Arlington's Car-Free Diet Blog

Family learns important lessons going car free

A husband and wife and their six children have spent nearly a year walking and using public transportation around San Francisco. It's been a learning experience for the entire family. In a blog entry, the husband, Leo Babauta, talks about the 7 lessons he's learned, including "How to wait" and "How to live with less control."  See his blog at ZenHabits.

 

Bobbi Greenberg is the Marketing Director for Arlington County Commuter Services

Help advocates create and sustain a walkable environment by taking the National Walking Survey.

 
Last November, the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) introduced its Walk Friendly Communities (WFC) program to encourage safer walking environments.  The WFC program recognizes communities for their commitment to walkability and pedestrian safety through comprehensive programs, plans, and policies. Sponsored by DOT’s Federal Highway Administration along with the PBIC and FedEx, WFC recognized 11 cities last week for improving walkability and pedestrian safety.  Arlington County was among the 11 cities awarded and one of only four to receive Gold Level designation.

Arlington County's pedestrian initiatives like WalkArlington and activities and encouragement programs like Walkabouts and the Car-Free Diet were cited among the many reasons the County was awarded this special designation.

One of the key reasons why Arlington received this honor is its responsiveness to community input regarding pedestrian safety and walkability. 

Input is critical to creating and sustaining a walkable environment.  Right now, the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals and America Walks are conducting a National Walking Survey.  The survey will help walking advocates understand what motivates avid walkers and what keeps others from walking more. 

WalkArlington strongly encourages you to take the National Walking Survey, which can be completed in only five minutes!  Plus, the results are anonymous.  America Walks will analyze the data and use the results to help promote walking in walk friendly and not-so-walk friendly communities across America.

WalkArlington

A perfect reason to start a new workplace walking routine...

 
There are numerous benefits for exercising together including support, commitment and motivation. Additionally, you’re more likely to enjoy your exercise session in the company of friends. But with a busy work schedule and plenty of other commitments, it’s hard to find the time and wherewithal to make it happen. 

Enter National Walk @ Lunch Day^®, an annual workplace event that encourages you to get up from your desk and on your feet at lunchtime. Established by BlueCross BlueShield, National Walk @ Lunch Day^® is designed to complement your busy lifestyle, improve personal health and decrease the costs of healthcare for employers and employees. 

This year, National Walk @ Lunch Day is Wednesday, April 27, just two weeks away!  It’s a perfect reason for you and your colleagues to start a new workplace walking routine! 

Don’t know how to get started?  Planning a walk is easier than you think.  Here are some helpful tips for getting your co-workers up on their feet to join you for a lunchtime walk on National Walk @ Lunch Day^®. 

• Determine a walk route.
• Invite your friends and colleagues by email and/or send out an evite.
• Hang up posters and fliers around the office promoting the event.
• The day before the event, check the weather and update participants so they are dressed properly. (LINK to weather info)
• On the day of the event, send out a final reminder to participants.
• Meet at your designated starting point and WALK!

For additional workplace walking tips and to find more information about National Walk @ Lunch Day^®, check out WalkArlington Works at WalkArlington.com.  National Walk @ Lunch Day^® is just one of the steps you and your co-workers can take toward a healthier self. 

 

April 1 is Walk to Work Day – No Fooling!

 
The first Friday of April is National Walk to Work Day.  April 1 is also known as April Fool’s Day. This means that National Walk to Work Day 2011 falls on April Fool’s Day.  But that doesn’t mean that walking to work is a joke.  In fact, in Arlington, it’s a way of life for at least 6 percent of Arlington residents!  What about you?

Are you actually within walking distance of your workplace?  If you don’t already walk to work, why not head out a little earlier than usual Friday and walk the distance?  You might want to wear different shoes, but that’s probably the only change you’d need to make!

Maybe you don’t live close enough to work to walk.  But walking is certainly part of your commute, whether you walk to a bus stop, a Metro station, a carpool, a bicycle, or (perish the thought) a car.  So why not get on the bus or Metro at a stop or station that is farther from your home or workplace than your usual location and walk the rest of the way on April 1?  Or park your bike (or your car) farther away from your workplace and walk the rest of the distance. 

Of course, if your commute just doesn’t allow you to cover part of the distance on foot, think about  walking at lunch or after work, before heading home. Check out our Walkabouts -- WalkArlington's series of neighborhood walking routes -- for ideas on where to go.  See if any colleagues want to join you and make a social event out of it!

No matter how you work walking into your work day, chances are you’ll feel more energized when you arrive at work and more productive all day long. And you just might want to make every Friday Walk to Work Day, especially now that we’re in the prime spring/summer/fall walking season.

And just in time for Walk to Work Day, WalkArlington and Arlington Transportation Partners have put together a new resource to help you incorporate more walking into your workplace routine.  WalkArlington Works: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Walking Workplace debuts online this week and in print next month.

This quick guide compiles ready-made resources for turning your workplace into a walking workplace in three simple steps.  Check it out online or contact info@walkarlington.com with your name and mailing address if you’d like to receive a printed version in April.

Meanwhile, get your walking shoes ready for National Walk to Work Day on Friday, April 1.  Then let us know how your walk to work goes, what you might do differently next time, and when you plan to do it again.

WalkArlington will be looking for you on the sidewalks and streetscapes of Arlington Friday.  No foolin’!

Lauren Hassel
WalkArlington

Arlington Great for Biking

I started commuting by bicycle because I love riding.  I found on the days that I rode to work by bike, I was happier and more productive. 

About 3 years ago, I stopped driving almost completely.  I went from driving 10,000 miles per year to riding 10,000 miles per year.  I've lost 50 pounds and feel great.

This year I'm measuring my cycling in CO2 Emissions saved in addition to miles.  As of January 23rd, I have saved over 586 pounds of CO2 emissions by riding my bicycle.  My goal is 10,000 pounds for 2011.

Thank you, Arlington, for being such a great example of a bicycle friendly community.  I look forward to others following your example.

Pete Beers, Falls Church, VA

Don't Let the Winter Blues Keep You Inside

 
For some of us, winter means hibernation and a general lack of energy. How do you beat the winter  blues? Here’s one way: get outside and do some winter walking.  Did you know that one hour of aerobic exercise outside has the same therapeutic effects as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors? This is because it raises serotonin levels, which decrease in the darker winter months.

To help you get going this winter, WalkArlington, the Arlington County initiative to get more people walking more of the time, put together these winter walking tips.

1. It’s all about attitude. Think “brisk” and “invigorating” instead of colder thoughts.
2. Cover your head and other parts to stay warm. Dress in layers, and don’t forget the mittens or gloves and hat — you lose 35 percent of your body heat through your head!
3. Pay extra attention to your feet. Wear warm socks with room for toe wiggling. Lace up walking shoes with plenty of traction for those occasional icy patches.
4. Wear bright or reflective clothing and stay visible. With fewer daylight hours and cloudy conditions, it’s important to don a high-visibility outer layer.
5. Pick your path. Arlington is blessed with an extensive trail network, plus scores of walkable neighborhoods and urban villages.
6. Consider the conditions when planning your route. Walk where trees offer some shelter from the wind. In nasty weather, try a shopping mall, where you can walk — and window shop – without abandoning your walking regimen.
7. Be safe and be seen. Follow basic safety rules, like looking both ways before you cross a street, crossing at marked crosswalks, watch for traffic, paying attention to cyclists, and walking to the right on trails and paths.
8. Walk with friends or in places where there are other walkers. Consider joining a walking group like WalkArlington Walkers on Meetup.com.
9. Share the way. Be mindful of cyclists, runners, and other trail users. Walk on the right, and listen for bells and audible warnings.
10. Start slowly and take it easy. Muscles warm up as you go. Adjust your pace for the weather conditions to decrease your chances of straining a muscle or taking a fall.

For additional walking resources, event listings, news, and more tips, visit http://www.WalkArlington.com.

A Few Video "Tips" from Car-Free Todd

So you’re on the fence about this whole Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge.  You’re interested but not totally sure how to approach the key part of the application - the video.  Allow me to give you some thoughts on how I handled this component last year when I applied for the challenge.  Now ultimately you will want to convey at least these three topics in your video.  

First, tell us about your current driving habits.  Do you drive to work everyday?  What do you hate about your commute?  Do you use your car for all your errands?  What do you love about your car (i.e. what would you miss if you gave it up for 30 days).

Second, what makes you a skeptic of this challenge?  Do you think it will be impossible to ditch the car for 30 days?  Are you worried you’ll be unable to navigate the network of public transportation options available in Arlington (and beyond)?  Has it been awhile since you last got on a bike?

Third, what do you expect to gain (or lose) from the challenge?  Lose some weight, save some money, gain a better understanding of how to get around without a car.  All very real possibilities!  Make sure you visit the car-free diet calculator on the website to get an idea of your current commute by car - and how that might change if you take the challenge.

How you choose to cover these topics in the video is up to you.  You don’t have to be a video-savvy person to do a simple video.  You can just turn on the camera and start talking if that works for you.  Just think about what you want to say in advance and practice it a bit.  I highly suggest writing a script in advance.  The important things are to have fun with it and be yourself!  If you’re feeling like you want to produce an edited video (like I did) you don’t need a whole lot to make that happen.  If you don’t have a camera or editing equipment - I’m betting you know someone who does who can help you!

When I set out to make my video I thought of a few different ideas before ever starting the process of filming and ultimately settled on the notion that I wanted to show how there are so many ways for me to drive to work (each one of them sucked too).  I also wanted to show that I do walk around my neighborhood quite a bit - but still relied on the car for my work commute.  So I shot footage for all of these parts of the video and worked on a script.  You wonder what some people did to occupy their time during Snomageddon?  I was making my video!  I used my handheld video camera to shoot most of the principal shots.  I had a smaller camera called a GoPro for the shots of my commute.  If you want to add a voice over and mix audio I highly recommend using Audacity to record and mix.  The best part of this great software is that it’s free!  To edit the footage and audio I used Final Cut Express from Apple.  There are other very basic software editing tools out there that are either free or don’t cost very much.

Make sure to start soon so you don’t find yourself frantically uploading your final production to Youtube at 11:00pm on the last day for entries to be submitted (like yours truly was doing).

Good luck on those videos - and have fun with them!

Car-Free Todd was the winner of the first Car-Free Diet Skeptics Challenge. He walked, biked, rode transit, and telecommuted for 30 days to win the Challenge. He's not skeptical anymore.

Behind on Holiday Shopping? Think Globally, Shop Locally, and Walk Arlington

This holiday season, wouldn’t you rather spend money on gifts for loved ones than at the gas pump? 

If you go car-free and do your holiday shopping on foot right here in Arlington, you’ll save money you would have spent on gas, gain time you would have wasted trolling for a parking space, and spare yourself the ordeal of holiday traffic, mall malaise, and overall seasonal stress! What’s more, using two feet instead of four wheels to find that perfect gift for everyone on your list reduces your carbon footprint and might even thwart that dreaded holiday weight gain.

To help you take the first step, WalkArlington, the County’s initiative to get more people walking  more of the time, invites you to go on a holiday Walkabout in some of Arlington’s most walkable, shoppable neighborhoods! Each of the featured Arlington neighborhoods has its own self-guided Walkabout map so you can plot out your route and bundle your outings. After you’ve made your purchases, you can use the time you saved by shopping locally to explore the rest of the neighborhood on foot!

Here are just a few of the WalkArlington Walkabouts that offer plenty of pedestrian-friendly shopping opportunities:

Ballston-Virginia Square

Clarendon-Courthouse

Columbia Pike (Pike Hike)

Crystal City

Fairlington-Shirlington

Nauck

Radnor/Fort Myer Heights

Rosslyn

Westover

Yorktown

Maps for these and other neighborhood Walkabouts are available both on-line at and in WalkArlington’s handy Walkabouts brochure. For a copy of the newest version of the brochure, coming out in January, e-mail info@walkarlington.com.

To determine the best way to reach these walkable neighborhoods without a car, visit www.carfreediet.com/transportation_options.cfm

Happy Holidays from WalkArlington and Arlington’s Car-Free Diet!

Mobilizing America's Youth One School at a Time

Day in and day out, we hear about the childhood obesity epidemic that plagues our nation. The concern has inspired various politicians and public figures to take action. From celebrity chefs re-working elementary school lunch menus to community organizations developing activities and after-school exercise programs, the public is starting to respond. Much like the rest of the nation, residents and community leaders in Virginia are also taking a stand. Prevention Connections, a non-profit charitable organization incorporated in the State of Virginia in 2003, has recently announced that it will supply 75 mini-grants, valued at  $2,000 apiece, to Title I elementary and middle schools in Virginia.  These mini-grants will be utilized by the schools as a means of creating, developing, and educating their school community on safe walking/biking routes to school. The goals of the mini-grant program are to increase awareness of the benefits of walking/biking to school, increase the number of youth engaging in physical activity through walking/biking to school, and provide schools with resources on SRTS best practices and additional funding opportunities.

  The Safe Routes to School program, a subset of a national movement, focuses on decreasing childhood obesity by increasing physical activity and making it plausible for families to shed their reliance on automobiles as the only mode of transportation. Finally, we are seeing initiative by residents, school systems, and government activists on educating society and activating citizens at a young age. Through different programs and sponsored activities, Safe Routes to School seeks to implement a shift in psyche, ensuring that, even at a young age and despite any disabilities, it is possible to conduct every day activities without a car. Schools are encouraged to plan events for International Walk to School Day on October 5, 2011. Other potential dates are Earth Day on April 22, 2011 and National Bike Week, May 16-20, 2011. Schools may also consider coordinating an event with other activities planned during the academic year. Schools can use the grants for:

• Promotional Materials and Incentives (posters, banners, t-shirts, pedometers, etc.)
• Educational materials (brochures, program manuals, etc.)
• Copying and printing
• Safety Items (reflective vests and bands, bicycle helmets and lights, etc.)
• Bicycle Racks
• Bicycle Rentals
• Contractor services (crossing guard, graphic designer, police officer, safety trainer, teacher coordinator stipend up to $500 for work performed outside of normal duties)

  As these mini grants are developed specifically for Title I elementary schools, all interested institutions must submit a completed application, including a budget report and needs assessment, to Prevention Connections by December 31, 2010. Kudos to this organization for making healthy living possible for families in this country! 

-Christina Brissette

Bikes for everyone!

Wouldn't it be nice if more companies did this?

IKEA US Says Thank You to All Its 12,400 Co-Workers with a Surprise ‘New Bike’ Holiday Gift

It’s Good for the Employees & Good for the Environment Too!

CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The big reveal takes place today. Truck doors will open, bicycles will be unloaded and the surprise will be disclosed. IKEA US co-workers across the country will then find out that each and every one has a brand new bike to take or ride home.

"It's been a good year for IKEA, so what better way to celebrate our success than to thank our IKEA co-workers who made this happen. Our big reveal today will be a fun day as we unload 12,400 new bikes at IKEA US locations. This is our way of saying 'thanks IKEA co-workers for being strongly committed to working together.' We hope this bike will be taken in the spirit of the season while supporting a healthy lifestyle and everyday sustainable transport," commented Mike Ward, IKEA US President.

With a strong commitment to good health and being environmentally conscious, IKEA selected an all terrain bike as the holiday co-worker gift for 2010. What makes it even more special is that the delivery of bikes is a total surprise for all co-workers. Hopefully, all will stay mum until today/Tuesday, December 7^th at 9:30 am (each store’s local time).

Why a bike? Because when it comes to sustainable transport, a bicycle is a great option. And when it comes to healthy living, riding a bike is one of the best cardio forms of exercise. Here are some facts.

• Bicycling is an excellent cardio-vascular exercise, which promotes heart health. Just like in any other aerobic workout, bicycling makes your heart pump harder. Also blood circulation increases and eventually, your resting heart rate will decrease. (Helium.com; Benefits of Bicycling by Erich Rosenberger M.D.)
• On average, commuting 10 miles a day by bike in 30 minutes, instead of driving a car burns 110,250 calories (keeping off 30 pounds of fat each year). (Sources: Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, RailstoTrails.org, Fitsugar.com, Adultbicycling.com
• Cycling just 20 miles a week can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50%. (Sources: Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, RailstoTrails.org, Fitsugar.com, Adultbicycling.com
• Countries with the highest levels of cycling and walking generally have the lowest obesity rates. (Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia)

For Sustainable living, bicycling also has many benefits.

• Bicycling reduces polluting emissions. A short, four mile round trip by a bike keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe. (WorldWatch Institute, www.bicyclinginfo.org)
• In 2001 walking and bicycling accounted for 23 billion miles traveled, worth billions of dollars in fuel savings alone. (Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia)
• In one year, riding a bike versus owning and driving a car will save an individual $8,000 in gasoline and general car maintenance and insurance costs. (Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia)

About IKEA:

IKEA, the world’s leading home furnishings company, was founded in 1943 in Sweden. Since then, IKEA has offered home furnishings and accessories of great design and quality with functional living solutions at everyday low prices. Currently there are more than 300 IKEA stores in 37 countries, including 49 in North America (11 in Canada; 37 in the US; 1 in the Dominican Republic). IKEA has six distribution centers in North America, with a manufacturing facility in Danville, VA. IKEA has been named to Business Week’s List of The Best Global Brands (August 7, 2006) for four consecutive years and Business Week’s List of the Top 2009 Twenty Best Companies for Leadership (February 2010). Additionally, IKEA has been listed on Working Mother magazine’s annual list of the “100 Best Companies for Working Mothers” for four consecutive years. IKEA was also listed in March 2007, on Fast Company’s Fast 50, for its environmentally responsible products, as well as for five consecutive years in Training magazine’s annual list of top companies that excel at human capital development. TIME Magazine (May 2009) listed IKEA as one of the top 8 most global eco conscious companies. IKEA incorporates environmentally friendly efforts into day-to-day business and continuously supports initiatives that benefit causes such as children and the environment including UNICEF, Save the Children and American Forests. To visit the IKEA Web site, please go to www.IKEA-usa.com and also learn more about IKEA environmental and social responsibility actions and programs. Also visit www.Facebook.com/IKEAUSA.