Active Communities Workgroup Hits the Ground Running

Members of DASH’s Active Communities Workgroup have been hard at work identifying policies and legislation that will make it easier for New Yorkers to be active in their communities.

Complete Streets calls for a shift in how planners and decision makers view our transportation network, from a focus solely on the needs of motorists to one that includes all transportation users, including bicyclists, pedestrians, and transit users. Communities across New York have passed Complete Streets policies which direct public works and highway departments to consider sidewalks, bike lanes, and multi-use trails as they build and maintain street networks.

In 2011, the State legislature passed a Complete Streets law that directed state transportation agencies to incorporate Complete Streets into its business practices. However, no new funding was provided for these facilities. The Active Communities Workgroup’s first policy priority aims to change that.

Policy Priority: Establish dedicated state funding for Complete Streets in New York State and expand the scope of current state law to include all roadway projects.

Read more about the push for dedicated funding, and show your support through an organizational sign-on letter at www.ptny.org/ny4at.

The Workgroup is also working to expand access to recreation facilities. No New Yorker should suffer because of a lack of safe or convenient places to be active. Moreover, we believe that many communities already have great recreational facilities that aren’t utilized fully due to a lack of awareness or policies that are unnecessarily limiting.

Policy Priority: Expand access to parks, trails, and outdoor recreation statewide through increased funding and the creation of a statewide policy to allow shared use of school facilities.

Legislation has been offered in previous legislative sessions to fund acquisition of open spaces in urban areas, and to establish shared-use guidelines for school facilities. The Workgroup will explore reintroduction of these bills, as well as other means of expanding access, in the months ahead.

Clinical and Community Linkages

Often, when we think of health we think of hospitals, doctors, and nurses.  The Clinical and Community Linkages workgroup combines this common vision of health with a systems and community model.  By exploring the complex issues that arise related to health insurance, community engagement, and cost-saving interventions, the workgroup connects communities to health and health care.

Policy Priority: Work to secure policies and funding in support of health initiatives targeted at chronic disease prevention, and the disparities that exist in these areas.

The 2016 policy priority for Clinical and Community Linkages focuses on public health initiatives aimed at disparities in chronic disease prevention.  In New York State, racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected by diabetes and other chronic diseases.  These disparities can be addressed through systematic changes and targeted health initiatives.  CCL will advocate for funding and programs that specifically work to reduce health disparities.

Learn more about our Policy Priorities on our webinar tomorrow, Engaging in Advocacy: An Introduction to Statewide Advocacy and the DASH-NY Coalition at 1:00 pm!