HARTFORD, Conn. - A survey is underway to make Connecticut streets more friendly for pedestrians and bicycles, and survey organizers say the results should eventually result in positive impacts for health, air quality and even the economy.

As day-to-day work grows more computer-based, employees often wind up spending too much time sitting. Kelly Kennedy, the executive director of Bike Walk Connecticut, says that sedentary work environment is taking a big hit on workers' health. In fact, Kennedy says public health is the primary reason her group is conducting this first of its kind survey, called Complete Streets, in an effort to make roads originally designed for cars more user-friendly for those on foot and riding bicycles.

"If it were easier and safer to get around and to make at least short trips by bike or by foot that would improve our health," says Kennedy. "It would also improve air quality."

Kennedy says her organization's survey is also questioning city planners to get a sense of what towns and municipalities are doing proactively to create more bicycle and pedestrian-friendly routes. She says they also want to know if it is easy for you to get around your town by bike or on foot, and what it's like walking or biking to places like schools, parks, senior centers and shopping centers.

The survey is accessible from the Bike Walk Connecticut website.

"If it's not generally easy to get around, then we ask for specifics; what's the problem, are there not enough sidewalks, do the sidewalks stop and start suddenly," says Kennedy. "Those are the kinds of things that we are getting at."

She says the money saved by greater numbers of people walking and biking can add up to big benefits for local economies.

"Gas prices are only going up, and the more money we spend on gas and on cars the less money we have for other things," explains Kennedy. "If we can re-purpose some of that spending, we can help other sectors of the economy like the mom-and-pop stores that keep the economy moving."

The Complete Streets survey is funded through a federal cooperative agreement administered by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. The results will be released early this summer.



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One Arizona mayor is among the more than 2,800 elected city officials in Washington, D.C., this week for The National League of Cities' Congressional City Conference.

The conference is an opportunity for local leaders to meet with federal officials to discuss how federal policies make their way to local governments.

Roberta Cano, mayor of Winslow, said it is her second time attending the conference, which she called a "springboard" for projects in her community, one of which is a levee Winslow is trying to improve after being decertified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 2008.

She noted with the help of leaders at the Capitol, they have started the process to get the levee fixed.

"We were able to have a strong enough voice to get awarded $66 million to start the design and process to get our levee fixed," Cano reported. "Once that is repaired and is certified and all to protect our city, our economy is just going to boom."

Cano pointed out since the decertification of the levee, 90% of Winslow residents have had to get flood insurance on top of their regular home insurance, which she added has put a hefty financial burden on many.

Cano emphasized events such as the conference offer smaller cities like hers the ability to learn about federal funding and programs which otherwise would have gone unknown. Cano added it is a great chance to get to speak with other local leaders about the challenges they are facing and the solutions they are implementing.

"I pick everybody's brain as much as I can to deal with issues like recycling and housing, and even our fentanyl drug issues," Cano stated. "You want to talk about the most dynamic people in one setting, come to this conference, and you will just feel this energy. It'll blow you away."

Cano and other mayors will head to the Capitol today to meet with federal leaders and share infrastructure plans, following the recent two-year anniversary of the American Rescue Plan.


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A Minnesota bill could surface as early as this week, calling for a proposed tax increase to fund transportation needs.

Advocates and local government leaders hope lawmakers hear calls from the public to offer a range of options for residents to get around.

Transportation remains one of the issues still being debated in the current legislative session.

Sam Rockwell, executives director of the group Move Minnesota, said its recent polling indicates a majority of Minnesotans want to see more flexibility in how transit funds are spent.

"We saw 66% of Minnesotans," said Rockwell, "supporting shifting funding to support biking, walking and transit."

About 55% said they would support a regional sales tax to fund metro-area transit improvements. That's one of the recommendations from Rockwell's group to boost options.

While Democrats control the Legislature and the governor's office, it's unclear how transportation funding will come together. Republicans blocked a bonding bill, which included money for things such as walking trails, citing the need for tax relief first.

Bloomington City Council Member Patrick Martin said providing more efficient and accessible transportation options can help in a variety of ways, including helping business corridors.

"The development possibilities it opens up," said Martin, "knowing, you can say, reduced parking because there's reliable transportation nearby."

Nearly one third of Minnesotans said they would be more likely to use buses and trains if there were greater access in their neighborhoods.

Rockwell suggested that following up on that demand could help reduce emissions and personal budgets, because people wouldn't have to rely on cars as much.

"Being able to rely on your feet, on a bicycle, on the bus and the train," said Rockwell, "brings those transportation costs down."




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The transportation and warehousing industry continues to lead as Indiana's fastest-growing business sector, and has been for over a decade now, but the companies, like many others, don't have enough employees.

The Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University said despite hiring bonuses and "help wanted" signs posted at trucking companies, too many jobs remain unfilled.

Carla Rogers, director of the center, said at the onset of the pandemic, the demand for goods could not keep up with the low supply of workers.

"We suddenly started getting more and more stuff delivered," Rogers recounted. "Instead of going to a store, we were getting it delivered. That needed more trucks, more truck drivers, more people in the warehouses to do the stocking."

Rogers pointed out Indiana's Department of Workforce Development has received federal money to create "WorkOne," an online center arranged by county where people can get information on choosing or changing a career, job training and apprenticeships.

She is also optimistic Indiana will continue to offer a "high school to community college to commercial training" pipeline for the next generation of workers in these fields.

Rogers thinks the trucking industry still has some barriers to address, to help people understand truck driving can be not only a safe experience, but also a well-paid career.

"We really ought to be looking at women, young people and people of color," Rogers urged. "These are the folks that could really benefit by what trucking is doing - and also train people up to become digitally literate."

According to the Business Research Center, between 2011 and 2021, Indiana's transportation and warehousing sector grew by almost 37%, adding more than 46,000 jobs, bringing the total number of statewide transportation and warehousing jobs to more than 171,000.


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