2006 WalkSanDiego Golden Footprints Awards
On November 15, 2006, WalkSanDiego presented its fourth annual Golden Footprints Awards at the San Diego Downtown Information Center. These awards honor individuals, projects and organizations who are leading the way to a more walkable region. Presenting the awards for WalkSanDiego was Andy Pendoley, President of WalkSanDiego. Awards were presented in four categories: Government Agency, Project or Program, Non-Profit Organization, and Individual.
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Technology
and Pedestrians Form a Bond
Got some time to walk, but not sure where to go? A European
company can help you out with its new "Amble Time"
pedestrian system being developed.
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/
2986655.stm
Today in Rotten History (first
traffic fatality)
London, Aug 17, 1896
Bridget Driscoll, a 44-year-old mother of two, becomes the world's
first automobile fatality when she steps in front of a car outside
the Crystal Palace in London. At the coroner's inquest, Arthur
Edsall states he had been driving at only 4 mph. The motorist
also claims that when he saw the pedestrian, he rang his bell
and shouted "Stand back!" For whatever reason, the
coroner accepts Edsall's preposterous story." The jury
returned a verdict of "accidental death" after an
inquest lasting some six hours. The coroner said: "This
must never happen again." No prosecution.
Warning: vehicles will make you
fat
Ellen Goodman | The Boston Globe | February 7, 2004
>> http://www.postwritersgroup.com/
archives/good0205.htm
Streets perilous for walkers
Mean Streets report shows pedestrians more endangered; safety
spending lags
A report by the nationally-based Surface Transportation Policy
Project, released in December 2004, shows that walking is 15
times more dangerous than riding in a car or airplane, and 27
times more dangerous than riding public transit. The report
reveals that, in the last 10 years, pedestrian injuries and
fatalities in the San Diego region have increased 9.2% relative
to the number of walkers. At the same time, the San Diego region
spends just 33 cents per capita per year on pedestrian and bicycle
safety, less than half the national average of 82 cents.
>> more
WalkSanDiego Bestows "Golden
Footprints Awards"
On Thursday evening, February 24, 2005, WalkSanDiego, the region's
pedestrian safety watchdog group, presented its Third Annual
Golden Footprints Award winners. The winners were celebrated
at WalkSanDiego's annual Golden Footprints Awards Night, a gathering
of the groups members and others working on pedestrian safety,
traffic calming, and other initiatives to make the region's
communities more walking-friendly.
>> more
Even Autoholics Can Help Themselves:
a 12-step Help Program
Ready to take a stand against excessive automobile use?
>> http://www.carbusters.org
Obesity: Is personal responsibility
the answer?
>> more
New Study Finds Links between
Community Design and Weight, Physical Activity and High Blood
Pressure
>> more
"Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy;
The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating" by
Walter C. Willett, M.D.
Book Review by Marcia Banks
I LOVE this book!
>> more
The Rebirth of Green America
By Richard Louv
The city of Davis now requires new developments to be connected
to a greenway/bikeway system that extends through the city.
"An important objective is that elementary school children
be able to travel by bike from their homes to schools and parks
without having to cross major roads."
>> more
Look who's walking
45 percent of those that work in downtown Toronto, Canada walk
to work, 32 percent use public transit and only 23 percent using
their car. But, it's not a walk in the park if you are a pedestrian
in Toronto.
>> more
Pedestrian danger rises in county
- Area is 28th among 50 biggest in U.S.
San Diego County ranked 28th in pedestrian danger on the study's
list of the 50 largest metropolitan areas.
>> more
San Diego: Could it be America's
most walkable city?
In late July, the superintendent of Murrieta Valley Unified
School District in sprawling Riverside County issued a press
release recommending that students attending Vista Murrieta
High School avoid walking to school.
>> more
National Trails Day: June 5,
2004
On June 5, 2004, trail enthusiasts from all over San Diego County
will join together to celebrate National Trails Day (NTD). National
Trails Day brings awareness to trails, along with their many
pleasures and health benefits.
>> more
National Survey Results: Must
Integrate Community Planning and Public Health
>> more
Walking the talk from New York
to San Diego
San Diego Union Tribune columnist, Richard Louv, tells
about "Walking the talk from New York to San Diego."
>> more
Walk/Bike California 2003
California Walks (of which WalkSanDiego is a member) and the
California Bicycle Coalition are accepting registrations for
Walk/Bike California 2003, a how-to conference for engineers,
planners, elected officials, advocates, and citizens. The conference
will be held in Oakland on October 15-18, 2003.
>> Get more information at www.walkbikecalifornia.net.
Death By Sprawl
On a statistical basis, what’s most likely to get you killed
in the next year?
>> more...
San Diego Ranks 2nd to New York
in Pedestrian Danger
A new report finds San Diego ranks second to New York in percent
of traffic fatalities that are pedestrians.
>> Read about it here...
National Poll Shows Americans
Eager to Walk More and Support Spending on a Better Walking
Environment
A new national survey released today on attitudes toward walking
finds that Americans want to walk more places more often, and
are willing to invest in making it possible. The poll was conducted
by the Washington, DC-based Surface Transportation Policy Project.
>> To read more, click
here
>> For a full report of the study, click
here
>> For a STPP "Walking in California" fact sheet, click
here.
Oakland Unveils Pedestrian Master
Plan
Oaklands new Pedestrian Master Plan (August 2002) represents
an important step towards inclusion of pedestrians in the urban
transportation planning process here in California. At www.walkinginfo.org,
under Exemplary Pedestrian Plans.
>> For the full WSD article, click
here.
Seattle: Sidewalk Deficiencies
are Manageable
Where a city council should be investing in sidewalks is a topic
discussed in a fascinating report published last year by the
Federal Highway Administration. The report is titled, An
Analysis of Factors Contributing to "Walking Along Roadway"
Crashes: Research Study and Guidelines for Sidewalks and Walkways.
>> Full text (50-page PDF) at: http://www.walkinginfo.org/pdf/r&d/SidewalkReport.pdf
Sidewalks, etc.
Sidewalks are the topic of a couple of recent newspaper articles,
one in the Washington Post ("Activists Pave Way for Foot
Traffic", December 14, 2002) and another in the New York
Times ("Whose Sidewalk Is It, Anyway", January 5, 2003).
>> For WSD's insights
and analysis, click here.
WalkSan Diego Holiday
2002 Fundraiser a Smash!
>> Click here for
the story and photos...
WalkSanDiego's Accomplishments
in 2001 and Goals for 2002
are highlighted in our 2001 Annual Report.
>> Click here to view/download...
Lennar Joins WalkSanDiego
Lennar Communities, a major developer both locally and nationally,
has joined WalkSanDiego as a corporate member, at the
$500 level.
Thanks go to Vice-President Mark Rohrlick, the company's champion
for walkable community design, and the passionate promoter of
the 600-home Bressi Ranch development recently approved in Carlsbad.
WalkSanDiego supported Bressi Ranch as the most deliberately
pedestrian-friendly community development approved in North
County in two generations.
WalkSanDiego Chair Jamie Moody commented,"Mark Rohrlick
knows as much about pedestrian-oriented design as any planner
we've encountered. We are delighted to welcome Lennar Communities
as a member."
The Bressi Ranch design was created by the New Urbanist firm,
Peter Calthorpe Associates, of San Francisco. Information on
Bressi Ranch is available at www.bressiranch.com.
Mobility 2030 Hearing: WalkSanDiego
Testifies
City Council Considers Villages: WalkSanDiego
testified September 23 at the City of San Diegos City
Council hearing on the City of Villages growth strategy. The
strategy is an amendment to the citys General Plan, which
guides future growth.
>> Click here for the
story and photos...
>> Click here to
read the testimony of WalkSanDiegos Andy Hamilton...
San Diego to Phase In Brighter
Street Lights
WalkSanDiego Testifies On Behalf of Pedestrians
February 27, 2002
The San Diego City Council voted 6-3 to replace orange-tinted
street lights installed 20 years ago...with brighter lights
that allow partially sighted pedestrians to see better.
>> Click here for the full
story...
Pacific Beach Traffic Islands:
A Missed Opportunity
After hearing WalkSanDiegos Dave Schumacher and
Andy Hamilton on KPBS radio in January 2001, a Pacific Beach
resident asked us to attend a community meeting the next evening
to discuss troublesome Beryl Street. Residents have long complained
of speeding commuters using this straight, wide residential
street as a shortcut route.
>> Click here for the full story...
Angst Over 50-Year Old Jacarandas
On May 1st, three mature jacaranda trees on Ash Street were
cut down without the required permits, causing an uproar among
city officials, tree enthusiasts and pedestrian advocates.
>> Click here for the
full story...
Help Move Along Bike and Pedestrian
Legislation
Senate Bill 1555, intended to promote safer conditions for pedestrians
and bicyclists and to encourage more Californians to participate
in walking and cycling, is making its way through the legislature.
>> Click here to read more...
>> Click here to send an e-mail to Senator Dede Alpert in support
of the bill. |