Walk & Roll Step Results to be Announced at Sept. 16 Finale

When:

4 p.m., Friday, Sept. 16, 2005

Where:

San Francisco Caltrain Station
4th and King streets

Who:

Mike Nevin, Caltrain board chairman
Jerry Hill, SamTrans board chair
Robyn M. Stuhr, M.A., Program Director/Exercise Physiologist
Center for Sports Medicine-Corte Madera, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital

What:

The results will be announced of the five-week-long Walk and Roll program, which enlisted 42 public transit riders in counting their steps using pedometers. Begun July 11, the purpose of the program was to see to what extent incorporating walking into a regular commute can help toward a goal of logging 10,000 steps per day.

All of the Walk and Rollers chosen for the program regularly walk to or from Caltrain or light rail stations or the bus stop, but many of them had never worn pedometers to keep track of their step totals. For the Roll Models who participated in the program, the walking-and-transit combination gives them much-needed exercise, relieves stress and -- something especially important today -- saves on gas costs.

Why:

Many people would like to get more exercise but finding the time to work out can be a challenge, especially for those with long commutes. Yet many people live within walkable distances of train stations and bus stops and could incorporate the simplest and most accessible form of exercise into their normal work day. The Walk and Roll program was undertaken to offer a new perspective on one of the less apparent potential benefits for people to use public transit, whether they are existing Caltrain and bus riders -- or new ones.

9/14/05