Linn County Healthy Choices Initiative Improves Safety and Accessibility of Trails

In an effort to make Linn County a healthier community for children and families, Healthy Linn Care Network and the Healthy Living Coalition established the Linn County Healthy Choices initiative in August 2010 with funding from the Iowa Department of Public Health.  One of the objectives of Linn County Healthy Choices is to increase the safety and accessibility of the trails network.  In order to complete this objective the Healthy Living Coalition has been collaborating with the City of Cedar Rapids and the Bicycle Advisory Committee to determine the needs to assist in improving safety and accessibility of trails.  In the near future you will see bike route signs, share the road signs, small and large permanent bike racks, portable bike racks and sharrow markings in Cedar Rapids.  

The Healthy Living Coalition (HLC) was formed in November 2004 in response to the 2004 Community Health Needs Assessment, which ranked obesity and related chronic diseases (diabetes, cardiovascular disease) as one of the top five health concerns in the county.  The HLC envisions a community that actively practices and promotes healthy nutrition and physical activity habits for the development of overall well-being.