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Transit Agencies to Kick Off Walking Program July 11
The public is invited to a kickoff event at the San Carlos Caltrain Station Monday,
July 11, at 10 a.m. when Caltrain and connecting bus services launch a new program to
promote the link between fitness and taking public transit.
Many people want to incorporate more physical activity into their daily lives but
finding the time for more exercise is a challenge. Caltrain and SamTrans are teaming
with San Francisco Muni, the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and other
partners in a campaign to show people that taking public transit can be a step in the
right direction. And then some.
The July 11 event will kick off an information program called Walk and Roll,
whose purpose is to highlight the connection between public transit and the simplest and
most accessible form of physical activity – walking.
The transit agencies will be providing free pedometers to a group of transit-users who
walk to or from Caltrain, a light rail station or a bus stop. The participants, who have
already been selected, will be asked to log their steps over a five-week period.
The purpose is to see how much walking as part of a transit trip helps people in logging
10,000 steps per day. The American Heart Association says a simple walking program can
help you improve cardiovascular health, control weight, manage stress, and increase
overall well-being, regardless of your level of fitness.
Results will be released later this summer when the steps of all the participants have
been tallied.
As part of the kickoff event, the public is invited to a health and transit fair
including the event partners: the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance; Sequoia
Hospital; the American Heart Association – San Mateo County chapter; the San Carlos
Chamber of Commerce; and VKRshop.com, the Gilroy-based company which is providing the
pedometers for the campaign.
Free tickets on either Caltrain or SamTrans will be given to the first 100 people who
arrive at the July 11 event on foot or by public transportation. Among other giveaway
items, the chamber will distribute “carrot cash” for its Thursday night farmer’s market,
and the hospital will give away sunscreen and other items.
The San Carlos Parks and Recreation Department will provide information on fitness
classes and other programs, and the San Mateo County Parks Foundation will be signing up
riders and volunteers for the upcoming Tour de Peninsula Bike Race.
To request information about the Walk and Roll campaign, call 1.800.660.4287
(TTY only 650.508.6448).
6/28/05
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