Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116968

Lisa A. Cirill, Acting Chief and Jeffery Rosenhall, MA, Coordinator. California Center for Physical Activity, California Department of Health Services, P.O. Box 997413, MS 7211, Sacramento, CA 95899-7413, 916-552-9885, jrosenha@dhs.ca.gov

The California Center for Physical Activity (Center) and the State and Local Injury Control (SLIC) Section within the California Department of Health Services has eight years of experience developing best practices to prevent injuries and increase physical activity. By building state and local partnerships, the Center and SLIC have successfully improved community design to make neighborhoods safer and more walk- and bicycle-friendly. Recognizing the importance of working with land use and transportation planners to make communities more amenable to walking and biking, the Center and SLIC have developed a strong partnership with the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans). This unique partnership between state public health and transportation departments serves as a national model and has allowed the California Center for Physical Activity to acquire two project grants from Caltrans to increase walking, bicycling and access to public transit in communities throughout California; the Healthy Transportation Network and Walkable Community Workshops. The Center's Healthy Transportation Network, which targets local officials, will be highlighted in this presentation. The Healthy Transportation Network works with local elected officials and city managers who have the capacity to support and impact roadway, community design and land use decisions as well as shape general plans that can help reduce injury and promote frequent walking and bicycling. The Healthy Transportation Network leverages the expertise of national, state and local partners to deliver web-based and on-site technical assistance to local governments invested in improving conditions and infrastructure for pedestrians and bicyclists in their communities.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participants (learners) in this session will be able to

• Understand how collaboration among state agencies can effectively promote change at the local policy, planning and advocacy levels through partnerships.
• Describe how public health departments can work with specific local governments to affect change in a community’s design, connectivity with transportation, and land use policies.
• Explore launching a similar collaborative by applying the presented program methodology to potential partnerships in their jurisdiction.
• Recognize existing environmental barriers to safe, enjoyable non-motorized transportation and identify key local contacts essential to mitigating those barriers.

Keywords: Injury Control, Physical Activity

Related Web page: www.healthytransportation.net

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.