Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety
Northeast Florida is similar to many places in the country that are addressing bicycle and pedestrian safety. Creating safe and healthy communities by focusing on the environment and how people behave in space is not a new concept--urban and transportation planners, health professionals and advocacy groups have been working on these issues for decades. With the resurgence of interest in designing communities at the pedestrian scale rather than that of the automobile, a very different built environment emerges - one where it is safe for children to walk to school, families to enjoy bicycle rides, and cycle enthusiasts to commute alongside cars.
In order to leverage resources for greater impact toward effecting positive change in our communities, this initiative center is a resource for collective activity around safe and effective active modes of transportation. A number of movements are happening locally, regionally and nationally that can lead Northeast Florida in a direction of healthy change.
This is a resource of best practices, a place to share programs and ideas, a mechanism to leverage assets a central calendar for related activities and a place to advocate for healthy changes. Please join us as we define the solutions!
STATE & REGIONAL PROGRAMS
The Health Planning Council of Northeast Florida is working with Healthy Jacksonville to facilitate Safe Routes to School in Duval County Schools. Safe Routes to School is a federal grant program that is administered by the State Department of Transportation to provide funding to local communities throughout the state to improve safety and encourage more children to safely walk and bicycle to school.
Check out the Florida Bicycling Street Smarts manual that teachs safe bicycling on public roads. It also discusses the laws affecting bicyclists and motorists, proper safety equipment and gear, and bicycling in all weather conditions and traffic conditions. Online version available through FDOT: Florida Bicycling Street Smarts.
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