Strengthening Pedestrian Advocacy in Indy

1. Strengthening Pedestrian Advocacy in Indy Joan Cook, Marion County Health Department

2. Keep Striding Forward The story for Indianapolis is still being written. The ground work has been laid and the Complete Streets Ordinance has been passed, but advocates must continue to work on issues that push active transportation forward.

3. The Statistics of Inactivity • Over 65% of the residents of the Indianapolis area are obese or overweight (Marion County Public Health Department). • Indiana is now the eighth most obese state in the nation, according to F as in Fat: How Obesity Threatens America's Future 2013 (Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation). • The American Fitness Index ranks Indianapolis 45th in its health and fitness status out of the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.

4. The Statistics of Inactivity • When asked, “During the past month did you participate in any physical activity?”, 25.9% on Indiana adults said “NO!.” This statistic in all actuality is probably low because this is self-reported information.

5. The Health Department as a Partner The Marion County Public Health Department: • Works to change the health statistics of Indianapolis through prevention. • Understands the impact that policies such as Complete Streets can have on health. • Recognizes that the built environment influences active living, and that we have engineered physical activity out of our daily lives.

6. The Value of Prevention Through Policy Change • For these reasons, the Marion County Public Health Department is the leading funder of Health by Design. • Both organizations are committed to reducing the trend of inactivity in Marion County. • Health by Design is leading the way on policy change to improve the built environment and integrate physical activity into the daily life of Indianapolis residents.

7. Earlier Work by Health by Design on Pedestrian Issues In 2008, Health by Design was instrumental in passing a Sidewalk Ordinance that: • Requires all new development to install sidewalks • Allows for an “opt out” with a compelling reason (approved by the development commission), but the developer must pay into a fund that finances other development work

8. Other Early Work By Health By Design On Pedestrian Issues In spring 2008, Indiana University-Purdue University in Indianapolis capstone students developed a toolkit for assessing neighborhood walkability, which was piloted through Health by Design and its partners in 2009.

9. Bicycling and Transit Advocacy is Strong in Indianapolis In Indianapolis, we have seen the advocacy around biking take off and develop a life of it’s own. Additionally, advocacy for more and better transit is being championed through the grassroots efforts of the Indiana Citizens’ Alliance for Transit (another initiative of Health by Design).

10. A Need to Build an Advocacy Network for Pedestrians Despite this good work, Health by Design recognized the need for a core group dedicated to pedestrian-specific advocacy in Indianapolis. We convened to: • Discuss the work being done; • Identify issues that still need to be addressed; and • Build a cohesive effort around these issues.

11. So We Begin……. The work group convened in early 2013. The first meeting was a brain dump of pedestrian issues in Indianapolis. The following rose to the top: • Pedestrian plan for Indianapolis; • Policies to improve connectivity; • Pedestrian project prioritization in the City through a written plan; • Pedestrian safety best practices implementation; and • Crosswalk safety issues.

12. So We Begin……. • Identify high pedestrian/vehicle crash intersections and advocate for improvements • Educate on pedestrian safety • Promote walking as a means of healthy transportation and improving the environment • Start a walking campaign

13. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel Our work group is continually learning from the successes and failures of other cities that are farther along in their structured pedestrian advocacy.

14. Desirable Outcomes Some of our goals: • Work with public officials to improve the balance between transportation and land use planning to encourage walking. • Improve walkability and increase walking so that our community is a safe, desirable place to live, work and play. • Improve public health of the community (the environment and physical activity) • Provide pedestrian access to commercial centers via a linked network.

15. Who Are Your Partners? Who would be good partners? Who cares about improving the walkability of your community? • Community organizations whose clients need a safe, connected pedestrian network-disabled, low-income, elderly etc. • Healthcare Community • Policymakers, City Agencies • Schools • Parks • Transit Organizations • Public Safety Officials

16. You Can’t Do it Alone There is strength in numbers! Pooling resources helps you: • Extend your reach; • Build expertise and encourage different viewpoints; • Establish consistent messaging; and • Reach a shared goal together. Think about the reach of your voice when you have several partners singing the same tune—it is a beautiful thing.

17. Contact Information Laura Searfoss National Complete Streets Coalition lsearfoss@completestreets.org Zia Brucaya Health by Design (317) 352-3804 x103 zbrucaya@acsm.org Joan Cook Health by Design (317) 250-3475 jcook@hhcorp.org