May 18, 2006
Workshops Aim to Boost Walking, Biking in Communities
The public is invited to attend two workshops in Helena aimed at making neighborhoods safer and more pleasant for walking and bicycling.
Both workshops will be facilitated by Mark Fenton, a nationally renowned “walkability” expert. He is a certified instructor and course developer of the Safe Routes to School National Course and the former host of the PBS program America’s Walking. He is also the author of The Complete Guide to Walking for Health, Weight Loss, and Fitness.
The workshops will be held June 1-2 at the Red Lion Colonial Inn in Helena. Both events are free, but participants are asked to register by May 25. To register or for more information, contact Cathy Costakis, Montana Nutrition and Physical Activity Program, at 994-5734 or costakis@montana.edu.
The first workshop, on walkable communities, will take place Thursday, June 1, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Participants will analyze real-world barriers to walkability and identify hands-on solutions. Fenton will share ideas that have worked well in other parts of the country.
An evening session, from 7 to 8 p.m., is co-sponsored by the City of Helena and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana. This session is geared toward a broader audience and will feature an entertaining presentation by Fenton that explores the relationship between a significant public health concern—the rise of sedentary lifestyles and associated health effects—and the need for more walkable, livable communities. He will discuss how to start a walking program, what shoes to wear, and how to use a pedometer, as well as how to advocate for more walkable and bikable environments. Helena city officials will also discuss the newly adopted non-motorized transportation plan, a component of the Helena Urban Transportation Plan.
The second workshop, on Friday, June 2, is sponsored by the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT). It will focus on the development of safe walking and bicycling routes to and from schools. It will begin at 7:50 a.m. with a walk to Smith Elementary School and reconvene at the Red Lion Colonial Inn for a presentation by Jim Lynch, director of MDT, on the new Montana Safe Routes to School program.
In this workshop, participants will learn how to use “the 4 Es”—engineering, enforcement, education, and encouragement—to create the most effective action plans to take advantage of MDT Safe Routes to School funding.
Both workshops are co-sponsored by the Nutrition and Physical Activity Program of the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and funded by a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Page last updated: 06/13/2006
