Walk and Roll: WSDOT Active Transportation July 2023
Washington State Department of Transportation sent this bulletin at 07/31/2023 10:19 AM PDTACTIVE TRANSPORTATION NEWS FROM WSDOT AND PARTNERS
Connectivity -- Safety -- Opportunity -- Participation -- Partnership
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Commerce Requests Information re: Intent to Apply for Landmark Federal Funding:
Washington State Dept. of Commerce is seeking information from local communities and other entities in the state to inform decisions on $5 million available to secure landmark federal funding (billions of dollars available through CHIPS and Science Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act). High level details about planned applications to programs funded under these historic federal investment programs is needed to help Commerce make fair and informed decisions about how to allocate $5 million in state funds over the next two years intended to secure federal investments in projects throughout Washington State.
Commerce plans to award $25,000 to $500,000 to eligible organizations pursuing federal investments over the next two years through a competitive process to be announced later.
Deadline 5pm July 31, 2023
Complete the online Request for Information form (Smartsheet).
Questions? Please email icap@commerce.wa.gov
Further info on the various programs created by the CHIPS, IIJA and IRA can be found in the following:
- Notice of Funding Opportunity: Commercial Fabrication Facilities (National Institute of Science and Technology website)
- Regional Technology and Innovation Hubs (Economic Development Administration website)
- Distressed Area Recompete Pilot Program (Economic Development Administration website)
- Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (White House website)
- Inflation Reduction Act Guidebook - Clean Energy (White House website)
- Building a Better America: A Guidebook to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Governments and other Partners (PDF)
Summer Interns at WSDOT Active Transportation Division, Part 2
For this issue, we say thank you and best wishes to our AT Division interns while introducing Brooke Nelson, who joined WSDOT in June. Brooke approaches her work from her background in violence prevention and youth advocacy. She recently received her Master of Social Work with a focus in community centered practice. She is excited to be a part of a team that is shifting the culture to prioritize equitable investment in active transportation. Brooke has been working on the Sandy Williams Connecting Communities Program, as well as the designing of the E-bike Incentives and Lending Libraries project.
Bicycling has been Brooke’s site of personal liberation and her (human powered) vehicle for connection with her community. From her experience organizing a bike initiative with a survivor of domestic violence, coordinating an adaptive cycling center, and starting a youth apprenticeship program for riders with the Major Taylor Project, she has seen and felt how bikes can be used as a tool for healing, joy, and justice. She has also experienced how systematic disinvestment in active transportation infrastructure impacts our safety and sense of belonging. She is committed to working toward mobility justice and continuing to find joy in riding her bike.
After her time with WSDOT, Brooke will be coordinating the Seattle Public Schools Safe Routes to Schools program, funded in part by WSDOT, and is looking forward to riding alongside Seattle youth.
Brooke finishes her internship this week with the start of her new position and Andrew Useche, whom we profiled last issue, will be continuing this next month. We thank both of our interns so much for their service with us.
FIVE+ THINGS TO READ/WATCH/HEAR
- In the U.S., Drivers Hit the Deadliest Speeds in Places People Walk — Streetsblog USA. And from Florida, a story about its deadliest road.
Meanwhile, Americans responded in a national poll (Community & Transportation Preferences Survey - National Association of Realtors) that they prefer communities that are walkable, defined as having nearby commercial destinations or parks and sidewalks/places to walk.
- FHWA explored the impact on crashes of speed-reducing countermeasures including roadway conversions, speed safety cameras, and pandemic-era quick-build projects, getting desired results from ‘road diets’ and promising indications from the quick-builds.
- 7 Things Disabled People Have To Think About Every Day: most of these involve getting around or experiencing the built environment. Transportation Research Board has posted a blog page about Making Travel More Equitable for People with Disabilities - which links to a best practices guide and mentions the upcoming issue of TR News (July/Aug 2023, forthcoming) that will have a lead article on transportation accessibility.
- Belgium may have more recently been in the news for a big shift toward active travel modes (see June issue of Walk and Roll), but their neighbors in the Netherlands continue to be the inspiration for cities around the world with their active transportation orientation that provides residents the basic opportunity to be independent of motor-vehicles.
- In Case You Missed It: earlier this year, the State’s Recreation and Conservation Office developed, and in the past couple of weeks the U.S. National Park Service approved, Washington’s newest 5-year plan for investing in conservation and outdoor recreation. The May/June TR News discusses public lands/recreation-related transportation planning.
- And speaking of e-bikes (as we did in last month’s Walk and Roll), a cover story of an earlier TR News magazine featured the state of electric bicycles.
TRAININGS, CONFERENCES, WEBINARS
We add new trainings as we find them, so the list changes with every issue. Some of these offer continuing education credits. All times are shown in Pacific time zone.
All webinars listed are FREE unless a price is noted. All items are webinars unless a location is noted.
August
- August 1, 12:00pm: Youth-Engaged Design and Quick Build Installation (Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center)
- August 2, 6:00am: Cycling Cities Stories: Building Awareness and Support for Cycling (Institute for Transportation & Development Policy)
- August 2, 10:00-11:00am: Institutionalizing Health Equity in Vision Zero Action Planning. (Vision Zero Network)
- August 2, 12:00pm: Introducing the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans Comparison Report (Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals)
- August 3, 9:00am: How Transit Makes Streets Safer for Everyone (National Safety Council)
- August 3, 9:00-10:30am: Cultural Competency and Historical Trauma (State of Nevada LTAP)
- August 3, 10:00-11:30am: Legacy Trails Grant Program: 2023 Pre-Application Overview (American Trails - donations appreciated)
- August 3, 2:00pm: Speed Management in Australia and New Zealand (ITE - fee for non-members)
- August 8, 8:00am: Exploring Toronto - A City Reveals Itself in Its Special Public Places (Cities for Everyone with Gil)
- August 9, 10:00am: Transportation Planning Capacity Building Peer Exchange Program (USDOT)
- August 9, 10:30am: Reconnecting Communities Grant Program Overview for Prospective Applicants - Encore (USDOT)
- August 9, 12:00pm: Maximize Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plans Resources with Data (Society of Outdoor Recreation Professionals)
- August 10, 10:00-11:30am: Bridging the Gap: Assessing, Empowering, and Engaging People with Disabilities in the Outdoors (American Trails, webinar on trails access for all abilities - donations appreciated)
- August 13-16: ITE International and Western District Annual Meeting Portland, OR. Many learning pathways, including safety.
- August 15, 10:30am: Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program – Rural/Nonprofit Focus (USDOT)
- August 16, 12:00-1:00pm: Systemic Safety – From Analysis to Implementation. (APBP, fee may apply)
- August 17, 10:00-11:00am: Creative Trails Programming Through Public-Private Partnerships. (American Trails - donations appreciated)
- August 17, 11:00am: Building Coalitions and Learning from Peers to Achieve Vision Zero (National Safety Council)
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August 22-24: 12th Annual Green Transportation Summit (Green Transportation Summit and Expo). Tacoma, WA.
- August 22, 8:00am: Climate Resilience for an Aging Nation (Cities for Everyone with Gil)
- August 22, 11:00am: Transport Research International Documentation (TRID)—Your Lifelong Learning Tool for Transportation Research (Transportation Research Board)
- August 23, 2:00pm: NADTC Office Hours: Helping Transition-Age Youth Overcome Barriers Through Travel Training (National Aging and Disability Transportation Center)
- August 24, 10:00am: Porous Flexible Pavement, Asphalt, or Porous Asphalt (American Trails - donations appreciated)
- August 24, 10:30am: Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program – Capital Construction (USDOT)
- August 29, 11:00am: Utilizing Traffic Simulation Models to Analyze Complex Roadway Situations (ITE - fees apply)
- August 29, 11:00am: Successful Environmental Justice Planning (Transportation Research Board - fees apply)
- August 31, 10:00am: Got Mud: Tackling Mud and Erosion on Equestrian Trails (American Trails - donations appreciated)
September
- September 7, 10:00am: Destination Stewardship: Reimagining the Purpose of Tourism in Outdoor Communities (American Trails - donations appreciated)
- September 12-14: National Summit on Rural Road Safety. Oklahoma City, OK or remote.
- September 13-14: Distracted Driving Summit (Drive Smart, Virginia - Blacksburg, VA) - in-person and only general sessions for virtual attendees.
- September 13, 12:00pm: U.S. Federal Policy Webinar - 3rd Quarter 2023 (APBP)
- September 14, 10:00am: The Trail Research Hub (American Trails - donations appreciated)
Save-the-Date
- APBP Safety Summit: October 3-5 and Oct. 10-12. Virtual
- APA WA Annual Conference: Leading the Change: Ideas from around the State. October 11-13. Spokane, WA.
- 2023 IACC Conference (Infrastructure Assistance Coordinating Council) – mark your calendar: October 24-26 at the Wenatchee Convention Center. Information.
- Safe Routes to School Summit – online October 24-26. (Safe Routes to School Partnership)
GRANTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
- 2023 Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) Trail Grants program - approximately $200,000 in awards. This year’s RTC Trail Grants are designed to support organizations and local agencies working to develop and connect equitable trail networks— Applications are due on Monday, July 31, at 8:59pm. RTC advises: (I) Read the eligibility requirements and fill out the Grant Application Worksheet before you apply. This will help you prepare all application materials in one place as you fill out our online form. (II) Review key sections of the TrailNation Playbook and demonstrate how your project supports one or more of the strategies outlined.
- Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program (FHWA) More information about the program posted here. Deadline: August 1, 2023.
- WSDOT Rural Transit Assistance Program - Limited General Transit Feed Specification notice of funding opportunity. Applications due 3:00pm August 3.
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TIB Funding - 2023 Transportation Improvement Board Call for Projects (applications due August 11).
- Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Discretionary Grant Program. Apply by August 18. Funds projects that address the climate crisis by improving the resilience of the surface transportation system.
- Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant Program (USDOT) Webinars for more information. Deadline August 21, 2023.
- Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Grant Program (combined Reconnecting Communities Pilot and Neighborhood Access & Equity programs; USDOT) Webinars for more information. Deadline September 28.
- USDOT Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program - will be offering a funding opportunity up to $360,000, opening August 14, 2023.
Keep track of all of the USDOT’s discretionary funding opportunities at the DOT Discretionary Grants Dashboard.
Have any funding opportunities people should know about? Send to WSDOTActive@wsdot.wa.gov
AWARDS, COMPETITIONS, AND KUDOS
- Bicycle Friendly University Status (League of American Bicyclists - LAB). Deadline: August 10.
- Bicycle Friendly Community Call for applications. (LAB). Deadline: August 30.
- U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge. This Challenge includes a multi-stage Prize Competition to encourage teams of innovators and end-users to develop and test their intersection safety systems (ISS) to compete for up to $6 million total in prizes. Deadline Sept. 25, 2:00pm.
PLANNING AND PROJECTS
- Ferry bicycle access closure (September) notice: Bainbridge/Seattle Ferry drive-on service (including bicycles) will be closed for construction of new walkway, September 7 - 13. This ferry will be walk-on only - no bicycle or scooter access to the ships – during this time.
- Looking for a WSDOT project to check on status, get email updates, attend an open house? Start here.
Have an upcoming project, open house, public comment opportunity? Construction projects people should know about as they relate to biking/walking? Compliments on a project? Send to WSDOTActive@wsdot.wa.gov
PRESENT, PUBLISH, PARTICIPATE
- TRB Annual Meeting (January 2024) papers. Deadline August 1. (Transportation Research Board) Call titles include Economics of Bicycles and Micromobility; Equity in Bicycle Transportation Research; and Pedestrian and Bicycle Data Research. Meeting to be held January 7 - 11, 2024, Washington, DC.
- October 2-8, 2023: National Week Without Driving (Disability Mobility Initiative, partnership of America Walks and Disability Rights Washington)
RESEARCH AND RESOURCES
- How to Create Multi-Purpose Places (Project for Public Spaces)
- The Influence of Pedestrian Plans on Walk Commuting in US Municipalities (Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice)
- The Most Vulnerable User: Examining the Role of Income, Race, and the Built Environment on Pedestrian Injuries and Deaths (Transportation Research Record - TRR)
- Do Traffic Countermeasures Improve the Safety of Vulnerable Road Users at Signalized Intersections? A Combination of Case-Control and Cross-Sectional Studies Using Video-Based Traffic Conflicts (TRR)
- Toolkit for the Assessment of Safety at Bus Stops (TRR)
- Distracted Pedestrian Prevention App and Cost Benefit Analyses (AASHTO Journal)
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Examining Socioeconomic and Physiological Factors Affecting Preferences for Cycling Infrastructure Using Virtual Reality Experimentation (TRR)
Investigating the Traffic Behavior of Bicyclists in Interaction with Car Users on Shared Bike Lanes Without Physical Barriers (Transportation Research Board) - Low-Cost Pedestrian Safety Zones: Handbook and countermeasure selection resource (PBIC)
- Advancing Equity in Roadway Safety (FHWA Safety Compass Newsletter)
- Nighttime Visibility for Safety (FHWA)
- Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach in Local Road Safety Plans (ITE)
- Divided by Design Report (Smart Growth America; webinar about report earlier in July 2023)
- Freedom to Move and Identity (America Walks – new mobility justice blog)
- Can the mode, time, and expense of commuting to work affect our mental health? (Transportation Research – Interdisciplinary Perspectives)
- “I Just Don't Go Nowhere:” How Transportation Disadvantage Reinforces Social Exclusion (Journal of Transport Geography)
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Advancing Equity in Accessibility and Travel Experiences: The Role of Gender and Identity (MN DOT)
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