Subscribe for New North  Area Transportation Updates & News:

Walk This Way
Walk-to-School Week 2004: October 4 – October 8

Next time you drop off your kids at the bus stop, drive them to school, or even pass by a school zone, take a look around. You may see other children walking to school, possibly enriching their future. Here are reasons to have your child walk to school.

Health
Weight and health issues are all over the media. Since 1980, the child obesity rate has tripled! That’s why it’s important to instill good health habits when your child is young. Kids who exercise regularly tend to remain physically active throughout their adult life. A 20-minute walk to school is the same as running for 10 minutes, biking for 16 minutes, or playing baseball for 25 minutes. It is also a way for your child to develop healthy relationships with other neighborhood friends. If you do drive your child to school, consider dropping him or her off at a midway point. This allows walking part way with friends while keeping the benefits of health and safety.

Pollution & Traffic Congestion
Each breath of air is filled with pollution such as smoke and dust, and pollution at school is compounded. Every car and bus that travels around a school contributes exhaust and fuel fumes, which can trigger respiratory problems in a growing child. By encouraging your child to walk or bike to school, you can contribute to improved air quality and influence your child’s transportation choices in the future – as adults traveling to and from work or college.

Safety
No parent wants to imagine their child trying to cross a busy street to reach school every day. When possible, drivers avoid school zones during peak traffic hours, but children cannot avoid them. The more kids walk to school, the fewer vehicles surround the school. With fewer vehicles, there are fewer vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Walking to school will not only help the traffic flow, but create a safer campus.

Of course, there are other safety concerns related to walking, the most prominent being the child’s interaction with strangers. Many parents already take the opportunity to walk their kids to school--what a great time for bonding! With time at a premium, some parents have devised the idea of a “walking-bus.” Simply ask a parent who currently walks his child to and from school to be a walking-bus driver. Select a convenient meeting time and location for the parent to meet the children and then walk the entire group to school and/or home from school.

If your child chooses to ride a bike to school, be sure to inform him or her of the proper bike safety road rules, and provide a helmet and a bike reflector. Tips for bicycle and walking safety can be found at www.nhtsa.dot.gov/CPS/newtips.

Local Efforts
For the past four years, SAFE KIDS Tampa, led by St. Joseph’s Hospital of Tampa, has spearheaded a “Walk This Way” campaign during Walk-to-School Week that has focused on two schools, Broward Elementary and Mort Elementary. With the help of National SAFE KIDS and FedEx, SAFE KIDS Tampa received mini grants to fund classroom activities, traffic cones and signage for use around schools, and a raffle for 4 bicycles each year.

This year, SAFE KIDS will take a county wide approach, contacting all Hillsborough County elementary schools to encourage participation in Walk This Way. Those that are interested will receive a bicycle/pedestrian resource and safety planning packet and information on how to run their own Walk This Way programs.

In addition, SAFE KIDS Tampa, the Hillsborough County Community Traffic Safety Team, and the School Safety Team will focus in on two schools (to be determined) to provide additional Walk This Way resources.

Find out if your child’s school is participating in Walk This Way. If not, encourage them to take action! For additional information on Walk This Way, contact Bevin Maynard with SAFE KIDS Tampa at (813) 231-9497 x226.

USF’s Bicycle Club to Provide Helmets/Bike Lights to Campus Cyclists

USF’s Bike Club promotes bicycling as a viable means of getting to, from, and around campus, and encourages cyclists to consider bicycle laws and safety issues while riding. While state law only requires helmets for cyclists under 16, statistics show that wearing a helmet can prevent serious injury in case of an accident. Front and rear bike lights, however, are required by Florida law when riding between dusk and dawn. In consideration of this law, bicycle safety, and the desire to increase bicycle commuting as a form of transportation, the USF Bike Club will provide a limited number of free lights for students and employees bicycling to, from, and around campus. Vouchers for bicycle helmets will also be distributed.

For more information, contact Chris Hagelin, Faculty Advisor to the USF Bicycle Club at 974-2977 or Hagelin@cutr.usf.edu. Visit the USF Bike Club website at http://www.ctr.usf.edu/bikes/.

Tampa Bay Intermodal Center(s) Feasibility Study
Community Meeting – August 25^th

 The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Seven office is conducting a Community Information Meeting regarding the potential intermodal center locations under study in the Hillsborough County area.  Citizens are encouraged to attend and participate in the meeting, to learn more about the type, design, and location of the Tampa Bay Area Intermodal Center(s) in Hillsborough and/or Pinellas County.  Considerations will include transportation needs, social impacts, engineering analysis, and right-of-way requirements.  Potential locations for Intermodal Centers in Hillsborough County may include Westshore, Downtown Tampa, and the New North area, at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Fowler Avenue.   

Tampa Bay Intermodal Center(s) Community Information Meeting
Wednesday, August 25, 2004
4:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.
Crowne Plaza Hotel, Royal Palm 3 Ballroom
700 N. Westshore Blvd., Tampa, FL
Located on the SW corner of Westshore Blvd. and Cypress St.
(Free parking in adjacent hotel garage)

Want to save money & make better use of your time by carpooling or vanpooling-
but don't know anyone to share the commute with?
We may be able to help! Join the regional rideshare database by following the link on the Commuter page of our website, www.newnorthalliance.org,  or by calling 813-974-9799 to speak with a New North Transportation Alliance representative.

Vanpool from Riverview to USF Area looking for more riders.
The newest vanpool to the New North area has room for two more riders. The vanpool travels from Riverview to the Moffitt Cancer Center and VA Hospital. Work hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you are interested in joining this vanpool, call Bay Area Commuter Services at 1-800-998-RIDE.