Pennsylvania Downtown Center is pleased to announce that as of March 1st, 2021, PDC is the new Pennsylvania Department of Health (PA DOH) WalkWorks partner. PDC is assuming this role from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, the originator of the program since its inception in 2014. To assist PDC through these initial transitional months, Carol Reichbaum has joined our team as the PDC WalkWorks Project Specialist.
Carol will continue to lead the program as she has for the last seven years, providing guided support and targeted technical assistance to communities receiving WalkWorks planning grants to facilitate Active Transportation Plans, as well as Complete Streets and Vision Zero policies. WalkWorks has awarded funds to 33 municipalities and agencies, which have generated 37 Plans and Policies. Carol will also be supporting PA WalkWorks Affiliates as these community partners work to create and sustain connected and safe walking routes throughout their communities. Over 100 routes in 28 of the State’s 67 counties make up the network.
PDC looks forward to this newly developed partnership with PA DOH as it is an ideal companion to many of our PA Main Street and Elm Street programs as they work to implement and support initiatives around health and wellness, creating more walkable and bikeable communities. Supported by the Preventive Health and Health Services (PHHS) Block Grant program, and as one of 16 states awarded the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) State Physical Activity and Nutrition (SPAN) grant, PA is able to utilize this grant to support investments that improve nutrition and support safe and accessible physical activity. Using SPAN funding, the PA DOH is prioritizing its work across four key strategy areas in 35 target counties with demonstrated disparities in nutrition, physical activity and obesity.
The responsibilities and activities are integral to accomplishing obesity related strategies as directed in a number of Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funding opportunities. PA DOH strives to prevent and control adult obesity through built environment approaches that combine interventions to connect activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations to make it safer and more convenient for people of all abilities to walk, run, bike, skate or use wheelchairs, establishing activity-friendly routes that connect to everyday destinations through the development and adoption of active transportation plans and policies.
With PDC being the new programmatic partner, WalkWorks will remain much like it has over the last few years, with additional components being added to address and emphasize diversity, equity and inclusion for future programming. For more information on the program and the May 14th deadline, please visit the program’s website.
About
Carol Reichbaum
Carol comes to the Pennsylvania Downtown Center from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health where she has served as Project Director of WalkWorks since 2014. Carol will continue in that role by providing technical assistance to municipal entities throughout the development of their active transportation plans and policies. Aimed at expanding opportunities for physical activity through the establishment of activity-friendly routes that connect to everyday destinations, the plans and policies recommend infrastructure improvements to ensure safe access for all users of all modes of transportation – pedestrians, bicyclists, public transit and motor vehicles. Carol also works with community-based organizations to create walking routes, thereby increasing opportunities for physical activity.
Prior to her role with WalkWorks, Carol assisted the Pennsylvania Department of Health in assessing its readiness for national accreditation and helped to train public health professionals, throughout Pennsylvania, in preparedness. Prior to that, and before returning to Pennsylvania – where she was raised – Carol was Vice President for Strategic Development and Planning for a multi-institutional health care system in south Florida.
Carol holds Masters Degrees in Law from the University of Pittsburgh and in Public Administration from Drexel University. She also holds a Certificate in Health Law. She was one of 25 Fellows of the 2016 Walking College, a national educational program for walkable community advocates.
Carol is a member of the Steering Committee of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Planning Association working to bridge municipal planning and health. She also serves on the Chapters Healthy Communities Task Force. She has been a guest speaker at the Transportation Engineers and Safety Conference, the Active Transportation Forum of the Southwest Planning Commission, National Walking Summit and Pennsylvania Pedestrian and Pedalcycle Advisory Committee.