safe routes conferencenorth carolina

building a path to the future

welcomeDear walking and bicycling to school partner, Welcome to North Carolina’s Safe Routes to School Conference! It’s our pleasure to welcome you to this conference sponsored by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). Helping meet the goals set forth in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan, Statewide Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan and NC Vision Zero, NCDOT’s Safe Routes to School Program is working to make walking and bicycling to school safer and to encourage more students and families to use these modes where possible.

Get ready to be inspired by stories from around the state; learn more about how infrastructure gets funded and built in North Carolina; identify resources in your own community to support walking and biking; discover how to tap into the fun and excitement of Walk and Bike to School Days to create ongoing walking and biking programs; and share your own experiences with others.

This conference will also showcase the partnership between the NCDOT Safe Routes to School program and the NC Division of Public Health. Since 2013, through this partnership, ten Active Routes to School Regional Coordinators have helped implement Safe Routes to School strategies in communities across North Carolina. During the conference you will hear their stories, meet their partners and have a chance to network with them.

We hope this conference will help you make connections, expand your thinking and gain new ideas and resources to help make your schools, neighborhoods and communities safe for walking and biking.

Together we are building a path to the future!

Ed Johnson NC Safe Routes to School CoordinatorNC Department of Transportation Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Mary Bea Kolbe

Active Routes to School Project ManagerNC Division of Public HealthCommunity and Clinical Connections for Prevention and Health Branch

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full schedule8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Registration, Networking and Breakfast Outside Victoria Ballroom

9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Opening Plenary Victoria Ballroom A

Hear about the great strides North Carolina has made with the Active Routes to School Program and the continuing commitment to safe walking and biking throughout the state. With Safe Routes to School, we are all working to build a path to the future in North Carolina.

Moderated by: Ed Johnson, NC Safe Routes to School Coordinator, NC Department of Transportation, Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation

Welcome

• Beth Lovette, Deputy Director, North Carolina Division of Public Health

• Julie White, Deputy Secretary of Multi-Modal Transportation, North Carolina Department of Transportation

Keynote

• Nancy Pullen-Seufert, Director, National Center for Safe Routes to School

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

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10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions

Creating lasting change: Building support for walking and biking

augusta b Maybe you’re trying to change a school policy, get a greenway or push for community-wide improvements for walking and biking. Getting buy-in from community members and elected officials are your keys to lasting change. Learn from three leaders; one who started out as a parent champion, one who has worked both within and outside of government and one who approaches health from a school and family engagement perspective. They’re ready to share their secrets for building relationships, organizing and pacing your work for success and re-envisioning the plan when the chips are down. Audience members will leave with solid ideas for how they can accelerate change in their own communities.

• Garrett Artz, Executive Director, Riverlink

• Sara Merz, Executive Director, Advocates for Health in Action (AHA)

• Pattie Allen, Ready Schools Coordinator, Down East Partnership for Children

Three cheers for safety! How creating safe places for children to walk and bike benefits entire communities

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Safety is the bedrock upon which active, healthy communities can thrive. In this interactive session, learn how changes to the built environment can improve children’s – and all road users’ – safety. See how enforcing speeding and yielding laws in school zones can spread safety practices across entire communities. Explore how teaching middle school students to safely ride bikes not only equips them with lifelong biking skills, but can also nudge families to start biking and walking more regularly.

• Dale McKeel, Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, City of Durham

• Brian Massengill, Sergeant, Durham Police Department

• Claudia Nix, Founder and Owner, Liberty Bicycles, Asheville

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Year-round walking and biking: Ongoing programs led by school champions

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Ongoing programs give students, teachers and families an opportunity to change community culture around walking and biking and promote healthier lifestyle habits. Walk at school programs, remote drop off locations, and afterschool clubs can all make it easier and more appealing to walk and bike. Hear about three popular programs that have addressed challenges, grown community and school involvement, and kept students excited about physical activity.

• Kylie Crowe Shuler, Elementary Principal, New Kituwah Academy, Cherokee

• Tricia King, Parent Volunteer, Mountain Community School, Hendersonville

• Bethanie Johnson and Heather Ruckterstuhl, Teaching Assistants, Park Road Montessori, Charlotte

11:45 a.m – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Grandover

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Regional Meetings

Three meetings, each led by Active Routes to School Coordinators, provide opportunities to recognize recent successes, discuss the greatest needs for advancing Safe Routes to School and network across counties to share ideas and energy.

Reference page 9 to find the meeting location for your county.

2:00 – 2:15 p.m. Break

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2:15 – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Walking and walkability in rural communities

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Walkability is not only reserved for urban and suburban schools. Walking programs can also work in rural settings to create opportunities for physical activity. Hear from speakers in rural areas that have made advances to increase walking and biking in and around schools. In this session audience members will learn about tools for increasing walkability, how to rally partners to improve walkability at or near schools, and how walking at schools impacts everyday transportation for families and the community.

• Christy Rhoades, PE/Health Teacher, Mulberry Elementary School, North Wilkesboro

• Wade Walker, Vice President, Director of Engineering – East, Alta Planning + Design / Alta Engineering SE

• Catherine Parker, Hertford County Student Wellness Center Director, Roanoke Chowan Community Health Center

From plans to breaking ground: How infrastructure gets funded and built in North Carolina

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This session will provide a general overview of what it means when we say “Complete Streets” and discuss the practice for accommodating bicycle and pedestrian transportation in NCDOT projects. Attendees will also be exposed to the process by which NCDOT considers, plans and prioritizes projects for bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Detailed examples of bicycle and pedestrian accommodations will be presented and illustrations used.

• Kristen Brookshire, Research Associate, UNC Highway Safety Research Center

• Aldea Coleman, Policy Advisor, Office of Chief Deputy Secretary, NC Department of Transportation

• Karyl Fuller, RPO Director, Isothermal Planning & Development Commission

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How partnerships make change a reality

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Whether starting a walking program, advocating for infrastructure changes, or creating new policies, partnerships throughout the community and region help to make change happen. Partners can be other community members or community groups, or they can be government or planning agencies. Hear from speakers discussing the variety of partners available to help facilitate change and ways to work with partners to help meet your goals. Audience members will come away with knowledge of the full range of types of partners and ideas for how to approach them and work towards success.

• Jeff Cabaniss, Division Planning Engineer, NC Department of Transportation, Division 2

• Greg Couch, SRTS Programs Coordinator, Northwoods Elementary PTA, Cary

• Alyssa Smith, Executive Director, Healthy Rowan

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Break Refreshments outside Victoria Ballroom A

3:45 – 4:30 p.m. Closing Plenary Victoria Ballroom A

Walking and biking are incredible opportunities to amplify social and mental well-being for children and families. Consider another angle to the importance of your work promoting walking and biking. Hear about creating environments that support healthy human devel-opment, informal play, and non-formal education is important for community well-being.

• Robin Moore, MCP; Professor of Landscape Architecture, Director of the Natural Learning Initiative, North Carolina State University

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rooms for regional meetingsPlease find your county to locate the room for the 1:00 p.m. regional meetings.

AlexanderAlleghanyAsheAveryBuncombeBurkeCabarrusCaldwell

CatawbaCherokeeClayClevelandDavidsonDavieForsythGaston

GrahamHaywoodHendersonIredellJacksonLincolnMaconMadison

McDowellMecklenburgMitchellPolkRowanRutherfordStanleyStokes

SurrySwainTransylvaniaUnionWataugaWilkesYadkinYancey

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AlamanceAnsonCaswellChatham

CumberlandDurhamGuilfordHarnett

HokeLeeMontgomeryMoore

OrangePersonRandolphRichmond

RockinghamScotlandWake

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BeaufortBertieBladenBrunswickCamdenCarteretChowanColumbusCraven

CurrituckDareDuplinEdgecombeFranklinGatesGranvilleGreeneHalifax

HertfordHydeJohnstonJonesLenoirMartinNashNew HanoverNorthampton

OnslowPamlicoPasquotankPenderPerquimansPittRobesonSampsonTyrrell

VanceWarrenWashingtonWayneWilson

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thanksThank you to the Conference Advisory Committee Members:

Daniel Amstutz, City of Greensboro

Jennifer Delcourt, Active Routes to School

Alan Dellapenna, NC Division of Public Health

Ed Johnson, NC Department of Transportation

Mary Bea Kolbe, NC Division of Public Health

Sara Merz, Advocates for Health in Action

Jackie Moore, Active Routes to School

Karen Rindge, WakeUP Wake County

Nicole Westley, Active Routes to School

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convention mapAll of our activities are on the third floor of Koury Convention Center.

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victoria ballroom a

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agenda at a glance8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Registration, Networking and Breakfast Outside Victoria Ballroom

9:00 – 10:15 a.m. Opening Plenary Victoria Ballroom A

10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Break

10:30 – 11:45 a.m. Morning Breakout Sessions

Creating lasting change: Building support for walking and biking

Three cheers for safety! How creating safe places for children to walk and bike benefits entire communities

Year-round walking and biking: Ongoing programs led by school champions

11:45 – 1:00 p.m. Lunch Grandover

1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Regional Meetings

See page 9 for region listings.

2:00 – 2:15 p.m. Break

2:15 – 3:30 p.m. Afternoon Breakout Sessions

Walking and walkability in rural communities

From plans to breaking ground: Funding infrastructure in North Carolina How partnerships make change a reality

3:30 – 3:45 p.m. Break

3:45 – 4:30 p.m. Closing Plenary Victoria Ballroom A

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