Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Day 2
Day 2 was very eventful in terms of biking, but the same cannot be said for research. We made our way through the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with two free meals (thanks to charitable fans)to a campground outside of historic Gettysburg, PA. Unfortunately, there aren't any convenience stores in the area, so I cannot conduct any corner store assessments. However, I am hoping for a solid analysis tomorrow/Thursday as we get to spend 2 days in Mercersburg, PA.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Day 1
Today we biked just over 40 miles this afternoon from Havre de Grace, MD to Stewertstown PA. Below is my bikeability assessment for three sections of road in Maryland and one section in Pennsylvania:
On a scale of 1-5, please rank the following factors in integer form given the below scale:
(1-very poor, 2-poor, 3-fair, 4-good, 5-very good)
1. The amount of motor vehicle traffic given the amount of through lanes.
2. The physical road conditions taking into account factors including pavement attributes, curb presence, railway crossings, storm drain grates, debris, etc.
3. Your comfort with biking given the speed limit and proximity of motor vehicles.
4. The level of sight and amount of curves of the road.
5. The size of the bike lane or shoulder if present (please circle which one). Bike Lane Shoulder Neither
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maryland Route 155 (2 miles out of Havre de Grace)
1. 3
2. 5 (very large shoulder present)
3. 4
4. 4
5. Approximately 6 ft shoulder
Maryland Road 543 (1.5 miles from beginning of route on road)
1. 1
2. 2 (fair amount of debris on edge of road)
3. 2 (very close proximity to traffic/no shoulder)
4. 3
5. No shoulder or bike lane present
Maryland Road 165 (1 mile from intersection road 543)
1. 3
2. 4
3. 4
4. 4
5. 8 ft wide shoulder
Pennsylvania Highway 24
1. 2
2. 3
3. 3
4. 3
5. No shoulder or bike lane present in addition to absence of lane markers on the right side of the road.
-------------------------------------------------
The hills of MD and PA were pretty tough. Hoping that the rough day will pay off in the coming weeks.
On a scale of 1-5, please rank the following factors in integer form given the below scale:
(1-very poor, 2-poor, 3-fair, 4-good, 5-very good)
1. The amount of motor vehicle traffic given the amount of through lanes.
2. The physical road conditions taking into account factors including pavement attributes, curb presence, railway crossings, storm drain grates, debris, etc.
3. Your comfort with biking given the speed limit and proximity of motor vehicles.
4. The level of sight and amount of curves of the road.
5. The size of the bike lane or shoulder if present (please circle which one). Bike Lane Shoulder Neither
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maryland Route 155 (2 miles out of Havre de Grace)
1. 3
2. 5 (very large shoulder present)
3. 4
4. 4
5. Approximately 6 ft shoulder
Maryland Road 543 (1.5 miles from beginning of route on road)
1. 1
2. 2 (fair amount of debris on edge of road)
3. 2 (very close proximity to traffic/no shoulder)
4. 3
5. No shoulder or bike lane present
Maryland Road 165 (1 mile from intersection road 543)
1. 3
2. 4
3. 4
4. 4
5. 8 ft wide shoulder
Pennsylvania Highway 24
1. 2
2. 3
3. 3
4. 3
5. No shoulder or bike lane present in addition to absence of lane markers on the right side of the road.
-------------------------------------------------
The hills of MD and PA were pretty tough. Hoping that the rough day will pay off in the coming weeks.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Corner Store Analysis
Investigating aspects of food availability in rural areas through corner store analysis is the second component of my research on this trip. Given it was the first component that I felt relatively comfortable with, I hadn't revisited the topic much until recently.
It all began with Dr. Alice Ammerman, linked in the previous blog, coming up with the idea of studying this while on the Cycle 20Ten Trip. She pulled some strings and of course got an expert in the field involved. Dr. Joseph Sharkey, of Texas A&M's Center for Environmental and Rural Health, was contacted by Dr. Ammerman and willing to help with this project. The group, including Cycle 20Ten group leader Brian Burnham, was supposed to meet over dinner at Dr. Ammerman's house while Dr. Sharkey was in the Chapel Hill area; however, flight issues resulted in a conference phone call being scheduled instead. After a very productive discussion including inputs from Dr. Ammerman's dog and Dr. Sharkey's parrot, we ended our phone call with a preliminary game plan. See details regarding Dr. Sharkey's research by clicking the link below:
Dr. Sharkey
With the aid of both Dr. Ammerman and Dr. Sharkey, I recently constructed the actual research plan for conducting my corner store analysis twice a week on the bicycling trip. It is listed below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corner Store Analysis Plan
1. Determine town center according to Tom Tom GPS device. Record location coordinates.
2. Locate local food stores including traditional (e.g. grocery stores), convenience (e.g. gas station), and nontraditional (e.g. drug stores). Record location coordinates.
3. Photograph location to record the store’s physical surroundings.
4. Access the level of healthy food options available in these stores:
a. Low Sugar or High Fiber Cereal (e.g., plain cornflakes, puffed rice (Rice Krispies), plain toasted oats (cheerios), plain bran flakes, shredded wheat or generic)
b. Reduced Fat (2%)/Low Fat (1%)/Skim Milk (Fat Free)
c. Baked Chips
d. Whole Wheat Bread/Tortillas (it must say “100% whole grain,” “whole wheat,” “100% whole wheat,”, or “whole wheat.” If the first item includes the word “enriched”, it is NOT a whole grain product).
e. 100% Fruit Juice
f. Fresh produce
i. Fruits
ii. Vegetables
g. Canned produce
i. Fruits (in light syrup, juice, water, or calorie reduced syrup)
ii. Vegetables (plain – not in sauce)
5. Record these foods and photograph interesting features.
6. Possible informal interviews with town citizens to determine if local Farmers Markets or Fruit/Vegetable Stands exist.
7. Record general observations such as level of walking, biking, driving of the area, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse the formating above. With less than a week remaining before departure, I am getting very exciting about the trip. I'm hoping that the above plan will enable me to gather relevant data regarding food options in rural areas.
It all began with Dr. Alice Ammerman, linked in the previous blog, coming up with the idea of studying this while on the Cycle 20Ten Trip. She pulled some strings and of course got an expert in the field involved. Dr. Joseph Sharkey, of Texas A&M's Center for Environmental and Rural Health, was contacted by Dr. Ammerman and willing to help with this project. The group, including Cycle 20Ten group leader Brian Burnham, was supposed to meet over dinner at Dr. Ammerman's house while Dr. Sharkey was in the Chapel Hill area; however, flight issues resulted in a conference phone call being scheduled instead. After a very productive discussion including inputs from Dr. Ammerman's dog and Dr. Sharkey's parrot, we ended our phone call with a preliminary game plan. See details regarding Dr. Sharkey's research by clicking the link below:
Dr. Sharkey
With the aid of both Dr. Ammerman and Dr. Sharkey, I recently constructed the actual research plan for conducting my corner store analysis twice a week on the bicycling trip. It is listed below:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Corner Store Analysis Plan
1. Determine town center according to Tom Tom GPS device. Record location coordinates.
2. Locate local food stores including traditional (e.g. grocery stores), convenience (e.g. gas station), and nontraditional (e.g. drug stores). Record location coordinates.
3. Photograph location to record the store’s physical surroundings.
4. Access the level of healthy food options available in these stores:
a. Low Sugar or High Fiber Cereal (e.g., plain cornflakes, puffed rice (Rice Krispies), plain toasted oats (cheerios), plain bran flakes, shredded wheat or generic)
b. Reduced Fat (2%)/Low Fat (1%)/Skim Milk (Fat Free)
c. Baked Chips
d. Whole Wheat Bread/Tortillas (it must say “100% whole grain,” “whole wheat,” “100% whole wheat,”, or “whole wheat.” If the first item includes the word “enriched”, it is NOT a whole grain product).
e. 100% Fruit Juice
f. Fresh produce
i. Fruits
ii. Vegetables
g. Canned produce
i. Fruits (in light syrup, juice, water, or calorie reduced syrup)
ii. Vegetables (plain – not in sauce)
5. Record these foods and photograph interesting features.
6. Possible informal interviews with town citizens to determine if local Farmers Markets or Fruit/Vegetable Stands exist.
7. Record general observations such as level of walking, biking, driving of the area, etc.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Please excuse the formating above. With less than a week remaining before departure, I am getting very exciting about the trip. I'm hoping that the above plan will enable me to gather relevant data regarding food options in rural areas.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
May 28th Meeting and Bikeability Assessment Draft
Prior to Memorial Day weekend, I had a very early, yet very productive meeting with my internship director and an expert in city and regional planning. Dr. Alice Ammerman, Director of the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, and Dr. Daniel Rodriguez, Director of the Carolina Transportation Program, both found time in their busy schedules to meet and discuss ideas with one another. After a solid hour of coffee and brainstorming, we mapped out a realistic format in which to conduct a bikeability assessment on the road. Using a very handy tool recommended by Dr. Rodriguez, I came up with the following assessment tool for my 10 week study. PLEASE NOTE: this assessment tool was derived from the Walking and Bicycling Suitability Assessment (WABSA) Project and should be credited to the individuals listed below.
Link to WABSA Project--- WABSA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Bikeability Assessment
(Adapted by Charles LePrevost, Health Policy and Management Student, from James Emery, MPH of WABSA from N. Eddy, 1996)
Date
Time
Road
Long/Lat
On a scale of 1-5, please rank the following factors in integer form given the below scale:
(1-very poor, 2-poor, 3-fair, 4-good, 5-very good)
1. The amount of motor vehicle traffic given the amount of through lanes.
2. The physical road conditions taking into account factors including pavement attributes, curb presence, railway crossings, storm drain grates, debris, etc.
3. Your comfort with biking given the speed limit and proximity of motor vehicles.
4. The level of sight and amount of curves of the road.
5. The size of the bike lane or shoulder if present (please circle which one). Bike Lane Shoulder Neither
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This short survey will allow roads to be properly assessed for bicycling suitability. Additionally, I would recommend referencing the WABSA website to conduct suitability assessments for walking and/or biking in your local town.
Below you can find information regarding both Dr. Ammerman and Dr. Rodriguez. They are both interesting people to read about.
Dr. Ammerman
Dr. Rodriguez
Best,
Charles
Link to WABSA Project--- WABSA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Bikeability Assessment
(Adapted by Charles LePrevost, Health Policy and Management Student, from James Emery, MPH of WABSA from N. Eddy, 1996)
Date
Time
Road
Long/Lat
On a scale of 1-5, please rank the following factors in integer form given the below scale:
(1-very poor, 2-poor, 3-fair, 4-good, 5-very good)
1. The amount of motor vehicle traffic given the amount of through lanes.
2. The physical road conditions taking into account factors including pavement attributes, curb presence, railway crossings, storm drain grates, debris, etc.
3. Your comfort with biking given the speed limit and proximity of motor vehicles.
4. The level of sight and amount of curves of the road.
5. The size of the bike lane or shoulder if present (please circle which one). Bike Lane Shoulder Neither
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This short survey will allow roads to be properly assessed for bicycling suitability. Additionally, I would recommend referencing the WABSA website to conduct suitability assessments for walking and/or biking in your local town.
Below you can find information regarding both Dr. Ammerman and Dr. Rodriguez. They are both interesting people to read about.
Dr. Ammerman
Dr. Rodriguez
Best,
Charles
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)