Walk, Roll, Connect: WSDOT State Active Transportation Plan Virtual Chats Scheduled

This e-news provides updates on the 2019-2020 update to the State Active Transportation Plan and information on related planning activities. We will occasionally repeat items as new subscribers join the list. Forward to people you know will be interested in the planning effort.

Online Info Chats Scheduled

We come right to your desktop with our online chats! Using webinar presentation software we'll share a few slides with information about our approach to updating the state plan, safety statistics and other elements of the context for our plan, and some questions for you to answer. It's kind of like what we're doing in community meetings we attend, but without you having to travel anywhere.

Register in advance at http://bit.ly/WSDOT-ATP-Virtual2019. If you decide to join at the last minute you can try the link. If there's room you'll be taken straight into the chat but the capacity may have filled up. So don't miss out--sign up now!

These presentations will be recorded and available as archived links after the presentations. Your comments become part of the input to the planning process.

Dates and times:

• Thursday Nov. 14, 6-7 p.m.
• Tuesday Nov. 26, 12-1 p.m.
• Wednesday Dec. 11, 7-8 p.m.

Visit us online! 

Our online open house is now live and ready for you to read and respond by Dec. 15. We're extending the date from Nov. 30 to ensure that people around the state have the chance to learn about the planning effort. 

Forward this email to friends and family, colleagues and community so they can share their opinions too.

What you'll find at the online open house:

• Upcoming events where you can talk with WSDOT staff about active transportation
• Our state routes analysis: How we're creating decision-making tools to help us identify and prioritize future changes
• Maps for your feedback: State routes color-coded by Level of Traffic Stress (LTS) and a form for your comments about what you think of this approach. (What is LTS anyway? We explain in the online open ahouse.)
• A questionnaire that asks:
  • Information about you to help us understand whether we have received responses from a sample that represents all Washington residents.
  • What you do for transportation
  • What prevents you from using active transportation more often
  • What would make it more likely that you would walk, bike or roll
  • What’s unique about your community or region
  • What’s most important for government to focus on for future changes to the transportation system that affect walking, bicycling and rolling

Send this link to everyone you know: http://bit.ly/WSDOT-ATP-Online-Open-House 

Upcoming Events

Sometimes we're on the agenda, sometimes we're joining local events open to the general public where we aren't making a formal presentation but can be available to talk about active transportation and the plan.

We're also participating in some events through phone and/or video conference, which enables us to get to more places.

We add events to the Community Events page in the online open house between e-mail updates; consider bookmarking and checking it every so often.

Nov. 19, SeaTac, 9-10:30 a.m., South County Area Transportation Board. Barb Chamberlain, Active Transportation Division Director, will present on the Active Transportation Plan to this forum of elected officials.

Nov. 20, Vancouver, 9:30-11 a.m.: Safe Routes to School National Partnership Pacific Northwest meeting, Vancouver Community Library. Brian Wood of the Active Transportation Division will present via webinar on the Active Transportation Plan. Space limited; RSVP to Kari Schlosshauer with SRTSNP, kari@saferoutespartnership.org

Nov. 30, Mountlake Terrace, noon-2 p.m., Mountlake Terrace Library. Barb Chamberlain, Active Transportation Division Director, is joining the RoboGirls Popup Party & Safety Fair. Girl Scouts Lego League tackled the question, "What crosswalk in Mountlake Terrace has low visibility?" Come learn about their safety analysis and cheer on girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).

Dec. 3, Bellingham, evening time and location TBD for meeting of Walk Bike Bus Bellingham. Remote presentation by Barb Chamberlain, Active Transportation Division Director.

Dec. 5, Richland, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Ben Franklin Transit, 1000 Columbia Park Trail: Public open house focused on the state Active Transportation Plan; good chance to get ready for the 2020 Benton-Franklin COG active transportation planning process, too. Drop in any time, talk with community members, identify barriers and priorities for improving walk/bike/roll connections. Kids welcome! We'll invite them to draw pictures of their experiences and ideas about walking and bicycling. Hosted by Benton-Franklin Council of Governments.

If you're holding a community event that would make a good place for someone to share information and gather input on active transportation let us know. We'll try to get someone there. We'll also spread the word through this e-mail and the online open house to help publicize your event.

Email WSDOTactive@wsdot.wa.gov with details about your event: location, date/time, format, how many you expect, and how we can participate or share information. We'll check calendars to figure out who can go.

Two conferences we'll be at

Nov. 21, Tacoma, 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m., Tacoma Convention Center: WSDOT Active Transportation Division staff will have a table at the WSDOT Innovations & Partnerships Conference. Registration and fee required to attend this great all-day conference that brings together local agencies, nonprofits, private sector, tribal leaders, WSDOT staff, and people who just love to spend the day learning about what's new in transportation. Lots of content and great speakers!

Dec. 1-2, Seattle, ITS Washington two-day conference: The Active Transportation Plan is one of the many topics you'll be able to workshop with new ideas and information in the Designing for Inclusion and Success session on Day 1. You'll learn from the expertise of transportation professionals from across the state and they'll learn from you at this conference that focuses on transportation technology. Registration and fee required to attend; tons of great content to absorb.

Want a webinar at your meeting?

If you're holding a meeting and want a presentation about the ATP, email WSDOTactive@wsdot.wa.gov. Let us know date, time, and how long we'd be able to present.

We'll participate in as many of these as we can so we're coming to you (without adding vehicle miles to the state system) and you don't have to add another meeting to your already busy calendars.

Lots going on for active transportation

For more detailed information on active transportation in Washington state, including training and conferences, grant opportunities, projects, research, and other resources, subscribe to the WSDOT Walk and Roll E-News.

Walk and Roll comes out 2-3 times a month, alternating between the detailed resource edition and a statewide news round-up. Recent editions: Regional News Round-up Oct. 2 and Resource Edition Oct 21. It repeats news about the ATP sent to this Walk-Roll-Connect list and includes much more.

If you read this email, thank you! You're staying in touch with WSDOT's work for a safe, sustainable, integrated multimodal transportation system. You also no doubt know someone else who should have the chance to learn about the state Active Transportation Plan. Forward this email to others and share the ATP News subscription link on social media (tag it #WSDOTactive).