Transcript Slide 1

Planning & Public Health
“My Oh My”
Spokane County Active Living Task Force
Melissa Wittstruck-Eadie, AICP
Planner
City of Spokane, WA
Heleen Dewey
Health Educator
Spokane Regional Health District
Near Nature, Near Perfect.
But Where is Spokane?
About Spokane
• 2008 Spokane County population
459,000 (estimate)
• City of Spokane largest jurisdiction
at 204,400
• Our health and activity level?
– 60% of County residents overweight
or obese
– Fewer than half of all adults and
children get recommended levels of
physical activity
60% of the
respondents
stated more
money should
be spent to
improve
walking and
biking
infrastructure
such as
sidewalks,
bike lanes,
and trails in
our
community.
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2006 Nonmotorized Transportation
Pilot Project Study
• Average commute is ½ mile for
walkers and 1 ½ miles for bikers
• 1% of trips by bike (2% nationally)
• 9% of trips by walking (same as
nation)
• 42% of children are driven
Nonmortorized Transportation Pilot Program Evaluation Study. University of Minnesota. 2007. Communities surveyed: Marin County, CA; Minneapolis, MN,
Sheboygan, WI, Columbia, MO, and Spokane, WA
How we got started
• 2004 -$3500 annual grant for 5-years from
DOT/DOH in cooperation with CDC
• Co-facilitated by Spokane Regional Health
District and City of Spokane
• Task Force made up of professionals,
advocates, and agency representatives.
Active Living Task Force Partners
•Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD)
•City of Spokane
•Spokane Regional Transportation Council
(SRTC)
•Spokane County
•Advocates
•Universities
•Washington State Department of
Transportation
•Department of Health
•Community Trade and Economic
Development
•Medical Community
•YMCA
2007 Active Community
Environments Assessment
Strengths:
•Excellent commute
trip reduction
program (CTR)
•Active Living group
established
•Successful with
Safe Routes to
School programs
Continuing Challenges:
•Decline in funding for bike/ped
improvements
•Perception of facilities for
bike/ped transportation
•Lack of strong policy for nonmotorized transportation
Spokane Assessment Recommendations
• Develop a bike and
pedestrian plan
• Best practiceeducate
• Review design
standards
Active Living Symposium
• Education connection public health
and planning specific to our
community
Outcomes:
• City of Spokane Plan Commission
reviews Comprehensive Plan for
healthy community policies
• Complemented City of Spokane’s
2007 Quality of Life resolution
Connecting the City
•Current policies not implemented and
needed updating
•Lacked connection between nonmotorized transportation agencies
•Generated ideas and support to
develop a stronger non-motorized
plan
•Identified priority projects and
effective policy/regulatory intervention
•More communication/collaboration
among different user groups
Outcomes of Workshop
Programmatic/Policy
• Enforce development
standards
• Bike/Ped coordinator
• Impact fees
• Bike boulevards
Physical
• Stripe SE Blvd, others
• Route across river
• Sidewalks
• Fish Lake Trail connections
• Fill gaps in existing routes
Regional Pedestrian Plan
• Three year Preventative Health Block Grant from DOH
• Incorporate active living policies into community
pedestrian planning documents
– Year 1; Countywide guidance document adopted by
Spokane Regional Transportation Council
– Year 2-3; City of Spokane planning
– Year 3; Smaller jurisdictions in the county
SmartRoutes
Rails to Trails Campaign
• Goal:
– Double funding for active transportation
• Timeframe:
– During reauthorization of federal transportation budget
projected for 2010
• Potential:
– 40 communities to receive $50 Million for projects
Engineering, education, encouragement, and planning projects selected to
increasing resident’s walking and bicycling for transportation
Ever Evolving Education –
for partners & communities!
Joint Presentation to the Board of Health: Why are active
communities important for jurisdictions?
• Negative economic impacts= Direct
costs and lost revenue for the
jurisdiction
• Positive economic impacts= Business
recruitment, in-migration, and
tourism
Remember that
$3,500?
Source
Cost
Grant from DOH
$17,500 over 5 yrs
In-Kind from SRHD and City of
Spokane
Striping a bike lane
Citywide Bike Master Plan
Update
Building Community Capacity
for Active Living
$30,000 over 5 yrs
$50,000 allocated
$50,000 and counting
PRICELESS
Outcomes
• Quiet Catalyst - Partnerships
– YMCA Pioneering Healthier Communities
– SmartRoutes 2010
– Lands Council
• Complete Streets Resolution – Board of Health
• Active Technical Transportation Committee (regional – SRTC)
• Health Impact Assessment Training
• Active Living Leadership
• Elected Officials
Insights
• Understanding each other’s goals, needs, and
strengths
• Clearinghouse
• Catalyst – ALTF could seed the project, didn’t have
to own it.
• Capacity – Education, Outreach, New Ideas
• Unintentional Succession plan
• Timing – Health, Smart Growth, Gas Prices,
Sustainability, Economics/Market Demands, Political
Climate, Grassroots
• Another face for funding requests
• Rediscover the connections between Planning and
Public Health