When residents have safe, active transportation options, each trip becomes an opportunity to improve their health through physical activity. This session explores a two-year campaign led by the Chicago-based Active Transportation Alliance that promoted the adoption of plans and policies in 25 model communities encouraging safe, more physically active travel like walking and biking. Hear how this work has enhanced these communities while curbing obesity concerns.
Speaker Details
Amanda M. Woodall
Policy Manager
Active Transportation Alliance
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Bio: Amanda Woodall is the Policy Manager for the Active Transportation Alliance, one of the Midwest’s foremost experts on biking, walking, and transit. She has worked with over fifteen municipal and county governments on the development, adoption, and implementation of Complete Streets policies. Her knowledge stems from a six year consulting career in bicycle and pedestrian transportation initiatives for the Chicago Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Programs, the Cook County Department of Public Health’s Communities Putting Prevention to Work Initiative, and the We Choose Health program under the Illinois Department of Public Health. A personal commitment to improving transportation and quality of life for people throughout Illinois supports her community work.
Key Publications: Complete Streets Complete Networks – A Manual for the Design of Active Transportation. Active Transportation Alliance, 2012
Past Assignments: Complete Streets for Communities in Illinois Illinois Department of Public Health – We Choose Health Built Environment Webinar Series, January 2012 Complete Streets Policy American Planning Association – Chicago Metro Section, May 2011 Active Transportation Policy American Public Health Association – Transportation, Health and Equity Webinar Series, February 2011
Derek Peebles
Civil Engineer
City of Des Plaines
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Bio: Derek Peebles has worked as a Civil Engineer for the City of Des Plaines for the last 10 years. His areas of responsibility with the City include regional and local transportation, stormwater management and flood control, energy efficiency, and grant management. Over the past two years he has worked closely with the Active Transportation Alliance and others in creation and implementation of a Complete Streets Policy, Active Transportation Plan, and School Travel Plan for the City. Prior to joining the City of Des Plaines, Derek worked as a Transportation Planner/Engineer with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts.
Education: Master of Regional Planning - UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering - SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY AT CARBONDALE
Jason Berry, AICP
Special Projects Manager
City of Blue Island
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Bio: Jason Berry is Special Projects Manager and Zoning Administrator for the City of Blue Island. His work includes brownfields assessment, active transportation initiatives, green infrastructure implementation, and cultural heritage tourism and preservation. Jason sits on the Calumet Stewardship Initiative’s Smart Growth Committee and is a founding member and Vice-President of the Calumet Waterway Stewards, an organization dedicated to promoting the Little Calumet River and Cal-Sag Channel.
Education: University of Chicago, AM'06
Past Assignments: Chicago Wilderness Congress 2012: "Millennium Reserve-Calumet Core: Connecting Habitat, People, and Economies" Vital Lands Summit 2012 APA Illinois State Conference 2012: "Plants, Paddles, and People: Community-Based Approaches to Urban Stormwater" CEED (UIC): Local Food System as a Strategy for Economic Development Statewide Preservation Conference: "Old Green, New Media" Brownfields 2011: "Environmental Justice Initiatives" and "Taking Action: Community Health and Brownfields."
Marissa Dolin, AICP
Planner
Active Transportation Alliance
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Bio: Marissa Dolin works as the Transportation Planner for Active Transportation Alliance, the largest bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organization in the United States. Over the last 3 years she has lead more than a dozen plans and studies at every level of government from working with block clubs to create hyper-local action plans to suburban municipalities to regional plans. Her work has promotes active transportation in communities throughout the Chicago region, and she is now seeing many of the communities she worked with begin implementation. Marissa’s previous experience includes working as a planner in suburban Seattle, at a regional planning agency in rural Wisconsin, and as a researcher in an affordable housing and demographics.
Education: Economics (BS) University of Washington Community, Environment and Planning (BA) University of Washington Master of Urban Planning, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Past Assignments: Implementing Active Transportation Plans Illinois APA-Chicago Metro Section, Fall 2012 Getting to Know Your Trail Users-Chicago Lakefront Trail User Study ProWalk-ProBike Fall 2012 Planning Commissioners Training on Active Transportation Chicago Metropolitan Agency on Planning, Spring 2012 Trail Planning 101 Illinois Association of Park Districts, Spring 2012
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