SHIP stories
Efforts such as complete streets are one key to
increasing physical activity and thus improving
health. Even a 5 percent increase in neighborhood
walkability means a 32 percent increase in walking
and biking. All of which should mean lower rates of
chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.
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In its first three years, the Statewide Health
Improvement Program (SHIP) helped 293 cities
take steps to improve walkability and bikeability
in their community.
Wider shoulders means safer
biking for Wells
Sandy Lorenz lives on a farm near Wells, Minnesota.
She also likes to walk and bike. “The cars fly by me
on Highway 22 so close I can feel the wind as they
pass.” With the standard gravel shoulders, there are
few options for Sandy and her family if they want to
get out on their bikes. In fact, at one time she went so
far as putting orange flags on the back of her kids’
bikes to help make them more visible. “They weren’t
impressed!”
The flags were years ago. Fast forward to the present;
now Sandy works with the local Statewide Health
Improvement Program. When the community of Wells
received support from SHIP in 2009 to address active
living, possibilities began to unfold.
Amber Dallman, active transportation coordinator
for the Minnesota Department of Health, conducted
a Walkability Workshop to look at how to make the
community safer for biking and walking. When news
came that MnDOT would be repaving State Highway
109, it was an opportunity to put their plans into
The Statewide Health Improvement Program (SHIP) works to
improve health through better nutrition, increased physical activity
and decreased commercial tobacco use and exposure. Find out
more at www.health.state.mn.us/ship
action. Her committee talked with MnDOT, and as a
result of that meeting 109 got paved shoulders and
rumble strips to make it much safer and easier for
bicyclists and walkers. MnDOT recently opened the
newly resurfaced road from Winnebago to Delavan,
and the second phase from Delavan to Wells will be
completed in 2013. “I still can’t believe they listened to
us. I’ve already seen people walking and biking on the
newly paved shoulder. This is truly a road that is safer
for all forms of transportation.”
Next steps? Now that highway 109 will be safer,
Sandy’s committee is going to present their “Active
Living Wells” plan to the Wells City Council, to address
about how to make biking and walking easier and
safer throughout town too. She will be attending a
MnDOT 20 year State Highway Investment meeting
to engage in the development of a 20-year State
Highway Investment Plan. And maybe Sandy’s dream
to eventually get Highway 22 shoulders paved too will
become another reality.
She adds, “So many things are coming together in a
good way.”
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updated 2/2013