Thank you for allowing us to speak today about the WPC’s recently released Getting Around on Foot Action, a study and report of pedestrian priorities for improvement throughout the metropolitan region.
Say something like “We pretty much all know the reasons:” then list them quickly under equity, talk about people who cannot afford a car as well as those who cannot operate cars for reasons of age (too young or too old) or physical ability. Also mention dignity and independence for those who do not drive.
Walking to school translates to 2/3 of a student’s daily recommended exercise. Walking just two miles a day cuts the risk of death from stroke almost in half. The walkers' risk of death is especially lower from cancer. Not just obesity in adults – overweight and obese children mean a future of obesity if we don’t make changes There are many health benefits of an active lifestyle. If you walk regularly, you are saving $330 a year in health care costs (The Physician and Sportsmedicine). Even active smokers spent $369 less a year on healthcare than couch potatoes who smoked. In 2008, according to the US Bureau of Labor & Statistics, the average household spent the same, almost dollar for dollar, on health care as it did on gasoline. Speaking of money . . . Getting Around on Foot Action Plan
Focus on the red marks on this map; those are the ped crashes in Portland between 2000 and 2009.
A walkable neighborhoods gives you more economic freedom. People have more choices about what to buy when they’re not indentured to the gas pump. The average household in 2008 spent almost $3000 in gasoline, the same amount as they spent on health care. As an aside, people in the developed world spend as much or more on gasoline as people in the developing world spend on food [citation needed] Getting Around on Foot Action Plan
Thanks to our funders: the Northwest Health Foundation through their Physical Activity and Nutrition program. Also to FTA’s Jobs Access Reverse Commute program administered by TriMet and to Kittelson for helping us pay for the physical copies we have available today.
WPC’s Getting Around on Foot Action Plan was the work of about 2 years from staff and an incredible amount of time from Board members – particularly Phil Selinger - and volunteers. Our study methods included . . .
A bus stop must have sidewalks with curb cuts and nearby convenient crossings in order to be functional. Without that, . . .
Access to transportation options is crucial. The burdens and benefits of transportation must be shared equitably across communities, including geographic and cultural.
Begin by saying that the car on the right is stuck in the crosswalk. Give statistics about the severity of pedestrian crashes being directly related to the speed of motor vehicles.
Transit is an extension of the pedestrian network. Four out of five TriMet’s customers access transit on foot, and that means that improving walking access to transit is critical to increasing the quality of both the transit and pedestrian network.
: as Jeanne said: A well-connected street system with short blocks are a pedestrian's best friend because short blocks reduce out-of-direction travel and minimize walking distances . Besides connectivity, urban design also means building orientation, i.e. locating building entrances close to the sidewalk instead of behind acres of parking, as well as designing parking lot so you can reach the building without dodging cars and so you can walk between adjacent buildings without going out to the street.
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