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BikeTexas Busy with Healthy Living Initiatives |
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Wednesday, 10 December 2008 |
Healthy living initiatives are flourishing across Texas, and BikeTexas is working to ensure that bicycling is well represented, along with nutrition and physical activities such as walking, in these efforts. The first week in December was a busy one as we met with some of the great organizations involved in this effort!
Texas Active Living Network (TALN)
TALN provides information and education on building trails, bikeways, and other transportation, recreation, and conservation infrastructure to encourage active lifestyles for Texans. On Monday, December 1, BikeTexas hosted and participated in their monthly meeting. BikeTexas is a charter member of the group, which also includes the National Park Service, Texas Trails Network,  TxDOT and the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Partnership for a Healthy Texas
Then on Tuesday, BikeTexas staff headed over to the State Capitol for
the Obesity Health Policy Forum, sponsored by Partnership for a Healthy
Texas and the Methodist Healthcare Ministries. BikeTexas is a member of
Partnership for a Healthy Texas along with 41 other statewide
organizations.
Texas State Comptroller Susan Combs, a champion of active living and
good nutrition, gave the keynote speech. She outlined the economic
costs of obesity in Texas, detailed in the publication Special Report:
Counting Costs and Calories - Measuring the Cost of Obesity to Texas
Employers.
Click here to see the forum agenda listing speakers and the 41 member
organizations.
Safe Routes to School National Partnership
Thursday, December 4 found BikeTexas staff at the Texas Transportation
Institute's Austin office for the meeting of the Safe Routes to School
National Partnership, to welcome Partnership staff member Robert Ping
of Portland, Oregon during his visit to Texas.
The Safe Routes to School National Partnership is working to maximize
the benefit of the $612 million that was authorized by the 2006 Federal
Transportation bill and passed to local governments through the state
departments of transportation. BikeTexas is an active member of the
partnership. Information on Texas Safe Routes to School, including many
contributions by BikeTexas, can be seen here.
Though it's a big investment of time and energy for BikeTexas to be an
actively contributing member in these efforts, it's more than worth it.
We get great opportunities to further cycling in Texas at the local,
state and federal levels, and we connect with allies we can call upon
who know and respect the work of BikeTexas and its members.
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