According to a blog post from Streetsblog USA, Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ) has introduced a federal bill to increase funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. The bill, called the New Opportunities for Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure Financing Act — NOBPIFA, would reserve 1% of a $1 billion transportation fund to be used specifically for biking and walking projects. It would also ensure that 25% of funding be directed toward low-income neighborhoods. According to Sires, a report produced by the Sierra Club and the League of American Bicyclists shows that Latinos and African Americans are more likely than their white counterparts to be killed on bikes. The report finds that Latinos are 23% more likely to be killed on a bike than whites and African Americans are 30% ...
Residents of Dove Springs, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in Austin, Texas, are doing something to improve the safety and appearance of their neighborhood parks According to the Dove Springs Manantial de Salud blog, pastors and congregation members of Iglesia Bautista Great Commission en Dove Springs adopted Franklin Neighborhood Park in March of 2013, in efforts to improve neighborhood safety and to provide children with a place to play. The work did not end here however. Other local residents did their part by organizing groups of volunteers to improve the conditions of five other parks, including: Dove Springs District Park, Kendra Page Neighborhood Park, Houston Park, Onion Creek Park, and Ponciana Neighborhood Park. Community members met with local law ...
Sometimes getting public places to make healthy changes is simple: just ask! The Tweens Nutrition and Fitness Coalition (TNFC) is a group of over 30 community members working together to create healthy food and physical activity environments for Lexington, KY kids ages 9-13. A coalition member was visiting a Kentucky State Park and filled out a comment card requesting that they put more healthy options on the resort dining menus. Already working in healthy food guidelines, TNFC developed Better Bites, nutritional guidelines meant to be implemented wherever kids are: recreation centers, schools, camps, and more. The comment card was taken seriously, and changes began to happen. A request that took seconds to write ended in all 17 Kentucky State Parks ...
A new 44,000 square ft. aquatic center with two-pools is scheduled to open in Rockaway, Queens, February 14, 2014. The facility, which will be operated by the YMCA, will bring over 100 new jobs to the area and provide a much needed pool. According to YMCA president and CEO Jack Lund, the incidence of drowning is higher in shore communities like Rockaway. So a place to teach locals how to swim is important. Out of the 24 YMCAs in the area, this one will have the largest aquatic center. According to this news report, community members will receive a free one-year family membership and those who cannot afford membership will not be turned away. Read the full article ...
In Brownsville, children ages 6-12 who do not own bikes can now borrow one thanks to the Bikes for Tikes Program! The organization received a grant to purchase 40 bikes to be lent out every third Saturday of the month. Saturday morning parents register their children and from 9-11am kids are free to ride along the newly built Belden Trail. Watch the video to the right to learn more about this ...
Neighborhoods in Los Angeles are getting more fresh food options, thanks to corner store makeovers that are sweeping the city. The most recent makeover took place in Boyle Heights at Salva Market. Salva Market will launch new healthy food options and take part in a neighbor meet & greet with Boyle Heights residents on Thursday February 6 In late February 2014 the store will have its official grand reopening as a Healthy Neighborhood Market, accompanied by nutritious cooking demonstrations. PALOMA, a healthy food and wellness team of young leaders coordinated by community-based organization LA CAUSA YouthBuild in Boyle Heights, has worked closely with store manager Abel Gonzalez for several months to bring fresh and healthy foods to Salva Market. The Department of ...
Supported by the Horizon Foundation, Howard County Unsweetened has tools, resources, news, and more on how parents and their kids can swap sugary drinks for healthier alternatives. Their latest video campaign suggests that big soda companies should focus on promoting healthier beverages, like water, and not high-sugar drinks. The campaign challenges folks to rethink what marketing beverages to children should look like. Check out their latest video here! Howard County Unsweetened hosted a contest inviting high-schoolers to submit short documentaries about the problem of sugary drink consumption, and creative new ways to deal with it. They announced the winner in February 2014---watch the ...
In Illinois, a state that many Latinos call home, there have been lots of efforts to make healthy community changes to reduce obesity in young people, including efforts to reduce sugary drink consumption. Governor Pat Quinn recently declared February 2014 as Rethink Your Drink Month encouraging Illinoisans to limit their sugary beverage consumption and choose healthier options. The Governor’s proclamation coincides with a wide array of educational events on the health effects of sugary beverage consumption and the benefits of healthier choices being hosted by health departments, schools, non-profits and after-school programs across the state as part of the Illinois Alliance to Prevent Obesity’s Rethink Your Drink ...
Biking and walking to nearby places can be a fun way to get around while meeting daily physical activity requirements. But not all streets are biker and pedestrian friendly---so what if you could provide input to city planners and engineers with the touch of a button about roads that need upgrades? Well soon this may be possible with the development of a new mobile app called Key to the Street. All one has to do is snap a picture of a place that needs improvements and then use the app's tools to draw the type of improvements one desires. According to this blog post from Key to the Street, the tool will also be accessible through the Key to Street website. Pilot testing will begin in Austin in Spring 2014. See the video below for a quick demo of how this tool will ...
