Our friends at the Tri-State Transportation Campaign put together this good story on the air time Stamford's mayoral candidates gave to walking and biking issues in that city.
"Walking and biking received substantial floor time at the first debate between the candidates vying to become mayor of Stamford, Connecticut. The debate, held on October 10 at UConn Stamford’s Gen Re Auditorium, was sponsored by AARP Connecticut and included Republican Michael Fedele, Democrat David Martin, and unaffiliated candidates Kathleen Murphy and John Zito." Read the full post by Steven Higashide. As active transportation advocates, many of us have overlapping interests in energy and environmental issues, so we're sharing this info on Gasland with you: Food & Water Watch invites you to a free screening of Gasland Part II at Real Art Ways, this Sunday, October 20 at 2:00 pm. The film will be followed by a Q&A with public health toxicologist, Dr. David Brown.This invitation is open to the public. Real Art Ways is located next door to Bike Walk Connecticut, at 56 Arbor St #1, Hartford, CT. Food & Water Watch appreciates any and all support you can offer to direct attention to this event and the impact fracking is having on our health, environment and climate change. Contact: Jen Siskind, Food & Water Watch, Hartford-area Coordinator (860) 633-1303 | www.foodandwaterwatch.org The Madison Police Department will hold a bicycle safety awareness ride on Saturday, Oct. 26. The 10.5 mile, moderately paced, police-escorted group ride is being organized to promote bicycle rights and bicycle safety. It will begin and end at the Memorial Town Hall at the Green. Registration is at 10:30 a.m. The ride begins at 11 a.m.
The fee to ride will be a non-perishable food item; a new, unwrapped toy; or a cash donation to benefit the department's annual Holiday Food & Toy Drive. For more information, contact Officer Joe Race at 203-245-2721 or racej@madisonct.org. Results from a nationwide survey show that 79% of individuals surveyed know they should be walking more. Additionally, 94% of survey respondents know walking is good for their health. The 2013 Walking Survey also found that 73% of respondents think their children should be walking more. According to the survey, 30% of Americans said they walk more than they did five years ago, 35% are walking less and 32% are walking about the same amount. One third of those surveyed said they don’t walk for 10 minutes at a time over the course of a week. In addition, 31% of those who walk do so for less than 150 minutes per week, which is the minimal threshold for physical activity established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These are the findings from a survey conducted by GfK on behalf of Kaiser Permanente from Aug. 5 to 13, 2013. Conducted in English and Spanish among 1,224 adults nationwide, the survey sought to take the public’s pulse on walking and the walkability of neighborhoods and communities. “These survey results show that walkable environments are key to encouraging people to walk more,” said Raymond J. Baxter, Ph.D., Kaiser Permanente’s senior vice president for Community Benefit, Research and Health Policy. “The results also reveal the tremendous opportunity we have to build a broad walking movement. By doing so, we will improve the country’s overall health and also forge a deeper connection to the communities where we live, work, learn and play.” Pedestrian Safety According to the survey, the biggest neighborhood barriers to walking include a lack of sidewalks, drivers who speed and drivers who talk on their phones or text. Crime ranks eighth overall out of 15 items, as a neighborhood barrier to walking, but it ranks 5th among both African Americans and Hispanic respondents compared to 12th among white respondents. The importance of neighborhood walkability While six in 10 Americans describe their neighborhood as “walkable,” a majority of Americans do not choose their neighborhood based on its perceived walkability. However, individuals who live in more walkable neighborhoods (with places where it is convenient to walk to services, shopping, schools and jobs) do, in fact, walk more. Westport's Board of Selectmen approved a $65,000 contract earlier this month to hire the RBA Group, Inc. to conduct a town-wide traffic study. The study will begin immediately and will run through November 20, with a modeling plan ready by April 2014.
The study will take traffic counts of 25 different intersections through Westport, and will also focus on downtown and the Post Road corridor. Phase 1 of the study will focus look at pedestrian and motor vehicle data. Bike Walk CT is once again offering the League of American Bicyclist-designed Traffic Skills 101 program, a day long course to give cyclists the skills, knowledge and confidence to handle on-road cycling in traffic.
WHEN: Sunday, November 10, 9 am WHERE: Bishops Corner, West Hartford COST: Bike Walk CT members: $50; Nonmembers: $65 INSTRUCTORS: Tony Cherolis and Christopher Brown, both League Certified Instructors (LCIs) About Traffic Skills 101 TS 101 is a day long course consisting of approximately 4 hours in class and 4 hours outside, split between skills drills and an on-road ride. Among other things, you will practice starting, stopping, shifting and scanning, learn how to ride in traffic, including proper lane and intersection positioning, and crash avoidance techniques. You will practice all that you learn on a ride through the streets of Hartford. Successful completion of this course is a prerequisite for taking the League Certified Instructor course. A minimum of 10 registrants is needed for the course to be held. Class size is limited to 20, so register early! The Universal Surveillance Systems Foundation (USSF) announced the 25 semi-finalist schools competing to receive free bicycles through their Adopt-a-Bike program. New Haven's Timothy Dwight School is one of these semi-finalists. The finalist schools will be selected by the public according to quantity, humor and creativity of video and message posts and likes on USSF's Facebook page. Five to 10 schools will be selected to receive the bikes. Adopt-a-Bike donates bicycles to help students in their commute to school in order to alleviate the lack of bus transportation due to school budget cuts. Individual bike recipients will be selected by their school based on academics, attendance and good behavior. The USSF raises all program funds. To help Timothy Dwight School in their quest for bicycles, visit the USSF Facebook Page here. Winners will be announced before the holiday school break in December. If you live in Middletown and have questions for the candidates running for elected positions on November 5, you will have your chance to ask them on Monday, October 21.
The Westfield Residents Association will hold a Meet the Candidates event at the Third Congregational Church Fellowship Hall, 94 Miner Street at 7:30 p.m. If you want to find out which candidates have plans to make Middletown more bikeable and walkable, ask during this public event. Visit the Westfield Residents Association web site here to see the candidates that have confirmed for the event. Hundreds came out to Hanover Pond on Sunday, October 13 for the grand opening ceremony of the Gorge Trail on Oregon Road. Walking tours took place on Sunday that featured information on the trees along the trail and another tour on the history of Meriden and the trail. Learn more about the trail here. The Torrington Trails Network, Northwest CT YMCA and Torrington Historical Society is looking to put together a group of volunteers to help cut out a 3/4 mile hiking trail at the John Brown Birthplace. The groups are looking to do this on October 26. If you are interested in finding out more information and/or volunteering, contact the Torrington Trails Network via e-mail at: ttn@nwcty.org
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