streets Initiative is an incredible resource for anyone and everyone interested in transforming their community. The initiative website includes a library of films that are profoundly educational and inspiring, a series of blogs from major American cities, and a community forum.

As you'll see, the Livable Streets Initiative is a living dialogue about how to create better communities for people, health, and the environment. It is a great place to learn, to explore, and to connect with people, projects, and ideas around the world.

Check it all out at:
http://www.livablestreets.com/

To wet your appetite, check out the following video below: