Transportation Choices Coalition: Transportation Choices...on Walking

While almost anyone can walk a short distance, many do not because their streets lack sufficient and safe sidewalks and crossings.

In the Central Puget Sound Region, 16% of car trips are two miles or less. By improving pedestrian safety and comfort through maintenance and construction of sidewalks, better pedestrian connections and safe street crossings, more of these trips could be made on foot. At the same time, we could improve our health, make neighborhoods quieter, and let those who can not drive live more independently.

About Transportation Choices Coalition's Active Transportation Program...
Currently, 5-15% of Washingtonians use active modes of transportation like biking or walking to to get to work, to school, and to places in their neighborhoods. But only about 1% of state transportation funding is budgeted for biking and walking related projects. We'd like to right this balance. In 2004 Transportation Choices Coalition convened the Active Transportation Working Group to ask Washington State Legislators to help solve this funding inequity for Active Transportation projects.

Our Active Transportation program isn't just about funding inequities. It's also about solving what's become a health crisis in Washington. Nearly half of Washington adults are not getting enough physical activity, and even worse, an estimated 10% of our population is defined as inactive, getting less than 10 minutes of moderate physical activity in a week.

Cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, colon cancer and other diseases associated with obesity could be reduced by almost one third if the most inactive people were to become more active. And if just 5% of Washington workers were more physically active, it would result in a $395 million savings in medical costs, workers compenstation, and lost productivity every year.

In the 2005 Legislature the Active Transportation Working Group gained a big win: securing $58 million for Safe Routes to School and Transit and bike and pedestrian grants. We also helped pass legislation that requires city and county growth management plans to include bike and pedestrian elements.

Stay tuned! The Active Transportation program recently received additional grant funding and we'll continue to convene the Working Group and build on these wins. We'll also lobby effectively to save state funds for these Active Transportation projects and for other important bus and vanpool improvments from a fund-slashing initiative to the 2006 Legislature already launched by public transportation biggest enemy, Tim Eyman. Get involved by becoming a member and joining our Action Alerts network!

(The Active Transportation Working Group includes The Active Living Network, Bicycle Alliance of Washington, Cascade Bicycle Club, Feet First, King County, Public Health of Seattle & King County, Puget Sound Regional Council, Washington Coalition for Promotion of Physical Activity, Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Washington State Department of Health, Washington State Department of Transportation.)