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Creating a bike and pedestrian friendly region

Post Independent Writer

Did you know 30 years ago 66 percent of children walked or biked to school? Now only 10 percent walk or bike to school. Also, enjoyable biking and walking opportunities are at the top of the list of what tourists look for in selecting where to visit.Dan Burden, internationally known expert on bikeable and walkable communities, has been invited to conduct two free interactive sessions on how we can make our entire region as bike and pedestrian-friendly as possible.The Oct. 21 workshop will be hosted from 6-9 p.m. at the Carbondale Town Hall and will focus on Community Design for Active Living. Mr. Burden will discuss general principles of good design to encourage biking and walking and present possible solutions for any points in Carbondale, such as how to increase the safety of intersections and highway crossings. Information from this presentation can be used in any community or any development.The Oct. 22 Creating a Bike/Walk Friendly Region: Great for us and great for the economy will be hosted from 1-5 p.m. at the Glenwood Springs Community Center. Methods will be discussed for connecting regional trails with community transportation corridors.Discussions will review the role of bike networks in livability and desirability as tourist destinations. Representatives from RFTA, LoVa and other trails groups will discuss the progress toward linking Rifle to Aspen, and the creation of a development/implementation plan for completing the Rio Grande Trail. Guest speaker, Dan Burden, is director of Walkable Communities Inc., a non-profit corporation formed in 1996 to help communities become more livable, walkable, and bikeable. During the past six years, Mr. Burden has worked in 1,200 towns in all regions of North America, from small agricultural villages to large metropolises, helping communities identify better design for encouraging “active living.”Mr. Burden’s background and talents bring together many disciplines and accomplishments, including main street development, street design, traffic calming, trails development, highway safety, public space, ADA issues, bicycling, greenways, and more. A recent issue of Time Magazine declared Mr. Burden to be one of the six most important civic innovators. Dan Burden served for 16 years as Florida DOT’s State Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator, Mr. Burden is midway into a self-imposed 10-year sojourn to discover the best of American community development. When he visits a community, he imparts energy, passion, vision, and a cooperative spirit to address individual and civic responsibility to embrace change and the future, and make communities the best places possible.Dan is also a freelance photographer for National Geographic, Better Homes & Garden, and the Sierra Club. His slide presentations are magnificent illustrations of the best (and worst) examples of livable places. These upcoming presentation with this visionary speaker will be an unforgettable experience.Sponsorship and partnerships for these free workshops was provided by: New Century Transportation Foundation, Colorado Department of Transportation, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority, City of Glenwood Springs, Town of Carbondale, Glenwood Springs Post Independent, Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, Carbondale Community Chamber, LoVa, Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers, Mid-Valley Trails, Carbondale Trails Committee, Glenwood River Commission and the EOTC.For more information and to RSVP please contact the New Century Transportation Foundation at 704-9200 or e-mail ctuttle@newcenturytrans.org.Cathy Tuttle is with New Century Transportation Foundation, creating choices for a livable future.Cathy Tuttle is with New Century Transportation Foundation, creating choices for a livable future.


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