Planning & Public Health “My Oh My”

Spokane County Active Living Task Force

Melissa Wittstruck-Eadie, AICPPlannerCity of Spokane, WA

Heleen DeweyHealth Educator

Spokane Regional Health District

Near Nature, Near Perfect.But Where is Spokane?

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

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

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.

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

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

Spokane Assessment Recommendations

• Develop a bike and pedestrian plan

• Best practice-educate

• Review design standards

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

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

Outcomes of WorkshopProgrammatic/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

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

SmartRoutesRails 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

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

Remember that $3,500?

Source

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

Cost

$17,500 over 5 yrs

$30,000 over 5 yrs

$50,000 allocated$50,000 and counting

PRICELESS

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

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