AGENDA #5b

MEMORANDUM

TO:                  Roger L. Stancil, Town Manager

FROM:            J.B. Culpepper, Planning Director

                        David Bonk, Long Range Planning and Transportation Coordinator

SUBJECT:      Active Living by Design Year 3 Annual Report

DATE:            October 23, 2006

PURPOSE

The purpose of this report is to provide the Council with an annual review of projects and activities of the Active Living by Design (ALbD) project.  The ALbD Year 3 Annual Report is attached (Attachment 1).

BACKGROUND

In 2003, the Town received a $200,000 five year grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to promote active living through programming and physical design.  The grant proposal included the preparation of a mobility assessment for the Northside area, a study of the Timberlyne area, NC 86/MLK Jr. Boulevard Corridor, encouragement to students for walking to school and general encouragement of more daily activity for Chapel Hill citizens.  November 1, 2006, begins the fourth year of the grant.

DISCUSSION

The Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design program is organized into three focus areas dealing with schools, neighborhoods, and businesses.  Through community volunteers and partnerships, ongoing efforts are made with the development of opportunities for active living through programming and physical design.  The attached Year 3 Report is formatted as required by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Active Living by Design national office.  A number of achievements, recognitions and awards also were received through the efforts of Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design during the period of November 1, 2005 to October 31, 2006.

Active Routes to School

The Active Routes to Schools program has had success through volunteer parents at Ephesus Elementary, Estes Hills Elementary, Scroggs Elementary and Phillips Middle School.  Recently, Rashkis Elementary School has been added to Active Routes to Schools. Volunteers have worked on or are working on neighborhood assessments identifying unsafe intersections, areas with or without sidewalks and bike lanes as well as other issues that might prohibit safe walking or biking to school.  Parent surveys as well as classroom surveys have identified areas of concern in school walking zones that help in determining better ways to get more students and parents walking to school.  The following active living opportunities were offered through Go! Chapel Hill Active Routes to School:

• International Walk to School Day - Phillips Middle School, Ephesus Elementary and Rashkis Elementary Schools participated.
• Walking Wednesdays - Through the efforts of the volunteers the program has been successful in more students and parents walking or wheeling to and from school.  The program began the first week with 152 participants and ended the eighth week with 468 participants. A decrease in the “kiss and go” traffic lines has been noted at several schools by administrators.
• Go! Club - All Chapel Hill school students received materials allowing them to self report daily activity. Over 8,000 students through the “Go! Club,” were offered information on activity ideas as well as the daily activity calendar.  Recognition for their efforts will be offered through individual schools.

Active Businesses

The Active Business component of the program has made progress through the Town’s transportation management plan program.  Through Active Businesses employers encourage employees, as well as patrons, to add activity to their daily schedules. The following active living opportunities were offered through Go! Chapel Hill Active Businesses:

• Businesses Toolkits - containing materials and information on 10,000 Steps program, pedometers as well as bike and greenways maps.
• Chapel Hill Transit Map and Schedules – Distributed to Transportation Management Plan Businesses. 
• Downtown Walking Map – a map of the downtown area has been completed and will be printed for distribution. The map includes walking loops of various distances highlighting murals and other points of interest in the downtown area.

Active Neighborhoods

The Active Neighborhood component includes the work with the NC 86/MLK Jr. Boulevard the Northside Neighborhood and the Timberlyne Neighborhood.  The following active living opportunities were offered through Go! Chapel Hill Active Neighborhoods:

• NC 86/MLK Jr. Blvd. – Lappis and Havener were contracted with to draft Corridor recommendations for pedestrian/bike mobility improvements between I-40 and North Street.  
• NC 86/MLK Jr. Blvd. Community Forum – The draft plan was offered for review and comments.  A revised plan was drafted and will be presented to the Town Council.
• Northside Neighborhood – A draft plan of the Mobility Pedestrian recommended improvements was developed by Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design staff.  A Public Forum is scheduled for November 6, 2006.
• Northside Neighborhood – A Walking Loops Draft Plan and signage has been developed by Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design staff. 
• Timberlyne Neighborhood – A Walkable Workshop to study pedestrian/bike mobility improvements encouraging more active lifestyle opportunity is currently being developed and is scheduled for November 2, 2006.

Achievements

• Fit Community Designation - Chapel Hill Active Living by Design applied for a Fit Community Designation.  This designation was sponsored by the NC Health and Wellness Trust Fund and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Chapel Hill was one of eight North Carolina Communities that received a Fit Community Designation awarded by North Carolina Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue at a statewide ceremony.  The designation supports physical activity and healthy eating initiatives in the community, schools, and workplaces.  The Town of Chapel Hill received a plaque and signage that can be posted at the entrances to the Town.
• NC Healthy Summit Film - Trust for America’s Health and the NC Division of Public Health hosted the Healthier North Carolina Summit in August 2006.  National Active Living by Design contracted with a professional filming company to film Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design program highlights.  The five minute film showcased the NC 86/MLK Jr. Blvd project, the Northside Mobility Pedestrian Plan and the Active Routes to Schools program. The film was presented at the NC Healthy Summit and will also be shown at other National ALbD functions.
• Statewide Safe Routes to School Kick-Off – The Go! Chapel Hill Active Routes to School program was recognized as the “Model” for the state Safe Routes to School program. The statewide kick off event was emceed by Chapel Hill Mayor pro tem Bill Strom with Go! Chapel Hill Advisory Committee Members, School Administrators and students participating.
• Go! Chapel Hill Web Site - The newly designed Go! Chapel Hill website promotes all three areas of the Go! Chapel Hill Active Living by Design program.  It is designed to be a valuable resource for those needing information on how to become involved in active businesses, schools, or neighborhoods as well as beginning a 10,000 steps program or finding information for a healthier more active lifestyle with tips or linking onto other healthy living links.  The web site is updated frequently.

STATUS OF STAFF SUPPORT

The Active Living By Design grant also provided funding for fifty percent (50%) of a staff position to administer the project.  This funding was combined with funding from the Transportation Department to support transit marketing programs. With funding from both sources a full-time Transit Marketing/Public Outreach Coordinator was hired in February 2004.

In June 2006, the Transportation Department indicated that they would not be able to provide funding for the Transit Marketing/Public Outreach Coordinator after October 31, 2006. After October 31, 2006, without additional funding, the position would revert to a half-time position.

We believe that the Active Living By Design program has resulted in expanded awareness of the importance of public health and active lifestyles throughout the community. The program has also highlighted the relationship between community design and its impact on public health.

The Active Living By Design grant budget does provide funding through June 30, 2007 to support fifty percent (50%) of the salary for the Transit Marketing/Public Outreach Coordinator. We propose to reallocate funds from existing transportation planning grants to supplement the Active Living funds to support the continuation of this full-time position until June 30, 2007.

We expect to return to the Council during the annual budget process with options for continuing this position beyond June 30, 2007. See Agenda #4k for Proposed Changes to Town Classification Pay Plan.

ATTACHMENTS

1. Active Living by Design Year 3 Annual Report (begin new page 1).