Naples Daily News 9/17/15, Guest Column: Beth Brainard, Naples Pathways Coalition http://www.naplesnews.com/news/health/blue-zone/naples-pathways-walkability-a-local-issue-thats-gone-national_12497339
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| (photo in NDN) |
NAPLES, Fla. - This summer, the Collier County Planning
Commission took a serious look at how sidewalks, or the lack of them,
affects neighborhood residents as well as county taxpayers.
Some sobering statistics were revealed.
Over 2,700 Collier County children who live within walking distance of their schools are "courtesy bussed" because their neighborhoods lack sidewalks and are deemed too dangerous. This costs the local school system — not the state or federal government — over $500,000 per year.
A sidewalk installed when a new house is under construction costs approximately $1,000, which is included in the cost of the lot or carried by the developer. To install a sidewalk after a neighborhood is built, it costs approximately six times more, around $6,000 per lot, and the cost is paid by the county — which means by you, the taxpayers.
Twenty-three percent of all children in Collier County are obese and another 18 percent are at risk of becoming so. This is higher than the national average that says 16 percent of children are obese.
Then, last week, a really wonderful thing happened.
The U.S. Surgeon General issued a historic call to action to make walking a national priority. (See article on 11D.) Step It Up!
The Surgeon General's call to action to promote walking and walkable communities, "calls on Americans to become more physically active through walking and on the nation to better support walking and walkability."
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said increasing physical activity significantly reduces the risk of chronic diseases and related risk factors. Additionally physical activity has other health benefits, like promoting positive mental health and healthy aging, and it is one of the simplest, most important actions people can take to improve their overall health. We already know that, don't we?
The Step It Up! call to action includes five goals.
While this national campaign ramps up, local decisions about sidewalks and walkability will be made. The Planning Commission, which serves in an advisory capacity to the county commissioners (CC), passed the information along to Commissioners and it will hopefully be part of a larger discussion at a commissioners' workshop this fall on sidewalks and Complete Streets planning.
Hopefully the commissioners will also consider the Surgeon General's call to action.
If you and your children or grandchildren can't walk safely in your neighborhood, call or email your commissioner before Oct. 6 and let him or her know.
Beth Brainard is the executive director of Naples Pathways Coalition, a nonprofit organization that works to make the greater Naples area a safe, bikeable, walkable community. Contact Beth at bethbrainard@naplespathways.org or visit naplespathways.org.
Some sobering statistics were revealed.
Over 2,700 Collier County children who live within walking distance of their schools are "courtesy bussed" because their neighborhoods lack sidewalks and are deemed too dangerous. This costs the local school system — not the state or federal government — over $500,000 per year.
A sidewalk installed when a new house is under construction costs approximately $1,000, which is included in the cost of the lot or carried by the developer. To install a sidewalk after a neighborhood is built, it costs approximately six times more, around $6,000 per lot, and the cost is paid by the county — which means by you, the taxpayers.
Twenty-three percent of all children in Collier County are obese and another 18 percent are at risk of becoming so. This is higher than the national average that says 16 percent of children are obese.
Then, last week, a really wonderful thing happened.
The U.S. Surgeon General issued a historic call to action to make walking a national priority. (See article on 11D.) Step It Up!
The Surgeon General's call to action to promote walking and walkable communities, "calls on Americans to become more physically active through walking and on the nation to better support walking and walkability."
Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said increasing physical activity significantly reduces the risk of chronic diseases and related risk factors. Additionally physical activity has other health benefits, like promoting positive mental health and healthy aging, and it is one of the simplest, most important actions people can take to improve their overall health. We already know that, don't we?
The Step It Up! call to action includes five goals.
- Make walking a national priority.
- Design communities that make it safe and easy to walk for people of all ages and abilities.
- Promote programs and policies to support walking where people live, learn, work and play.
- Provide information to encourage walking and improve walkability.
- Improve the quality of data collected about walking and walkability, address research gaps and evaluate programs to promote walking and walkability.
While this national campaign ramps up, local decisions about sidewalks and walkability will be made. The Planning Commission, which serves in an advisory capacity to the county commissioners (CC), passed the information along to Commissioners and it will hopefully be part of a larger discussion at a commissioners' workshop this fall on sidewalks and Complete Streets planning.
Hopefully the commissioners will also consider the Surgeon General's call to action.
If you and your children or grandchildren can't walk safely in your neighborhood, call or email your commissioner before Oct. 6 and let him or her know.
Beth Brainard is the executive director of Naples Pathways Coalition, a nonprofit organization that works to make the greater Naples area a safe, bikeable, walkable community. Contact Beth at bethbrainard@naplespathways.org or visit naplespathways.org.
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