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Medford BiPeds in the News
From the September 2, 2004 edition of the Medford Transcript:
Medford Benefits from Safe Community Biking and Walking
By Stephan Reckie, stephan@reckie.info
On November 13, 2002, a tragedy changed my life, as well as
the lives
of many who loved my father, Alexander T. Reckie. At 6 PM, he was
struck by a pickup truck while crossing in the crosswalk in front of
our Lawrence Road, Medford home to mail a letter to his friends in
Poland. He never recovered from his coma, and died three days later
from severe head trauma. I felt helpless, a victim to an intersection
redesigned by local officials — without any input from residents — to
speed up the flow of traffic. My father's needless death reaffirmed to
me that speed, traffic volume, and neighborhood communities do not mix,
and I sought to find an organization which would amplify my voice. When
I did not find one, I and several other walkers and cyclists, all
residents of Medford, formed the Medford BiPeds (Medford Bicycle
Pedestrian Advisory Committee).
Medford BiPeds is working to identify what the Medford
community needs
to make our streets safer, and to work with the city to ensure that
these needs are addressed. Our vision is that Medford will develop a
safe transportation system in which a variety of choices — walking,
biking, and public transit — are available for getting to work, stores,
schools, and recreational areas. We want to make our streets safe for
all residents — from small children to seniors. We believe that walking
and biking have many benefits for individuals and our community,
including health benefits of physical exercise, providing an economic
boon to business areas from more foot traffic, and helping clean up our
environment by reducing the number of local car trips. In short, when
Medford is a better place for walking and biking, it will also be a
more pleasant and enjoyable place to live, work, and drive.
Volunteers of Medford BiPeds have met with Medford police
officers,
residents, and city officials to discuss our goals and generate ideas.
Together we have come up with many possibilities for making Medford a
safer and more enjoyable place for walking and biking, including a
walking tour of hazardous intersections; a “walk to work” campaign; a
mini-rally to "reclaim" our streets and neighborhoods; a “walk a child
to school day”; and providing pedometers to residents to encourage
walking for good health.
This is a call to action and to volunteer in our efforts.
Walkers and
bikers, like you and your family, can now be heard. It is your voices
and your energy that will make our community safer. Every tiny bit of
action makes a difference! Please volunteer to help make and keep our
community a safe place to walk and bike.
To work with Medford BiPeds to make our community a safer
place for
everyone, send e-mail to Stephan@medfordbipeds.org;
visit our website www.medfordbipeds.org,
or call (800) 538-8641.
For more information about safe and enjoyable biking and
walking, you
can contact these organizations:
Walking in Arlington:
a pedestrian advocacy and walking safety group that works with
residents, town officials, local businesses, schools, senior centers,
religious congregations, and community groups to make Arlington a more
pedestrian-friendly place for people of all ages.
http://www.walkinginarlington.org |
Walkboston: promotes walking for
transportation, health and recreation
through education and advocacy. Their mission is to create and preserve
safe walking environments that build vital communities.
http://www.walkboston.org, (617) 367-9255
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America Walks: a national
coalition of local advocacy groups dedicated
to promoting walkable communities. Its members are autonomous
grassroots organizations from across the country, each working to
improve conditions for walking in their area.
http://www.americawalks.org, (617) 367-1170
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Traffic Calming: A practical
guide to traffic calming and neighborhood
traffic management.
http://www.trafficcalming.org/
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Federal Highway Administration's Bicycle
and Pedestrian Program Office:
promotes bicycle and pedestrian transportation use and safety.
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/bikeped/index.htm
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National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration: a source of information
and statistics about ways to prevent deaths, injuries and economic
losses resulting from motor vehicle crashes.
http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/people/injury/pedbimot/ped/pedbike.html
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Copyright ©2004, Medford BiPeds.
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