1. Celebrating Park and Recreation Month!
2. Early Bird Registration Extended Until July 19 for the Safe Routes to School National Conference
3. Free Webinar: Celebrating Park and Recreation Month: Launching Efforts to Create Safe and Equitable Access to Parks!
4. Reps. Brownley and Espaillat Step Up For Safety
5. Two Oregon Communities Prioritize Biking and Walking
6. Inspiring Safe Routes to School Programs in Oklahoma Counties
7. Five Ways Nonprofits Can Thrive as Remote Organizations
8. Join PeopleForBikes

1. Celebrating Park and Recreation Month!

On a sunny, warm summer day, people walk outside, kids attend summer camps, and families relax and play at their local parks. During the month of July, communities across the country celebrate their park and recreation agencies through Park and Recreation Month. Living within a 10-minute walk of these spaces provides physical and mental health benefits as well as environmental benefits and provides a natural place for all community members to gather and play. Read more on our blog.

2. Early Bird Registration Extended Until July 19 for the Safe Routes to School National Conference

We are pleased to announce that early bird registration will be available through July 19, 2019. We received a number of requests to extend the early bird deadline to accommodate organization fiscal years, and are happy to be able to welcome more conference attendees at the special discounted rate.

3. Free Webinar: Celebrating Park and Recreation Month: Launching Efforts to Create Safe and Equitable Access to Parks!

Monday, July 29, 2019 from 2:00-3:00 p.m. ET

Are you interested in creating safe and equitable access to parks? Join this free webinar to learn how three different communities made improvements to bulb-outs, trail/bike paths, and streets using a variety of solutions, including artwork, paving, and pedestrian-activated beacon lights. The panelists will also share key planning and implementation steps, potential collaborations, funding and other resources, and sustainability ideas to help you lead your own Safe Routes to Parks-related efforts in your community.

SPEAKERS:

• Meghan Butts, GIS Coordinator/Planner, Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (project in Lebanon, New Hampshire)
• Suzette Morales, Transportation Planning Manager, Town of Wake Forest, NC
• Colby Takeda, Community Program Manager, Blue Zones Project Hawaii (2019 Safe Routes to Parks Activating Communities Program Recipient)

Register here.

4. Reps. Brownley and Espaillat Step Up For Safety

Two House members, Reps. Brownley of California and Espaillat of New York, have introduced H.R. 3040, the Safe and Friendly for the Environment (SAFE) Streets Act. Intended to help bring down the rising rates of bicycle and pedestrian deaths and injuries, the legislation would target federal transportation safety funds to areas with higher safety risks. Learn more in our federal blog post.

5. Two Oregon Communities Prioritize Biking and Walking

• Portland, Oregon has a reputation as being one of the best cities for biking in the country. But while investments over the past several decades have been focused on downtown and affluent close-in neighborhoods, low-income communities and communities of color in the greater Portland region have been historically marginalized and underinvested in when it comes to transportation. Recent updates to the Portland Metro area’s Regional Transportation Plan have put equity and safety at the forefront—areas where RTP policy had fallen short in the past. Read the case study.
• The city of Salem, Oregon has increasingly recognized the important role of biking and walking as a way of getting around the city. One of the high-priority projects is the Winter-Maple Neighborhood Greenway, which aims to create a safe, comfortable, and convenient corridor, provide better bike and pedestrian connections between downtown Salem and local schools, business centers, and activities, and reduce motor vehicle volumes and speeds. Here’s how the Safe Routes Partnership worked with community partners to ensure the plan adequately addressed safety. Read the case study.

6. Inspiring Safe Routes to School Programs in Oklahoma Counties

Last year, health professionals, community volunteers, and school champions gathered in Sallisaw and Seminole Counties, Oklahoma to learn about Safe Routes to School and how they could make a difference in their communities. The Safe Routes Partnership provided two full day workshops that covered everything from the basics of Safe Routes to School to essential tips for starting a strong program. A workshop participant said, “it gave tools that can be used not only for SRTS but also overall health in youth.” See our Safe Routes Learning Center workshop and training catalog to see how we can provide expertise to inspire change and grow local champions in your community.

7. Five Ways Nonprofits Can Thrive As Remote Organizations

Nonprofits are increasingly transitioning to working remotely, in part to address longer commutes and tighter budgets. How can organizations structure a remote environment to maximize employee satisfaction and engagement and better serve clients? Healthy Places by Design and the Safe Routes Partnership recently connected to compare notes.

8. Join PeopleForBikes

PeopleForBikes is working to make bike riding safer, easier and more accessible. Add your name and support better bicycling where you live!