[Missouri-l] [leadership] FW: [CDR-X] Making Our Streets Safe, Literally

Tue Jun 9 18:50:53 CDT 2009

 ---- Original Message ------
From: "Mitch Pomerantz" <mitch.pomerantz at earthlink.net
Subject: [leadership] FW: [CDR-X] Making Our Streets Safe, 
Literally
Date sent: Tue, 9 Jun 2009 15:23:58 -0700

Colleagues:

It appears that ACB and AARP are marching down the same road, so 
to speak.

Mitch

  _____

From: CDR-MembersXchange at yahoogroups.com
[mailto:CDR-MembersXchange at yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of 
Barnonhill at aol.com
Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 4:45 PM
To: maggie_omara at dot.ca.gov; CDR-MembersXchange at yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CDR-X] Making Our Streets Safe, Literally

Folks this is from AARP at  aarpwebact at action.
<mailto:aarpwebact at action.aarp.org> aarp.org
here is the full text from their website:
<http://web17.streamhoster.com/ddc/AARP/Advocate/images/title.gif
> The Scoop

 <http://aarp.convio.net/site/R?i=DzUyNs8yJa31lDgMnaPqYw..
http://aarp.convio.net/site/R?i=DzUyNs8yJa31lDgMnaPqYw..

Making Our Streets Safe, Literally

In 10 years between 1993 and 2003, nearly 52,000 pedestrians and 
7,500
bicyclists were killed in road accidents.  Whether it's due to 
mobility
issues, unsafe bus stop locations or crosswalks that are too 
long, 47% of
adults 50+ do not feel safe crossing main roads near their home, 
according
to a recent AARP poll.

It's no wonder that Congress is considering "Complete Streets" 
legislation
that would strive to plan streets with pedestrians in mind, a 
move that
could reduce their risk by as much as 28%.

AARP's One-Minute Guide to the Complete Streets Act

 Government Watch map
<http://www.aarp.org/publish/etc/medialib/aarp_media_library/gove
rnment__pol
itics/federal_government/222px_article.Par.7968.Image.0.0.1.jpg

Unfortunately, among the people most hurt by inadequate roads and
transportation choices are older Americans.  For so many older 
Americans,
their mobility is undermined by crosswalks that are too long, 
communities
without sidewalks, and bus stops that are too dangerous to get to 
on foot.
A recent AARP poll found 47% of Americans over age 50 said they 
could not
cross main roads near their home safely.  Almost 40% said their
neighborhoods do not have adequate sidewalks, while another 55% 
reported no
bike lanes or paths, and 48% reported no comfortable place to 
wait for the
bus.  In 2005, older Americans made up 20% of all pedestrian 
fatalities.

Lack of access to safe streets, roads and public transportation 
undermines
the health and well-being of older Americans.  More than 50% of 
older
Americans who do not drive stay home on a given day, in part 
because they
lack transportation options.  Non-driving seniors make 65 percent 
fewer
trips to visit family, friends or go to places of worship.  And, 
many report
they don't ask for rides for fear of being a burden to family and 
friends.
With the number of Americans age 65 and over expected to rise to 
20 percent
of the nation's total population, America needs safe and 
accessible
transportation choices.

The health and well-being ofour nation's children also suffers at 
the hands
of poor transportation infrastructure.  As recently as 30 years 
ago, up to
70 percent of children were walking or riding bikes to school.  
Currently,
the number has dropped to only 10 percent.  Parents report that 
traffic
safety is the main reason they do not permit their children to 
walk or bike
to school.  Lack of physical activity among children has caused a 
major
spike in cases of diabetes, childhood obesity and other 
preventative
diseases.
For the heath and well-being of all - and particularly for 
children, people
with disabilities and older Americans -- we urge federal 
legislation that
will keep motorists, transit vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians 
safe.

Legislative Summary:

The Complete Streets Act, sponsored by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) 
in the
Senate, and by Representative Doris Matsui (D-CA) in the House of
Representatives, ensures that future transportation investments 
made by
State Departments of Transportation and Metropolitan Planning 
Organizations
(MPOs) promotes the design of streets that are safe for all of 
those using
the street - including motorists, bus riders, pedestrians and 
cyclists of
all ages and abilities.

The legislation requires State Departments of Transportation and 
MPOs to
adopt "complete streets" policies for federally-funded projects 
within two
years.  These "complete streets" policies must ensure that the 
needs of all
users of the transportation system are taken into account during 
the design,
planning, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, 
maintenance, and
operations stages of transportation project implementation.

The legislation also gives state, regional and local 
jurisdictions
flexibility to exempt projects from having to comply with these 
"complete
streets" policies.  Projects may be exempted from complete 
streets
principles if users are prohibited by law from using a given 
right-of- way
(such as freeways), if the cost of implementing complete streets 
principles
would be prohibitive, or if the existing and planned population 
and
employment densities around a given roadway is low enough that 
there is a
clear lack of need for "complete streets."

AARP Position:

AARP supports the Complete Streets Act.  This legislation will 
give mid-life
and older Americans many more options - in addition to driving 
themselves --
to travel safely to their destinations.  A recent AARP poll found 
that more
than half (54%) of older adults who reported an inhospitable 
walking,
bicycling and transit environment outside their homes said they 
would walk,
bicycle, and take public transit more if their streets were 
improved.  A
majority of older people support "complete street" policies.

Legislative Timeline:

AARP's goal is for the Complete Streets Act to be included in the
reauthorization of the surface transportation law which expires 
on September
30, 2009.

To learn more about how Complete Streets can make roads safer for 
older
adults, see the AARP Public Policy Institute report, "Planning 
Complete
Streets for an Aging America" at
<http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/transportation/200
9_02_street
s.html
http://www.aarp.org/research/housing-mobility/transportation/2009
_02_streets
.html.

you can find out more at their website:
<http://www.aarp.org/makeadifference/advocacy/GovernmentWatch/Str
ongCommunit
ies/articles/aarp_one_minute_guide_complete_streets_act.html
http://www.aarp.org/makeadifference/advocacy/GovernmentWatch/Stro
ngCommuniti
es/articles/aarp_one_minute_guide_complete_streets_act.html
****************
Susan Chandler
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Treasurer, CDR
805 528-4695
cell (805) 441-0655
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1193 17th St
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CALIFORNIANS FOR DISABILITY RIGHTS, INC.
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Disability Through
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Change in Public Policy

We need to continue the fight for SB 840--"affordable, accessible 
health
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For those who live in the San Luis Obispo area: Have you gone to 
the Access
for All website? It is a great place to get info about local 
disability
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<http://www.sloaccessforall.org/> www.sloaccessforall.org

Alone we are weak, Together we are strong!  Nothing About US 
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PLEASE JOIN CDR, there is also a local SLO chapter,  info is at:
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