Planning & Public Health “My Oh My” Spokane County Active Living Task Force

1. Planning & Public Health “My Oh My”Spokane County Active Living Task Force Heleen Dewey Health Educator Spokane Regional Health District Melissa Wittstruck-Eadie, AICP Planner City of Spokane, WA

2. Near Nature, Near Perfect.But Where is Spokane?

3. About Spokane • 2008 Spokane County population 459,000 (estimate) • City of Spokane largest jurisdiction at 204,400 • Our health and activity level? • 60% of County residents overweight or obese • Fewer than half of all adults and children get recommended levels of physical activity

4. 60% of the respondents stated more money should be spent to improve walking and biking infrastructure such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails in our community. 2006 Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Project Study • Average commute is ½ mile for walkers and 1 ½ miles for bikers • 1% of trips by bike (2% nationally) • 9% of trips by walking (same as nation) • 42% of children are driven [1] Nonmortorized Transportation Pilot Program Evaluation Study. University of Minnesota. 2007. Communities surveyed: Marin County, CA; Minneapolis, MN, Sheboygan, WI, Columbia, MO, and Spokane, WA

5. How we got started • 2004 -$3500 annual grant for 5-years from DOT/DOH in cooperation with CDC • Co-facilitated by Spokane Regional Health District and City of Spokane • Task Force made up of professionals, advocates, and agency representatives.

6. Active Living Task Force Partners • Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) • City of Spokane • Spokane Regional Transportation Council (SRTC) • Spokane County • Advocates • Universities • Washington State Department of • Transportation • Department of Health • Community Trade and Economic Development • Medical Community • YMCA

7. 2007 Active Community Environments Assessment • Strengths: • Excellent commute trip reduction program (CTR) • Active Living group established • Successful with Safe Routes to School programs • Continuing Challenges: • Decline in funding for bike/ped improvements • Perception of facilities for bike/ped transportation • Lack of strong policy for non-motorized transportation

8. Spokane Assessment Recommendations • Develop a bike and pedestrian plan • Best practice-educate • Review design standards

9. Active Living Symposium • Education connection public health and planning specific to our community • Outcomes: • City of Spokane Plan Commission reviews Comprehensive Plan for healthy community policies • Complemented City of Spokane’s 2007 Quality of Life resolution

10. Connecting the City • Current policies not implemented and needed updating • Lacked connection between non-motorized transportation agencies • Generated ideas and support to develop a stronger non-motorized plan • Identified priority projects and effective policy/regulatory intervention • More communication/collaboration among different user groups

11. Outcomes of Workshop • Programmatic/Policy • Enforce development standards • Bike/Ped coordinator • Impact fees • Bike boulevards • Physical • Stripe SE Blvd, others • Route across river • Sidewalks • Fish Lake Trail connections • Fill gaps in existing routes

12. Regional Pedestrian Plan • Three year Preventative Health Block Grant from DOH • Incorporate active living policies into community pedestrian planning documents • Year 1; Countywide guidance document adopted by Spokane Regional Transportation Council • Year 2-3; City of Spokane planning • Year 3; Smaller jurisdictions in the county

13. SmartRoutes • Rails to Trails Campaign • Goal: • Double funding for active transportation • Timeframe: • During reauthorization of federal transportation budget projected for 2010 • Potential: • 40 communities to receive $50 Million for projects Engineering, education, encouragement, and planning projects selected to increasing resident’s walking and bicycling for transportation

14. Ever Evolving Education – for partners & communities! Joint Presentation to the Board of Health: Why are active communities important for jurisdictions? • Negative economic impacts= Direct costs and lost revenue for the jurisdiction • Positive economic impacts= Business recruitment, in-migration, and tourism

15. Remember that $3,500? Source Cost Grant from DOH In-Kind from SRHD and City of Spokane Striping a bike lane Citywide Bike Master Plan Update Building Community Capacity for Active Living $17,500 over 5 yrs $30,000 over 5 yrs $50,000 allocated $50,000 and counting PRICELESS

16. Outcomes • Quiet Catalyst - Partnerships • YMCA Pioneering Healthier Communities • SmartRoutes 2010 • Lands Council • Complete Streets Resolution – Board of Health • Active Technical Transportation Committee (regional – SRTC) • Health Impact Assessment Training • Active Living Leadership • Elected Officials

17. Insights • Understanding each other’s goals, needs, and strengths • Clearinghouse • Catalyst – ALTF could seed the project, didn’t have to own it. • Capacity – Education, Outreach, New Ideas • Unintentional Succession plan • Timing – Health, Smart Growth, Gas Prices, Sustainability, Economics/Market Demands, Political Climate, Grassroots • Another face for funding requests • Rediscover the connections between Planning and Public Health