Can bikeability and walkability transform socially and aesthetically deteriorating neighborhoods? How can bringing active transportation into the planning process bring more equity to a community? For more than two decades social activists and elected officials, alike, have teamed up to improve the quality of life for residents. Hear specific objectives and strategies from Houston, Minneapolis and Orlando. How did they improve access to jobs by creating pathways linking public transit? Or encourage active body motion -- and better health -- by providing alternatives to cars? Learn strategies to form alliances between nonprofit organizations, private enterprise, local governments and local residents. Dare to imagine creative ways to transform your own community. Moderator: Rukiya Eaddy Thomas, Chief of Staff, Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, Atlanta, Georgia Gwendolyn Fedrick, GO Neighborhood Community Coordinator, Neighborhood Recovery Community Development Corporation, Houston, Texas Brooke Bonnett, AICP, Director of Economic Development, City of Orlando, Orlando, Florida Russ Adams, Executive Director, Alliance for Metropolitan Stability, Minneapolis, Minnesota

1. Rail~Volu)on
Conference
2015
Ac)ve
Transporta)on
for
Equitable
Outcomes
Gwendolyn
Fedrick,
M.S.
W.,
M.P.A.
Neighborhood
Recovery
Community
Development
Corpora)on
OST/South
Union
GO
Neighborhood

2. Our Community

3. OST/SOUTH UNION
Popula'on:
23,950
African
American:
83%
Median
Household
Income:
$27,785
34%
of
all
residents
are
obese
Hispanic: 16%
60%
of
residents
take
cars
to
community
parks
White: 1%
60%
walk
at
least
10
minutes
a
day

4. Community Engagement
We
envision
an
engaged
and
informed
community
working
together
to
transform
Southeast
Houston
into
a
healthy,
vibrant,
safe
and
economically
stable
community,
a
place
that
nurtures
and
supports
us
throughout
our
lives.
v 2011
University
of
Houston
Na)onal
Endowment
for
the
Arts
grant
v 2012
Civic
clubs,
residents
and
stakeholders
began
Southeast
Houston
Transforma)on
Alliance
(SEHTA)
2012
v 2013
OST/South
Union
receives
GO
Neighborhoods
designa)on
by
Houston
Local
Ini)a)ves
Support
Corpora)on
(LISC)
v Over
300
residents,
stakeholders,
elected
officials,
partners,
allies
and
key
community
leaders
par)cipated
in
the
strategic
planning
process.

5. LISC GO Neighborhoods
v
Local
Unique
to
our
community
v
Ini'a'ves
Ideas
and
projects
based
on
crea)vity
and
resourcefulness
of
our
community
v
Support
Funding,
training,
and
coaching
v
“Coopera'on”
Partnering
and
teamwork
to
make
dreams
reality

6. Strollin’ & Rollin’
Mission: To improve the health of the OST/South Union community by biking, walking, and using
public transportaKon while connecKng community desKnaKons.
v
Major
Partner:
Na)onal
Park
Service
Rivers,
Trails
&
Conserva)on
Assistance
v
Projects
Ø Bike
ride
connec)ng
three
community
parks
Ø 5-­‐week
Summer
Bike
Safety
Program
for
96
youth
in
conjunc)on
with
YMCA
Ø Ac)ve
Tuesday
bike
rides
Ø Community
Surveys
Ø Mobility
Study
Ø Neighborhood
Greenways
Master
Plan

7. Community Engagement through InformaKon Gathering
GO
Team
Survey
• Street
and
sidewalk
condi)ons
($0)
• Volunteers
rode
bikes
and
documented
neighborhood
streets
Rice
University
Houston
Ac'on
Research
Team
• 4
students
(in
one
semester)
created
survey
and
map
of
des)na)ons
• Met
face-­‐to-­‐face
with
residents
at
transit
stops,
civic
club
mee)ngs,
etc.
• $10,000
In-­‐kind
Na'onal
Park
Service
Technical
Assistance
• Biking
desirability
• In
person
and
on-­‐line
• >$50,000
In-­‐kind
Sankofa
Research
Ins'tute
• Community-­‐Based
Par)cipatory
• Travel
paderns
and
issues
•
$10,000
by
University
of
Houston
and
The
Dawn
Project

8. GO
Team
Street
Condi)ons
Survey
Fragmented,
cracked
and
buckled
streets
and
sidewalks
55%
of
the
streets
do
not
have
sidewalks
Residents
are
forced
to
share
the
streets
with
cyclists
and
motorized
vehicles
where
sidewalks
do
not
exist
Crosswalks
and
signage
are
lacking,
even
near
schools
Less
than
10%
of
230
street
segments
surveyed
had
any
form
of
biking
designa)ons

9. Alterna)ve
Mobility
Survey
Used
maps
to
ask
residents
about
their
mobility
paderns—car,
walk,
bike,
METRO
Asked
for
recommenda)ons
of
travel
paderns
and
improvements
of
street
segments
Rice
University
Center
for
Civic
Leadership
Houston
Ac)on
Research
Team

10. Na'onal
Park
Service
Rivers,
Trails
&
Conserva'on
Technical
Assistance
Supports
community-­‐led
natural
resource
conserva)on
and
outdoor
recrea)on
Project
Goal:
Develop
a
signed
network
of
bike
routes
and
pathways
that
connect
key
community
and
recrea)on
des)na)ons
in
inner
southeast
Houston.
NPS
Role:
Help
the
Strollin’
&
Rollin’
GO
Team
with
organiza)onal
development,
stakeholder
engagement,
and
data
collec)on
in
order
to
develop
preferred
biking
and
walking
routes
through
the
neighborhood.

11. Sankofa
Research
Ins'tute
Community-­‐Based
Par'cipatory
Research
Community-­‐based
par'cipatory
research
(CBPR):
community
members,
organiza)onal
representa)ves,
and
researchers
engaged
in
all
aspects
of
the
research
process
to
contribute
exper)se
and
share
decision
making
and
ownership.
Aim
was
to
increase
knowledge
and
understanding
of
walking
and
biking
and
to
integrate
interven)on,
policy,
and
social
change
to
improve
community’s
health
and
quality
of
life.
Incen)ves
for
par)cipa)ng
($5
gij
cards)
Community
members
were
trained
and
paid
to
collect
and
interpret
the
data.

12. Mobility Report
Comprehensive
look
at
how
residents
get
around
Iden)fies
barriers
to
mobility
Recommends
ac)ons
to
alleviate
barriers
and
increase
residents’
op)mal
level
of
health

13. Stakeholder Engagement
v Two
Partners’
Mee)ngs
v Elected
Officials
v State
Senator
Rodney
Ellis
v State
Representa)ve
Garnet
Coleman
v District
D
City
Council
Member
Dwight
Boykins
v Houston
Southeast
Management
District
v FTA
grantee
v Transporta)on
and
Mobility
Commidee
v Houston
Bike
Plan
presenta)on
venue

14. Guiding Principles
Respond
to
ways
that
residents
currently
get
around
as
well
as
how
they
would
like
to
get
around
in
the
future
Tackle
the
barriers
that
keep
residents
from
engaging
in
ac)ve
transporta)on
and
recrea)on
Connect
all
OST/
South
Union
residents
to
key
des)na)ons,
both
inside
and
outside
the
neighborhood
Provide
realis'c
opportuni'es
for
improving
neighborhood
mobility,
both
immediately
and
over
)me

15. Master Plan
Shared
our
Mobility
Report
and
Master
Plan
with
City
of
Houston
Bike
Plan
task
force
Our
strategy:
Neighborhood
Greenways

16. Neighborhood Greenways IniKaKve
EASY,
SAFE
STREET
CROSSING
Slow-­‐Moving
Local
Traffic
Phased-­‐In
Over
Time
QUIET,
LOW-­‐
TRAFFIC
STREETS
EASY-­‐TO-­‐FOLLOW
ROUTES

17. Why Neighborhood
Greenways in
Southeast Houston?
2010
Health
of
Houston
Survey
reported
an
obesity
rate
of
34%
76%
of
children
(6-­‐17
years
old)
get
less
than
recommended
physical
ac)vity
(60
minutes,
seven
days/week)
Connec)vity
Encourage
u)liza)on
of
new
bus
network
and
new
METRO
Rail
line
Inspire
residents
to
become
physically
ac)ve

18. Moving Forward>>ImplementaKon Strategies
v Based
on
community
priori)es,
planned
road
improvements
and/or
future
funding
sources
and
partnerships
>
Houston
Southeast
Management
District—FTA
grantee
>
$1.2
million
earmarked
in
2009
by
Congresswoman
Sheila
Jackson
Lee
for
bikeways
and
access
to
transit
(new
METRO
light
rail
line)
>
$266,000
match
needed
in
cash
Focus
ini)al
efforts
on
route
signage
and
improving
key
intersec)ons
Build
out
4-­‐5
routes
to
meet
the
needs
and
demands
of
the
neighborhood
Add
routes
to
provide
more
convenient
connec)ons
to
community
ameni)es

19. Next Steps
Community-­‐
based
educa'on
on
Neighborhood
Greenways
ini'a've
Advocate
for
infrastructure
improvements
throughout
the
neighborhood
Programming
to
create
an
intergenera'onal
culture
of
walking
and
biking
Seek
funding
sources
for
the
$266,000
FTA
cash
match