A slideshow of students walking and biking to school on October 5th. Portland Timbers player Rodney Wallace played soccer, signed autographs and answered questions with the class that had the most students walk and bike to school.

Students from Horizon Elementary School in Michigan participated in Walk to School Day 2011 and celebrated by doing the "PED Safety Dance"

In the last few days I've come across a handful of great transportation-related stories, ranging from the wonky to the futuristic to the practical.

First, my favorite of the three: The practical.  Researchers in Madison, WI decided to quantify the impact of making half of your short trips (like going to the grocery store or a friend's house) by bike instead of driving.  The result? Well I think the headline of the NPR story says it all, "Secret To A Long, Healthy Life: Bike To The Store"

The next story (and new blog) comes from my co-worker, Denver Igarta, who earned a Marshall fellowship to study livable streets across the pond.  His blog will document his discoveries as he travels to different countries to meet with the residents, planners, and transportation officials who make their streets great places for people - not just automobiles.  His most recent story, on the wonkier tip, is about the importance of codifying how we want our streets to function.  If you know what the AASHTO guide is (or you want to know) you'll appreciate Denver's recent post.

Finally, bikeportland.org includes an animated video of a simultaneously very small and very big project happening in South Waterfront.  The very small? 0.6 mile roadway reconstruction.  The very big? Raising the streetscape 14 feet higher, adding new streetcar tracks and bicycle and pedestrian facilities.  In the next few years, multimodal access to South Waterfront is going to increase substantially.  The Gibbs bike and ped bridge, the new TriMet bridge across the Willamette, and the Orange MAX line will be significant improvements.  And then, not too far off in the future, the Eastside Streetcar will connect to South Waterfront to complete the loop.  It's looking pretty good in Portland's newest neighborhood.

We all know that trails - also known in wonky transportation circles as multi use paths - are good for people's health and the environment by creating car-free corridors for sustainable travel and recreation.

But do they raise property values?

According to a study by University of Cincinnati urban planning and economics professors, they do.  Professors Rainer vom Hofe Olivier Parent studied homes sales adjacent to a 12 mile stretch of the Little Miami Scenic Trail in the Cincinnati metro area.

The study found that proximity to trails increased property values. For each foot nearer in proximity, the sale price values by $9. The authors concluded that home buyers were willing to pay an extra $9000 for a home within 1,000 feet (a little under four Portland city blocks) of the trail.  

The Portland region is home to several multi use trails, including the Springwater Corridor, Waterfront Park, and Fanno Creek Trail in Washington County.

Springwater Corridor Trail photo courtesy of Steven Nehl/Oregon Live