Tax Credits for Work-site Wellness?

Photo Credit: Keuynish on Flickr.com

The US Congress is seriously considering a bill that will create tax credits or other incentives for employers who offer work-site wellness programs. The legislation allow employers to obtain tax credits for work-site wellness programs that offer periodic health screenings and counseling for obesity, physical activity, nutrition, tobacco use, and depression.

For more information, check out the following article:
Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits

This is very exciting news. For years now, many studies have been published showing that when businesses are willing to invest money to implement work-site wellness programs, they save money in the long-term. Healthy employees cost their employers less money—they miss less days of work, are more productive, and cost less in health-care fees.

Want to learn more about the economic benefits of employee wellness? Check out this recent blog post.

Or you can check out the research:
2006: Goetzel Ron Z; Ozminkowski Ronald J
What's holding you back: why should (or shouldn't) employers invest in health promotion programs for their workers?
North Carolina medical journal 2006;67(6):428-30.

THE TOOLKIT! Coming Soon...

The cover of Trailnet's Healthy, Active & Vibrant Community Toolkit

Trailnet will soon be releasing our Healthy, Active & Vibrant Community Toolkit. Two years in the making, the Toolkit is chock full of resources for community leaders and decision-makers interested in creating vibrant communities that provide the highest quality of life for all residents, from cradle to cane. The Toolkit contains case studies, mini-articles, best-practice recommendations, and much more.

The Toolkit will be available to download online and in limited print copies.
Check back soon!

Growing Power

Bike Rush Hour!

Photo Credit: BikePortland.org

Portland, Oregon is regarded as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the US, and it's not by chance. The City of Portland has committed itself to developing an environment that promotes cycling by:

• Engineering high-quality bicycle infrastructure, including bike lanes, bike boxes, a system of bicycle boulevards, greenways, special bicycle traffic signals and more.
• Education of cyclists and drivers alike regarding responsible use of shared streets.
• Encouragement of residents to go by bike.

A large part of Portland's success has been due to 1) commitment and support from City leadership, 2) a willingness to learn from other cities around the world, and 3) the City's willingness to experiment with a variety of ideas to see which work best. Recently, Portland was recognized for this great work with a Platinum-Level Bicycle Friendly Community rating by the League of American Bicyclists.

Here in St. Louis, we are making important strides to create a bicycle-friendly city. Through the work of a few key organizations, including Trailnet, St. Louis leadership has become more and more supportive of bicycle infrastructure. Most recently, in Mayor Slay's Inaugural Address on April 21, he spoke very clearly that the first business of his administration will be to re-focus the city government on, "maintaining parks; providing recreation opportunities; fixing streets, sidewalks and alleys; expanding greenways and bike paths, and marking bike lanes." We commend the Mayor for this commitment and look forward to working with him and other key City leaders to create healthy, active, and vibrant neighborhoods throughout our city. We encourage you to contact Mayor Slay to thank him for this commitment: 314-622-3201

Don't forget, here in St. Louis, May 15th is BIKE TO WORK DAY.

Back in Portland: the real evidence of success is visible every day as thousands of residents ride their bikes to and from work, to the grocery store, to their neighbors' house, and to brew pubs all around town.

The folks at Streetfilms.org put together the following video to showcase the shear volume of cyclists that commute to and from work. Enjoy:

Fixing Transit - A Little Help From Our Friends

Caption: Metro St. Louis has been forced to suspend much of their service due to lack of funding.

Transportation for America recently sent out a call-to-action urging support for emergency service preservation grants that will help keep public transportation systems running during the hard economic times. The call-to-action website features St. Louis's very own Metro, which has been forced to make major service cuts after Proposition M failed to get more than 50% of the vote this past November.

If you live in the St. Louis region, you probably don't have to go very far before you spot a sign, like the one above, announcing that the bus stop you are standing at is no longer a bus stop--now it's just a bench with a bad view, placed awkwardly close to the street. Bummer. BIG bummer if you depend on public transportation to get to work, to pick up your kids, and to go to the store. The timing couldn't be worse. The people most vulnerable to the economic downturn, the working class and the working poor, are now even more vulnerable in St. Louis and cities throughout the country where public transportation systems have shrunk.

You can help by visiting the Transportation for America website to send a letter to your elected officials in support of emergency service preservation grants. In hard economic times, we must fiercely preserve our public transit systems, for they are an important foundation of our economy.

What exactly is a livable street?

Caption: www.pedbikeimages.com/Dan Burden

Across the U.S., city departments, design professionals, and residents are looking to livable streets as one way to reinvigorate public life. The definition of a livable street no doubt varies from place to place, but central to its character is being so much more than just a place for moving cars.

Livable Street = Good for People
Livable streets are designed with a people paradigm, which is very different than the how-many-people-can-we-move-in-cars paradigm that has dominated U.S. street designs for decades. The people paradigm recognizes that streets are public spaces whose design should allow people to get from point A to B, but should also encourage the other things we love to do in public spaces like taking a stroll, people-watching, window shopping, eating a meal with friends, exercising, and playing.

The good news is that the people paradigm for street design is gaining ground. In fact, GOOD Magazine's current transportation issue proclaims that the street of the future is a livable street. (Be sure to look at their interactive graphic of a livable street.)

Momentum has been gained through efforts like the Complete Streets Campaign which seeks to get more policies in place to ensure that livable, or complete, streets are built. The first two Complete Streets policies to be approved in Missouri were in De Soto and Ferguson through partnership with Trailnet's Healthy and Active Communities Initiative.

Bring Livable Streets to your Neighborhood
Perhaps you are interested in bringing livable streets into your neighborhood. Down the line there will likely be policies that need to change at a city-level but the initiative of residents can begin to transform your streets into lively places with projects such as creating a Sunday Parkways event, opening a farmers' market, or getting musicians to play live music.

If you are specifically interested in improving pedestrian safety and the walkability of your community, the UNC Highway Safety Research Center is providing grants of $2,000 plus technical assistance to qualifying U.S. communities. The application deadline is May 29. Click here for more information.

Important Protection for Cyclists

Caption: An aggressive driver attempting to hit a cyclist

If you have ever relied on a bicycle for transportation, you have probably been harassed in some way by angry, impatient drivers. Harassment of cyclists can take the form of nasty words, thrown objects, or in the worst cases, drivers using their cars as weapons against unprotected cyclists.

A Councilwoman in Columbia, MO is pushing for a city ordinance that will protect cyclists from this type of harassment by drivers. Although Columbia police currently have some tools at their disposal to charge drivers for aggressive conduct against cyclists, the existing laws make it very unlikely that an aggressive driver would be charged, except in the worst cases. The new proposed law would create a new legal tool to hold drivers accountable for harassment that endangers cyclists.

This type of policy helps to create a local environment that affirms the rights of cyclists and protects them from the harassment that can be a major deterrent for potential riders. This is yet another important local policy that will move your city closer to becoming a Healthy, Active, & Vibrant Community. Has your city taken this step to support cyclists?

Read more about the proposed policy:
http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/2009/mar/07/hoppe-pushes-for-more-cyclist-protection/

Although it should go without saying, we should be clear that both drivers and cyclists have a responsibility to follow the rules of the road to create an environment that is safe for all.

Ferguson Passes Energy Conservation Ordinance

Caption: Children playing at the Ferguson Farmers' Market

The City of Ferguson recently passed an Energy Conservation Ordinance that will help Ferguson take important steps to become a "green" city. The story featured on KSDK includes two very active participants in the Live Well Ferguson! initiative, Councilman Dwayne James and resident Martin Pion. Live Well Ferguson! is a partnership between Trailnet and the City of Ferguson that seeks to create a model healthy, active, and vibrant community.

The ordinance includes a focus on alternative modes of travel as a key element of reducing Ferguson's environmental impact. Congrats to Ferguson on this important step! We hope other regional municipalities will follow Ferguson's lead.

Check out the video here:
http://www.ksdk.com/video/default.aspx?aid=93984

Roses Are Red

photo by "atomicshark" on Flickr

Bright-colored fruits and vegetables deliver a wealth of nutrients, according to Kim O'Donnel, blogger for the Washington Post. Below is a sampling of tasty red foods and their nutritional benefits.

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Beets - excellent source of folate, which protects against birth defects and is thought to be powerful in fighting colon cancer

Red bell peppers - three times the daily value of Vitamin C, lots of antioxidants and rich in Vitamin A and contain lycopene

Tuna - a high-quality protein with B vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids

Red quinoa – good source of protein with potassium, manganese and magnesium

Radishes - full of Vitamin C, sulphur, iron and iodine

Radicchio - lots of vitamins B6, C, E and K, plus folate and potassium

Watermelon - like red peppers, watermelon is a rare source of lycopene, plus vitamins C and A

Raspberries - good source of Vitamin C and fiber

Cherries - another sweet source of Vitamin C and fiber.

Red beans - red pinto and kidney beans contain fiber and protein

Red potatoes - high-fiber food that's a good source of Vitamin C

Red onions - rich in Vitamin C and fiber

Red wine - a daily glass of red wine is believed to help keep the cardiovascular system in shape

Red grapes- rich in Vitamin C and fiber

Pomegranate seeds - lots of Vitamin C and other antioxidants

Tomatoes - full of the antioxidants lycopene and Vitamin C

Cranberries – rich in vitamin C

For more health benefits of the foods listed below, refer to the full article in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/06/AR2009020603124.html

As the Economy Skrinks, Workplaces Shed Weight

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You would hope that employee health would always be a priority to businesses. In addition to the intrinsic value of health (health for the sake of health), healthy employees miss less days of work, are more productive, and cost their employers significantly less in health-care fees.

"It seems that only prosperous businesses can afford to have unhealthy employees."

For years now, studies have been published that show that when businesses invest in work-site wellness programs, they actually save money. Ron Goetzel, the founding Director of Cornell University's Institute for Health and Productivity Studies, is one of the most prominent researchers who has studied the economics of work-site wellness programs -- his research has found that strong work-site wellness programs (i.e., comprehensive) often have a return on investment (ROI) of greater than 3 to 1. That means that for every $1 dollar companies spend on wellness programs, they will likely save $3, for a net profit of $2.

In one recently published example, Citibank reported a savings of $8.9 million in medical expenditures from their health promotion program, which cost Citibank $1.9 million to implement, for an ROI of $4.56 for every $1 spent (Goetzel and Ozminkowski, 2006).

Now that the economy is in the can, more businesses are finally paying attention to worker health as a possible source of cost-savings. It seems that only prosperous businesses can afford to have unhealthy employees.

The St. Louis Business Journal recently published an article on this topic:
http://stlouis.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2009/02/09/focus5.html?b=1234155600%5E1774310

If you would like to find research articles on this topic, you can start by checking out Ron Goetzel's CV--scroll down to find articles he has authored or co-authored. We warn you, it's LONG. Not everything is directly related to worksite wellness, so you'll have to pick and choose. This guy has been very busy!
http://www.human.cornell.edu/che/Features/upload/Ron_Goetzel_CV_102506-2.pdf

Will the Stimulus = More Urban Sprawl?

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President Obama has promised to create jobs and support economic well-being in American communities by investing billions of dollars in our country's infrastructure. When Obama first spoke of his vision for infrastructure improvements it sounded very promising (Obama on infrastructure investment). Given his background as an advocate for "green" solutions and the fact that he hails from a city with a great multi-model transit system, lots of folks got their hopes up when he spoke about creating a 21st Century infrastructure system. The closer the stimulus package gets to becoming a reality, hopes are fading that the stimulus money will be invested in infrastructure that supports more than vehicles.

"We will create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s. We’ll invest your precious tax dollars in new and smarter ways, and we’ll set a simple rule – use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money."

-President Obama

We certainly support Obama's desire to invest in "new and smarter ways". However, "new and smarter ways" are in direct conflict with Obama's "use it or lose it" policy. As with all good things, it's going to take some time to plan the new and smarter ways...time is not something we have; the economy needs to be resuscitated as soon as possible, which immediately rules out the most innovative, or smartest, solutions as candidates for the stimulus money.

OK, so the most forward-thinking ideas are incompatible with the basic premise of the stimulus (spend quickly). Surely state, regional, and local governments are equipped with the skills, staff, and tools to build sidewalks, bike lanes, and transit stops just the same as highways, right? Right. HOWEVER, many states and regional governments have no intention to spend the stimulus money on anything BUT highways. The least Congress and the Obama team can do is specify that a set percentage of the stimulus funds must be used to develop non-vehicle projects. Yet, it seems unlikely that the federal government is willing to hold local governments accountable to this simple standard.

Here in Missouri, it is likely that the overwhelming majority of the stimulus infrastructure money will fund highways, and thus, further fuel sprawl in our urbanized areas. We want to be clear: We are not suggesting that investments to improve American highways and bridges are bad investments--highways and bridges are a critical component of a strong multi-modal system. We simply believe that a portion of the stimulus infrastructure funding should be spent on more localized infrastructure that makes cities, towns, and villages vibrant places to live, socially and economically.

Here's a great article from the New York Observer on this topic:
http://www.observer.com/2009/real-estate/infrastructure-spending-and-obama-s-vision-thing

Missouri Bicycle Federation published an analysis of MODOT's stimulus project list:
http://mobikefed.org/2008/12/analysis-of-modot-economic-stimulus.php

Here's an article about rail getting a back seat and the lack of oversight related to the stimulus dollars:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=aV2SxqQRuOFw&refer=home

Here's an article about "green jobs" competing for a piece of the stimulus money:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28375225/

Will the Stimulus Spending Include Quality Control?

We don't know about you, but we sure hope that the stimulus infrastructure spending includes a budget for professional development, continued education, and quality control.

Mass Transit is Shrinking Despite its Success

Caption: Metro will be forced to reduce public transit service despite record ridership

Despite a broad coalition of supporters, including Trailnet, Proposition M failed to get the support of over 50% of voters in the St. Louis region during the November election. As a result, Metro will be forced to dramatically cut its public transit services in the St. Louis region--nearly 2,300 bus stops will be vacated as of the end of March!

The timing couldn't be worse. The economy is a slowly sinking ship, and the ripple effects of the Wall Street collapse have reached American Main Streets, with more and more working-class Americans losing their jobs every week. Millions of working class Americans depend on public transit to get to and from work. The impending transit cutbacks together with the sinking economy are creating a dire situation for the folks who serve as the foundation of the American economy.

A recent New York Times feature on transit focused on the paradox with St. Louis public transit: ridership is up significantly, yet service is about to be dramatically chopped. Check it out here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/04/us/04transit.html?_r=3&hp

The Greater St. Louis Transit Alliance has more information about St. Louis's transit needs, the failed Proposition M, and what the future holds for transit in the region:
http://moremetrolink.com/

In the blog post below, we highlighted the importance of investing in non-motorized transportation infrastructure as part of the federal stimulus package. Such an investment would both directly and indirectly bolster the American economy, creating infrastructure that supports long-term stability of the economy. Check out the post below to learn more and for a link to Transportation for America's website, which is chock-full of great information about our country's transportation needs.

The Stimulus Package -- A Letter to Elected Officials

Caption: I don't know about you, but nothing stimulates me like a couple of eggs my way.
photo by "The Joy of the Mundane" on Flickr

Everyone is talking about the federal stimulus package because:
1. Everyone wants it to work
2. Everyone wants a piece of it
3. Everyone thinks they're a darn economist

In my own special way, I'm guilty of all three. So, I decided to write a short letter to my elected officials to express my desire to see part of the infrastructure investment in the stimulus bill be dedicated to high-quality community infrastructure that is designed around people -- specifically, non-motorized infrastructure that supports pedestrians, bikers, and mass transit.

I encourage you to do the same. Write your federal and state elected officials and urge them to invest in American communities and local economies.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits or the vision of a transportation system designed around Americans, please visit Transportation For America online:
http://t4america.org/

Dear Elected Official,

I want to urge you to work with your colleagues to dedicate a portion of the transportation funding in the stimulus package to non-motorized transportation infrastructure and public transportation.

I want to assure you that this investment will support and strengthen the American economy. The US Department of Defense estimates that approximately 30% of Americans over the age of 16 do not drive. Yet, as a country, we dedicate a disproportionate amount of our transportation dollars to create infrastructure for vehicular travel.

Difficult economic times tend to hit working class Americans the hardest, many of whom depend on non-motorized transportation to get to and from work. For decades, our country has invested the majority of our transportation dollars into infrastructure that has facilitated disinvestment from American main streets, fueled urban sprawl, contributed to environmental degradation, and led to deplorable health outcomes, most notably the obesity epidemic.

By dedicating a portion of the stimulus transportation dollars to non-motorized transportation, you will be directly creating jobs to design and build this infrastructure; you will be investing in American main streets; you will be investing in vibrant communities with strong social bonds--the fabric and strength of our country; and you will be supporting the long-term economic viability of the 30% of working-age Americans who do not have access to a car.

I urge your support for an American transportation system that is built around people, communities and stable local economies, instead of around unstable big box economies.

Sincerely,
Phil Valko

photo by "The Joy of the Mundane" on Flickr

Will the New Administration Reform the Food System?

Caption: Hopefully this isn't a sign of Obama's food policy

The US food system is fueling the obesity epidemic. As a country, we are producing unprecedented amounts of junk food that costs less and less to consumers. At the same time fresh, healthy food production is lagging, and the cost of fresh foods is skyrocketing. These trends are no mistake: they are the direct result of US Farm policies, many of which are contained in the federal Farm Bill.

In the past year, we've posted on a couple of topics related to US farm policy, including:
-Why salads cost more than Big Macs (i.e., the stark contrast between what we recommend people eat and what we encourage producers to grow through subsidies)
-The history of food prices and the Farm Bill

As the nation prepares for a new administration and a new congress while struggling with some of the tightest economic times in our lives, we're left wondering if our nation will be stuck eating junk foods for the next four years, or if the Obama team and the new congress will follow through with their promises to invest in a healthy America.

Caption: Author Michael Pollan is down with carrots

Before the November election, Michael Pollan, food guru and author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, wrote a widely-read public letter to the next President urging him to be a Farmer-in-Chief who focuses on making low-cost, healthy foods available to all Americans. It's excellent:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/12/magazine/12policy-t.html

And Grist just published an article urging the new government to invest part of the economic stimulus package to reform our food system. Check it out here:
http://grist.org/comments/food/2009/01/09/

Happy reading. And don't forget to tell us what you think--post a comment, friends.