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Commute Options News
Ride of Silence May 19
May 13, 2010 BEND, OREGON---On Wednesday, May 19 at 7:00 p.m., Bend will join communities around the world in holding a Ride of Silence....
May is Walk + Bike Challenge Month
Apr 16, 2010 - by Annissa Anderson
During the month of May, walking and biking to school will become a fun competition for kids at 16 elementary and middle schools in Central Oregon. Kids will participate in the annual Walk + Bike Challenge Month, a friendly statewide competition that encourages students to walk and bike to school for the whole month.
The Walk + Bike Challenge is coordinated by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) as part of a larger program to encourage children, youth, and families to use safe, active, transportation to get to and from school and around in their communities throughout the year. The BTA is supported by partner organizations statewide and builds on existing Safe Routes to School partnerships.
The challenge is facilitated locally by Commute Options and school coordinators who help students track their trips on a Challenge scorecard. Students challenge each other, other classrooms, or other whole schools and get points not only for walking and biking, but also skateboarding, scootering, rollerblading and all other active ways of getting to school.
Walk + Bike Challenge is a basically month-long version of Commute Options Week, geared towards elementary and middle school students, said Kim Curley, of Commute Options and Healthy Active Central Oregon. Commute Options and Healthy Active Central Oregon works with local schools year-round to promote walking and biking to school as a way to reduce the number of vehicle trips and to promote healthy habits for kids.
The competition is held during the month of May because kids are still in school but the weather is more pleasant for walking and biking. Competitors in the challenge win prizes including flashing safety lights, neon reflective shoe laces, and Walk + Bike temporary tattoos and stickers.
Seth Graham, a 2nd grade teacher at Bear Creek Elementary and champion of several local programs that get school children biking to school, said the goal of Walk + Bike Challenge Month is to encourage the kids that have access to safe routes to ride and walk to school.
“Forget about how it helps to prevent obesity and how it helps the environment. The self confidence that it creates is incredible,” said Graham, about teaching kids to ride bikes and use them for transportation.
“It’s a great promotion!” said Curley. “We “saved” 26,000 trips last year with our registered schools.” Central Oregon schools participating in Walk + Bike Challenge Month this year are:
Bear Creek Elementary – Bend
Buff Elementary – Madras
Cascade Middle School – Bend
Elk Meadow Elementary – Bend
Ensworth Elementary – Bend
High Desert Middle School – Bend
High Lakes Elementary – Bend
Highland Elementary – Bend
Juniper Elementary – Bend
M.A. Lynch Elementary – Redmond
Madras Elementary – Madras
Miller Elementary – Bend
R.E. Jewell Elementary – Bend
REALMS Middle School – Bend
Sisters Elementary – Sisters
Sisters Middle School – Sisters
Schools can register for the Walk + Bike Challenge Month on their own at www.walknbike.org.
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Commute Options promotes choices that reduce the impacts of driving alone. Healthy Active Central Oregon is a project of Commute Options. For more information about Commute Options, contact Jeff Monson, Executive Director of Commute Options at 541/330-2647 or visit www.commuteoptions.org.
Annissa Anderson is a freelance writer and public relations consultant in Bend. ...
Kids@Heart
Oct 19, 2009 Obesogenic: conditions that lead people to become excessively fat.
Never heard the word “obesogenic?” That’s probably because it’s relatively new to the average Joe. But to Kate Wells, Director of Community Outreach and Communications for the Heart Institute of the Cascades, obesogenic is an everyday term.
Obesogenic refers to cultural and structural conditions that encourage people to eat too much of the wrong things and not get enough exercise. In other words, if you combine a lack of sidewalks and bike lanes with a busy lifestyle and easy access to pre-made meals full of sugar and fat, you’re bound to pack on some extra pounds.
“The best way to reverse the obesity trend is to ensure healthy eating and active living are part of the daily lives of all children,” said Wells. "We need to take a comprehensive approach to prevention, and this includes transforming the places where we live, work and play to help make healthy choices available, affordable and fun.”
Wells also serves as Project Coordinator for the Kids@Heart initiative, which strives to reduce youth obesity numbers and improve overall community health. She says the main focus of the initiative will be to look at how policies, our surrounding environments and select communities affect the daily lives of youth.
The initiative recently received grant funding from the Northwest Health Foundation and Ford Family Foundation for work in rural, low-income and ethnic minority communities, where the burden of obesity and related health conditions is greatest. As a result, Kids@Heart is currently working with partners in Jefferson County to reduce childhood obesity in targeted areas in Madras.
Kids@Heart is also working with Commute Options for Central Oregon and Healthy Active Central Oregon, joining efforts to promote active transportation and other healthy habits. Local efforts include bicycling education programs for elementary students and Safe Routes to Schools, which brings together stakeholders, neighbors and experts to make it safer and easier for students to walk and ride bikes to school.
“Just one trip a day on foot or on a bike can improve overall fitness,” says Jeff Monson, Executive Director for Commute Options.
The Kids@Heart initiative is a project of The Heart Institute of the Cascades, which is a regional nonprofit organization founded through a collaborative effort of St. Charles Medical Center; Cardiothoracic Surgeons, PC; and Heart Center Cardiology. The organization’s mission is to improve the health and wellness of Central Oregon and the Pacific Northwest through research, education and community programs. For more information, contact Kate Wells at 541-706-4789 or kmwells@cascadehealthcare.org or visit http://YourHeart.org.
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Commute Options for Central Oregon promotes choices that reduce the impacts of driving alone. Healthy Active Central Oregon is a project of Commute Options. For more information about Commute Options, contact Jeff Monson, Executive Director of Commute Options for Central Oregon at 541/330-2647 or visit www.commuteoptions.org.
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How to Keep Kids Busy All Summer
Jun 15, 2009
School’s out, which means cries of “I’m bored!” can’t be far behind. Keeping kids occupied all day long for several weeks in a row can be a tiring task. Fortunately, summer offers numerous opportunities to entertain the entire family with healthy, active fun.
Seize the Sun
“Longer days mean lots of time to drain kids’ natural energy,” says Kim Curley with Healthy Active Central Oregon and Commute Options....
Endless Options
Jun 09, 2009 Commute Options hopes when you go to work, you go some other way than alone in your car
Published: June 09. 2009 4:00AM PST
Local Businesses Celebrate Commute Options WeekJun 08, 2009 Organizers are on target to get 100 businesses on board for the 19 th Annual Commute Options Week, slated for Monday, June 15 through Sunday, June 21. And this year’s lineup of businesses is going above and beyond the call of duty, according to Chloe Honaker, who has been organizing the event for the past two years for Commute Options for Central Oregon....
Walk + Bike Challenge a Success!Jun 03, 2009 Tatum Schoch, a first grader, won the prize drawing at High Lakes Elementary for a new bike! As part of Walk + Bike Challenge Month in May, each elementary school was given a new bike from Hutch's Bicycles. Every day a student walked or biked to school, their name was entered in the raffle drawing for the bike, held at the end of May. Tatum was the lucky winner at High Lakes! Thanks to Jen Healy at High Lakes for coordinating the challenge for the school, and for the great photo....
Local Farmers Markets Make Healthy Eating EasyMay 25, 2009 Summer is just around the corner, and that means fresh fruits and vegetables will soon be plentiful. No more mealy tomatoes or waxy apples; it’s time for vibrant salad greens, juicy berries and, later in the season, purple broccoli. Three open air Farmers Markets in Bend and Redmond offer the perfect place for not just fresh local food, but also for a fun family outing that culminates in a delicious, healthy meal at home....
Local Schools Celebrate Walk & Bike Challenge MonthMay 15, 2009 If you’ve noticed more kids walking and biking to school lately, you’re not alone. May is Walk and Bike Challenge Month, and several local schools are challenging families to choose walking and bicycling as the way they get to and from school....
Bike Rodeos Spring 2009, check out the sweatshirts!May 01, 2009 Commute Options cooperated with Knife River and the Bend Radio and contributed to two recent bike safety rodeos in Central Oregon: the annual Bike Rodeo at the Madras Fire Hall, put on by the Commission on Children and Families, and the annual Cub Scouts Pack 90 Bike Rodeo held at Trinity Lutheran Church.
Hap Taylor of Knife River provided fnding for the bright yellow safety sweatshirts. Knife River's Chris Jones and Bend Radio Group's Elise Franklin organized their production and passed them out at the bike rodeos, while provided tunes for all to enjoy. Expect to see these sweatshirts in the bike lanes!
Commute Options ran a bike safety obstacle course and provided helmet checks, while also helping repair bikes donated from the Madras Police Department.
Thanks to all who attended, to Kelly Kerbow from the Commission on Children and Families for organizing the Madras event, and to Jason Todd from Cub Scouts Pack 90 for organizing the Pack 90 rodeo. Thanks also to JB and Kelly from The Center and Safe Kids Coalition of Central Oregon for the awesome helmet safety and "melon drop" demonstration put on for the Cub Scouts, and formanning the obstacle course on a frigid Central Oregon spring evening. ...
Bike Safety at Ensworth a success!May 01, 2009 The Bike Safety Education course at Ensworth Elementary, put on by Commute Options for Central Oregon through Safe Routes to School, recently concluded after two weeks of classic Central Oregon spring weather. Good work Sami! ...
Safe Routes to School, Spring 2009 Pictures!
Get Ready for Portland Walk + Bike Month!Apr 15, 2009 May is Walk + Bike Challenge Month! Students will be challenged to walk or bike to school as much as they can over the month of May. Once a week, or when the month is over, a school champion will gather student scorecards and find out who's walking and biking, submit that information and compare that to others throughout thestate.
The Challenge Month can be as robust or as simple as suits your school....
Exercising Towards a Better Bottom LineApr 15, 2009 You know exercise is good for you, but did you know that how much exercise your employees get can affect your business? Health studies show that people who exercise regularly, and especially during the work day, are more productive and absent less than those who do not....
Five Pedestrian Safety Steps Your Kids Should Know by HeartApr 09, 2009 With summer on its way, kids are going to be outside more. Whether they’re on foot or on two wheels, it is important kids know a few things that will make them good pedestrians and keep them out of harm’s way. Kim Curley, the bicycle and pedestrian safety guru at Commute Options, shares these five simple steps: Stay Alert. When crossing a street, always look left-right-left and cross only if it’s clear. Don’t assume drivers are paying attention or will follow the law....
Save gas, get cashApr 07, 2009 By David Jasper / The Bulletin
This month, Commute Options for Central Oregon is rolling out a new carpooling incentive: the Carpool Payment Program.
The name says it all, and you may want to open the car door to a colleague or a neighbor for this: 55 cents a mile.
“We want new carpoolers,” says Commute Options Executive Director Jeff Monson. The hope is to “draw ’em in, and hook ’em....
Safe Routes to SchoolApr 07, 2009 Funds Make It Easier to Bike, Walk to School
by Renée Davidson 3/09
Eight hundred students at six Bend-LaPine schools will be getting extra encouragement to bike and walk to school, thanks to funding from the Oregon Safe Routes to Schools program. In addition, the funds will be used to identify and remove barriers that keep parents driving....
Bike Safety Kicks off!Apr 01, 2009 Bike Safety kicks off again this spring at four area schools, headed by Sami Fournier, a League Certified Instructor (LCI) from the League of American Bicyclists. With funding from Safe Routes to School, Commute Options is organizing 2-week courses at area schools, teaching bike safety skills and rules of the road to elementary and middle-school students--- a guaranteed good time! To volunteer, contact sami@commuteoptions.org. ...
Drive Less, Save MoreMar 13, 2009 A statewide campaign is encouraging Oregonians to Drive Less and Save More. The Drive Less/Save More campaign aims to convince Oregon drivers to trip-chain, carpool, bike, walk and take public transit. ...
“Oregon’s innovative transportation demand management campaign leverages the State Legislature’s $3....
New Bicycle Commuter Tax BenefitMar 01, 2009 Congress recently passed a new benefit for bike commuters, which went into effect on January 1, 2009. This benefit allows employers to provide $20/month in tax deductible/tax-free transportation benefits for bike commuters. For details, please see the League of American Bicyclists FAQ site at:
Bike Commuter Tax Benefit Frequently Asked Questions
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Driven to change the commuteMar 23, 2008 By Jeff McDonald / The Bulletin
It cost $51.65 to fill a 15-gallon tank with regular unleaded gasoline in Bend last Friday, according to the AAA Fuel Price Finder Web site. A year ago, it cost $43.07.
Picture: Mike Schindler, co-owner of Sunnyside Sports in Bend, says the Swobo Del Norte bicycle, pictured, has become a popular urban-commuting choice at his store, which saw a 50 percent spike last year in its commuter bike sales....
The Year in ReviewMar 10, 2008 Transportation Demand Management
Dear Commute Options Stakeholders,
Each year, Commute Options receives funds from the Oregon Department of Transportation for its Central Oregon Rideshare & Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program. Commute Options provides a number of services with this funding that, in one way or another, fulfills our mission: Promoting Choices that Reduce the Impact of Driving Alone....
Save the World, One Trip at a TimeNov 01, 2007 Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard about global warming. And even if you don’t care about global warming, you may be concerned about America’s over-reliance on foreign oil. A group of activists in Crook County recently compiled a list of simple things we can do in our everyday lives to reduce our personal reliance on fossil fuels. By making a few small changes in the way we get around town, we could make a big difference in our personal energy consumption....
Commute Options Seeking Board MemberJun 10, 2007 (update: now filled, thank you!)
The Commute Options Board provides direction to the non- profit agency promoting transportation alternatives in Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties. They encourage bicycling, walking, car/vanpooling, teleworking and riding the bus.
The Board meets every other month on the fourth Tuesday afternoon with some special meetings called as well. The position begins this July....
A Portrait of Bend in TransitApr 19, 2007 Last winter, hundreds of Bend residents participated in the TravelSmart pilot study, which was funded by the Oregon Department of Transportation. 1264 people in Bend were invited to complete a mail-back survey of their travel behavior. Of the 690 who returned the survey, about half indicated an interest in learning more about using sustainable methods of transportation....
Did you Get the Newport Bridge Memo?Apr 03, 2006 by Renée Davidson , for Commute Options for Central Oregon
Bob lives in Midtown and works on the West side of Bend . Each weekday morning, he drives down Greenwood , skirts downtown and crosses the Newport Bridge . Typically, it takes him about ten minutes to get to work, but today is different. Traffic is backed up beyond the overpass. It looks like Bob is going to be here a while, so he turns on the radio....
Roundabouts and Emergency Response TimeNov 08, 2005 by Renée Davidson for Commute Options for Central Oregon
When the first roundabout appeared in Bend six years ago, skeptics insisted they would be a traffic-snarling disaster. Those predictions failed to pan out.
At key intersections where roundabouts have been installed, car crashes are down significantly, and injury accidents are practically nonexistent....
President Asks Americans to Drive Less, Conserve MoreOct 05, 2005 At $3.00 per gallon, gasoline is forcing Americans to dig deeper into their pockets just to get to work and back. Even the President is beginning to feel the pain. On Monday, September 26, George W. Bush urged Americans to drive less.
“We can all pitch in by using — by being better conservers of energy," he told the nation....
45 Trips Reduced = $20 Gift Certificate!Jul 03, 2005 Commute Options, in partnership with the City of Bend/Deschutes County and the Oregon Department of Energy, has an incentive plan for our Commute Options Partners (COPs). Not only do you save money on transportation costs, improve your health and save parking, you can earn gift certificates by not driving alone....
A Balancing Act: Growth and LivabilityFeb 08, 2005 By Gretchen Palmer of Palmer Homes For Commute Options for Central Oregon
Bend continues to be a hot topic in national travel magazines and newspapers, sited among the best places to raise a family, to work and recreate, and to retire. The attention we receive for our quality of life is reflected in the growth Bend has experienced over the past several years––and the demand for new housing is not likely to diminish any time soon....
CRC to PPP on May 15!May 05, 2004 (Cycle, Ride, Carpool!)
Options are yours for the 2004 U.S. Bank Pole, Pedal, Paddle! On May 15, park at Mt. Bachelor Park and Ride, Mirror Pond downtown or The Shops at the Old Mill and hop the FREE Commute Options Shuttle. This shuttle is brought to you courtesy of Papayas Tropical Grill and The Bulletin's GO! Magazine....
Sprawl's Unhealthy ExpansionNov 02, 2003 By ROBERT YARO and JOHN ATKIN
Remember when your father used to tell you that he walked three miles (each way!) to school every day, even if it was raining or snowing? Now think about your child getting on the school bus and riding just a mile to the closest school. What's changed, and does it matter?
A recent report by the national nonprofit group Smart Growth America says it does matter....
New Urbanism - Who Needs It?Sep 24, 2003 Transportation Contemplations For Cascade Business News
New Urbanism. What is it? Who needs it? How do we get it? Does growth have a fashion trend all of a sudden? And by the way, what's "old" urbanism? Have we been witlessly doing something wrong all this time?
Good questions. There's a national buzz about "New Urbanism," as more and more people, from regular citizens to land-use experts, are looking for answers....
For Transportation ContemplationsMar 25, 2003 By Kyla Merwin for Commute Options for Central Oregon
NEWS FLASH : AAA of Oregon reports that gasoline prices have risen steadily since the new year and have increased an astonishing 51 cents per gallon statewide since January 1st. They are encouraging consumers to conserve fuel to prevent unnecessary demand during this period of uncertainty.
Drivers are paying 38% more at the pumps this month, and analysts are predicting gas prices to rise even further before summer....
Packing PavementFeb 17, 2003 The vitality of a city comes from its pedestrians, not its cars. Cars consume enormous amounts of space and radically change the landscape.
By JIM BEAMGUARD of The Tampa Tribune
The irritation of traffic jams makes most of us enthusiastic supporters of either wider roads or fewer people, but rarely do we think about a third alternative: fewer cars....
Commute Options Wins Advertising AwardsFeb 05, 2003 (Bend, Oregon) Commute Options for Central Oregon, a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting choices that reduce the impact of driving alone in the Deschutes, Jefferson and Crook county area < recently received two Award of Excellence citations at the Advertising Federation of Central Oregon's annual Drake Awards. Both awards were given for marketing materials produced to promote the 2002 12th Annual Commute Options Week (COW)event....
Commute Options outgrows space, gets non-profit statusJun 14, 2001 Commute Options outgrows space, gets non-profit status
New tunnel adds fuel to commute-options fire
By Barney Lerten, Bend.com
Bend resident George Arvidson, 71, and his wife Irene, 69, bike about five miles a day, so they were glad to get some new helmets Friday when they attended the dedication of a new pedestrian tunnel beneath the newly widened Highway 20, a key link in an Eastside walking and biking route between Reed Market Road and Pilot Butte....
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