Supervisor says walk

October was International Walk-to-School month, when communities all around the world participate in daily, weekly or monthly events designed to raise awareness about the many benefits of safely walking and bicycling to school. When October came to a close, awareness about the benefits of walking and cycling to school needed to increase - our health and prosperity depend on it.

Joining 40 countries and all 50 states, at least 70 schools throughout Alameda County ditched their cars and traveled to school in active, non-polluting ways the week of Oct. 5 to 9. Forty years ago, nearly 90 percent of students who lived close to school walked of bicycled to get there. Today that figure has dropped to between 25 and 30 percent.

In Alameda County the annual estimated health-care and lost-productivity costs of obesity and inactivity are $2 billion. As a community we could spend that money on many other opportunities to improve out quality of life. "Today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history caused in part by reductions in school physical-education programs and unavailability of and unsafe community recreational facilities," said the American Obesity Association.

In Alameda County we are actively working to change these numbers. The Safe Routes to Schools Partnership Program, led by nonprofit TransForm, includes the Alameda County Health Department and other local agencies and organizations. The program is funded in large part by you, the taxpayer, through a major grant from Measure B - Alameda County's half-cent transportation sales tax, administered by the Alameda County Transportation Improvement Authority. (ACTIA)

My office is launching an expanded effort to increase Safe Routes to Schools efforts through a five-fold program to reduce health disparities, increase physical activity and health, increase safety, publish and distribute customized school transportation plans for each school and engage parents and community.

ACTIA has also joined Active Transportation, a national effort aimed at increasing federal transportation funding for walking, biking and access to transportation. Active Transportation will inspire people to walk and bike more; advance pedestrian and bicycle access to transit; and connect our communities through urban greenways.

This includes building an East Bay Greenway, filling gaps in the Bay Trail from Fremont to Albany and completing the Iron Horse Trail from Dublin-Pleasanton to Livermore. We believe it is imperative that we continue to foster an environment and provide the necessary resources to create walkable and safe communities, especially for the youngest and most-at-risk among us. With your continued support, we will turn the clock back and make walking to school once again a common occurrence.

Alice Lai-Bitker is chair of the ACTIA board and a member of Alameda County Board of Supervisors representing Alameda.