It's the Giving Season!
Will You Support Walking and Biking?
As a nonprofit organization, and Idaho's only statewide advocacy group promoting safety on our roadways for all non-motorized users, we rely on support from PEOPLE LIKE YOU!
Walking and biking aren't merely about transportation or exercise. Walking and biking are about building a safe, healthy community. They are about feeling safe enough to step out your front door and walk to dinner. They are about walking your child to school on nice sidewalks separated from cars. Or riding a bicycle with your spouse and children after dinner on a warm summer evening. Walking and biking are about locating a business where young, smart people want to work without having to own a car, yet remain mobile. These simple things become what connects us to one another, build our towns, and make us feel more connected to our neighbors.
Please consider making a year-end tax-deductible gift. Your generosity helps improve safety for everyone who walks or bikes throughout the state by choice or necessity. Together, we can make a difference!
Thank you for your support as we walk, and ride, on into 2017.
|
|
A Transportation Alternatives Program Success Story: Moscow Middle School
Guest Post by Nora Locken, Idaho Walk Bike Alliance Board Vice President and Moscow Resident
A few years ago, Moscow Safe Routes to School (SR2S) was hearing serious concerns about the safety of those walking and biking near Moscow Middle School. The middle school serves as a bus transfer location and is located directly across ‘D’ Street from both the City of Moscow Eggan Youth Center and a soccer field complex. There were several points of conflict on ‘D’ Street and in school parking lots.
Moscow SR2S staff connected Principal Kevin Hill with Dr. Mike Lowry and three of his civil engineering graduate students at University of Idaho. Creative solutions proposed by the engineering students excited Principal Hill since they addressed student safety, created a more streamlined bus and student drop-off area, while also preserving the number of parking spots available. This was a win-win solution. The City of Moscow was awarded Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) funds and teamed with the Moscow School District to improve safety around Moscow Middle School.
Thanks to combined funding from TAP and other sources, construction was completed in summer 2016 that included: two enhanced crosswalks, a new mixed use pathway, adding a concrete median on ‘D’ Street and parking lot realignment. Now students, and others, can more safely walk and bike to school or nearby activities. This is a wonderful story of collaboration for the benefit of all users!
 |
|
Light Up the Dark!
Use Lights and Reflective Gear to Be Seen While Walking and Cycling
screen shot from "Bike Lights & Reflective Jackets - Do They Work?"
Can you see the biker in black in the photo above? Neither can we!
screen shot from "Bike Lights & Reflective Jackets - Do They Work?"
He starts to become visible at about 65 feet away.
Now that the days are getting shorter, chances are you are walking and/or cycling in the dark or in very low light conditions. In fact, the home commute the Monday after daylight savings ends is the most lethal day/time of the year for pedestrians, and likely for cyclists too.
Make sure others using active transportation on paths (such as the Greenbelt in Boise, the Latah Trail around Moscow, the Sandcreek Byway in Sandpoint and the Portneuf Greenway in Pocatello) and cars on streets can see you.
Check out this great video demonstrating how lights and reflective gear show up in different lighting conditions. The video is geared towards bicycling but walkers can pick up some pointers too!
|
|
Ceci Thunes Joins Idaho Walk Bike Alliance Team
Ceci lives in Boise, in a quiet neighborhood close to downtown, where she and her boxer mix, Peanut, enjoy the foothills and friendly dog parks. Ceci moved to Boise in 1987, and for most of her adult life has worked in and around downtown Boise, walking or biking much of the time. She’s had the benefit of watching the city evolve through stages of development and recession, and learned how smart growth requires progressive thinking and incorporates all modes of transportation.
Ceci has worked with several local companies in management capacities, including Asiago’s and The Modern Hotel & Bar. Most recently she served as the legislative intern with Gallatin Public Affairs. As the Safe Routes to School Campaign Coordinator Ceci will work closely with Idaho Walk Bike Alliance’s partners to move active transportation and healthy living policy priorities forward in Idaho. She has a BA in Economics and a minor in Political Science from Boise State University.
|
|
|
You Can Shop AND Do Good While You Make Your Holiday Purchases!
With Fred Meyer Community Rewards
and AmazonSmile
Did you know you can support active transportation while you shop? It’s something you have to do anyway, so make every pantry staple, splurge or special occasion purchase count.
Fred Meyer
Community Rewards
Link your Fred Meyer rewards card to Idaho Walk Bike Alliance (#91348), scan it every time you pay, and we'll receive donations from their Community Rewards program, at no extra cost to you. It's easy to do, so sign up to link your card today!
- Visit Fred Meyer and sign in or register for an account at top right.
- Scroll down and click Link your Rewards Card Now.
- Enter Idaho Walk Bike Alliance or 91348.
- Select the bubble next to our name and click the Enroll tab.
- Start shopping to benefit the walking and biking movement!
NOTE: If you did not re-link your Fred Meyers Rewards card with the nonprofit of your choice after Fred Meyer's June 2016 customer re-enrollment period you were dropped from the system on July 1. You can check the bottom of your Fred Meyer receipts to see if your purchases are supporting the Idaho Walk Bike Alliance:
AmazonSmile
Shop online at AmazonSmile, choose Idaho Walk Bike Alliance as your charity of choice, and 0.5% of each qualified purchase will be donated to us, with no extra fees for you. Sign up now!
- Visit AmazonSmile and sign in with your existing Amazon.com account info or create an account.
- Scroll down to pick your own charitable organization instead of choosing one of Amazon's spotlight charities.
- Enter Idaho Walk Bike Alliance in the search box and hit the Search button.
- Click on the Select button next to our name.
- Check that you understand you always need to shop via smile.amazon.com to support Idaho Walk Bike Alliance.
- Start ordering online to support active transportation!
|
|
Idaho Walk Bike Alliance Staff Step Up for the
Idaho STEP Challenge
To encourage others to be active and healthy, Congressman Mike Simpson is attempting to walk over 2,900 miles; the 'journey' began June 1. This is the equivalent of walking from the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. to the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise.
Idaho Walk Bike Alliance staff have joined the #HikewithMike and are walking at noon on Thursdays. Meet us at the center of Capitol Park for a stroll around downtown. Follow Rep. Simpson's progress, sign up for updates and STEP UP to join the challenge too. If you are hosting #HikewithMike walks in your communities let us know so we can encourage others to join you!
|
|
Two Free Technical Assistance Programs Available for Your Community!
Application Deadlines are December 9
Do you want to make your community more prosperous and livable? Then take advantage of these two free technical assistance programs offered by Community Builders for communities in Idaho. The New Mobility West initiative helps address issues related to transportation and the Community Builders assistance addresses those related to community planning and economic development. Applications for both programs can be found here. Cascade used the assistance to develop an action plan for safer biking and walking. Learn more about what they did in this case study and video. We are happy to answer your questions!
|
|
Become a Walk Friendly Community
Application Deadline is December 15
Join Sandpoint (Silver Level) and Coeur d'Alene (Honorable Mention) in becoming a Walk Friendly Community. Wouldn't it be great if there were more Idaho communities on the list?
The fall round opened November 1 and closes on December 15. There is no fee to apply but it takes approximately 20-60 hours for communities to complete an application. Find FAQs here.
Beyond the pride communities feel when receiving this designation, it helps them build alliances to make their towns and cities more walkable. How? The process compels the Mayor to talk to the Planning Department to talk to the Public Works Department to talk to local advocates, and so on and so on.
|
|
National Walking Summit Call for Proposals
Application Deadline is December 15
|
|
|
|
|
|
