The Town of Conklin to be Honored for Becoming a "Walkable Community"

BINGHAMTON, NY - The Broome County Health Department's Steps to a HealthierNY Program will honor the Town of Conklin, Wednesday, September 28, 2005 at 1:00 p.m. in Schnurbush Park as the town unveils the new Town of Conklin Life Walk, and announces its plans to make their community more "walkable."

The Town of Conklin concerned about the health and safety of their residents and businesses established a Walkable Communties Advisory Board eight months ago. With the support of local leadership, the advisory board engaged the community in a public visioning process, assessing and identifying opportunities to implement walkable community concepts, and develop an over all "connectivity" strategy for bikeway and pedestrian linkages to schools, neighborhoods, parks and commercials areas.

They submitted a grant application to the New York State Quality of Communities Program in February 2005 for funding to explore open space development based on the walkable communities principles, issuing a request for proposal to enlist consulting services for the development of an open space strategy and lastly they applied in August for a $17,000 Walkable Community grant from the Steps to a HealthierNY program. In a very short time, the Town was able to complete a ½ mile trail that is connected to four wellness stations and a dedicated parking lot in Schnurbush Park.

The Town of Conklin Life Walk, as it is so proudly named, is intended to promote physical activity among the residents of Conklin and overcome environmental barriers that discourage participation in physical activity.

The project is specifically designed to combine walking with upper and lower body strengthening with the involvement of the following components:

• Designation of a ½ mile walking trail with signage and pavement markings
• Installation of four wellness stations: including a Welcome Station, Bench Step Station, Standing Push-up Station, and a Lower Body Stretch Station
• Benches for participants
• Litter receptacles
• Signage to redirect traffic flow in Schnurbush Park to increase walker safety
• Creation of a dedicated "walker" parking area located adjacent to Conklin Life Walk

The Town of Conklin has shown Broome County that they are a role model for the concept of walkable communities, as well as a supporter of health and wellness. Their common "CENTS" should be an inspiration to all of us to walk more, which will lead to a healthier community and reduced health care costs.

"This is a huge "step" in the right direction," said Claudia Edwards, Broome County Public Health Director. "The Town of Conklin is to be commended for taking the principles of disease prevention and health promotion seriously and establishing an environmental change in their community."

The concept of walkable communities was started by a Florida company called Walkable Communities, Inc. It was established in 1996, and organized for the express purpose of helping whole communities, whether they are large cities or small towns, or parts of communities, i.e. neighborhoods, business districts, parks, school districts, subdivisions, specific roadway corridors, etc., become more walkable and pedestrian friendly.

The premise of the company is that walkability is the cornerstone and key to an urban area's efficient ground transportation. Every trip begins and ends with walking. Walking remains the cheapest form of transport for all people, and the construction of a walkable community provides the most affordable transportation system any community can plan, design, construct and maintain. Walkable communities put urban environments back on a scale for sustainability of resources (both natural and economic) and lead to more social interaction, physical fitness, and diminished crime and other social problems. Walkable communities are more livable communities and lead to whole, happy, healthy lives for the people who live in them.

For more information on Walkable Communities, visit www.walk.org.

Steps to a HealthierNY is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as part of Steps to a HealthierUS, a national program focusing on the prevention of diabetes, obesity and asthma and addressing related risk factors--poor nutrition, physical inactivity and tobacco use and exposure. For more information about Steps to a HealthierNY in Broome County and/or how your group, organization, or workplace can participate in the programs it offers please visit www.gobroomecounty.com or call Mary McFadden, Coordinator at 607.778.3929.

Steps to a Healthier US Cooperative Agreement is a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) program advancing the HealthierUS goal to help Americans live longer, better and healthier lives. Through funding of community-based interventions, this program aims to reduce the burden of diabetes, obesity and asthma, and address three related risk behaviors--poor nutrition, physical inactivity and tobacco use and exposure. For more information, please visit www.healthierus.gov/steps.

CONTACT:
Mary McFadden, Supervising Public Health Educator
Steps to a HealthierNY Coordinator
Broome County Health Department: 607.778.3929
email: mmcfadden@co.broome.ny.us

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