Well, great to hear that our Mayor is as concerned about climate change & carbon footprint as the rest of us.  At last week’s Clean and Green conference with Mayors from SJ & SF, M. Dellums got clearly on the record:

“Time is not on our side,” Dellums said, adding that city and state leaders first must convince residents used to gas-guzzling cars and far-flung suburban living that it is in their interest and the interest of their children and grandchildren to reduce their carbon footprint.

One of the biggest impediments to accomplishing the mayors’ ambitious agenda, Dellums said, “is getting people to understand there are no options. Either we do it or we do not survive.”

Here’s hoping this enthusiasm for protecting the environment translates into speedy implementation of the city’s Bicycle and Pedestrian plans!!!

Hoot!

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/11/BA2U12RNBQ.DTL

Well, we are back on the fall side of Labor Day and that means Oakland’s 50,000 kids are back in school.  Do you give much thought to HOW they get to school?   There has been extensive research on how kids no longer walk or bicycle to school, which is a real shame and a real problem.  We need to help make our childrens’ lives more active to fight off higher rates of obesity and the diabetes which follow.

But how?

One simple step Oakland can take is to identify a Safe Routes to Schools staff person.  This person would focus on coordinating with the school district and city staff, including OPD, to help make walking and bicycling to school safe and convenient.  Roads like Hegenberger and Park are difficult for children to cross- but that’s exactly what they have to do!  San Francisco, by comparison, has a team of staffers working on this very issue.

It’s time the City stepped up to help our kids!

write to: officeofthemayor@oaklandnet.com

See More from the Transportation & Land Use Coalition (TALC) based in downtown Oak:

http://www.transcoalition.org/c/sr2s/index.html