Blog

We are all ambassadors for road safety

Wed, 09 May 2012 19:20:34 GMT

Trailnet, MoDOT, and Metro held a great Road Safety press conference on May 3. It was a sparkling clear day and we had an impressive turn out. It being a slow news morning meant lots of media attention. At the end, I had a good sized pack of cyclists who joined me to ride from the Missouri History Museum to the Downtown Bicycle Station. There were enough of us to “take the lane” the whole ride. John Nations also had a crowd join him as he walked from the museum to the Forest Park Metro stop.

A recurring theme of the press conference was personal responsibility. I echo that. Do whatever you can, no matter how you’re traveling, to protect yourself and others.

We are all Road Safety Ambassadors. It is up to each of us to demonstrate respect, lawfulness, common sense, and self-control.

Yes, self-control.

What I’m about to talk about is the elephant in the room.

Distractions are taking lives on our roads. Completely avoidable distractions.

Cell phones. One of the reasons using our cell phone while driving is so seductive is that when we social beings are alone in our cars, we become bored and lonely. Just recognizing and reminding ourselves that our “need” to use a cell phone as we drive is really just finding a way to fill a social void may be enough motivation to break the habit. It will help if you put the phone where you can’t reach it – or even hear it (the trunk). If you are expecting an urgent call, drive a route that makes it possible for you to pull over when your phone rings. And I hope it goes without saying that texting when you’re the driver is inexcusable. You are an accident, potentially fatal to others, waiting to happen.

Driving under the influence. Again, we are social beings. When we hang out together it’s fairly routine to drink together. Driving carefully and alertly, watching for pedestrians, cyclists, children, obstructions, and debris under the best of circumstances is a challenge. Those challenges are extremely heightened after drinking. Pledge to never drive under the influence.

When you’re a passenger. Understand that social pressures exist that keep us from confronting our friends even when we know their actions may be dangerous. Ask yourself: What would it take for me to insist the driver of a car in which I’m traveling ignore a call or text or pull over safely? Maybe before you get into another person’s car, you simply let them know you can’t and won’t tolerate unsafe driving. You could be saving a life.

Use the same rigor with alcohol. What are we doing letting others climb into cars under the influence? What would it take for us to take responsibility – to not only refuse a ride, but to grab the keys if necessary?

Speeding is equally dangerous, irresponsible, and avoidable. We speed for many nonsensical reasons. We’re running late: speeding usually does nothing to get us to our destination any faster. We’re bored: recognize it and be ruthless about slowing down. We’re stressed: know that driving IS stressful. Slowing down not only makes our trip safer, it makes it more bearable. We can: just because you’re not getting caught doesn’t make it right.

I know asking you to really look at and possibly change your driving behaviors is a tough sell. You really have to be in it to make these changes. But until we fully commit to safe roads, we are a big part of the problem. And that’s indefensible.

Join us on May 16 for the Ride and Walk of Silence and talk with family members and friends who have lost loved ones on our roads. Bring their messages back to your home and workplace and commit to being an ambassador for Safe Roads for All.

Stay tuned for a blog on how you as a cyclist can make the roads safer.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Safety, Remembrance, Responsibility

Wed, 09 May 2012 15:48:18 GMT

Each of us knows a vulnerable road user who has been hit, injured, or killed by a motorist.

It changes the world forever. The lives of everyone who ever loved that person are incalculably diminished. It’s incalculable because the loss is never over, the accounting is never complete.

Sam Scott’s family will be coming to St. Louis for the Ride and Walk of Silence on May 16. Jennifer Cole’s family and friends will be there. Everyone who comes will have a story of loss to share.

As we share stories about Sam, Jennifer, and the many loved and lost ones we remember everyday – but whom we will remember together on May 16 – let’s also take a hard look at what we can do to create safety on the roads. Let’s make a commitment to do whatever we can to prevent these horrible accidents from happening.

Distracted driving – whether it’s because the driver has been drinking, is reaching to answer his or her phone, talking on the phone or texting, putting on make-up or flipping through CDs – is unacceptable and unpardonable. Cyclists, pedestrians and transit users (those walking to or waiting for transit), the young and the ageing, are highly vulnerable around motor vehicles under any circumstances, but distractions unnecessarily compound the danger.

So does road design that marginalizes cyclists, pedestrians and transit users. Debris, poor maintenance, and speed limits that result in recklessness are all unacceptable. They flout the standards that need to be in place so that our most vulnerable users can travel safely.

Trailnet wants you to be a part of two events designed to draw attention to the need for safer roads for everyone.

The first is on May 3 at the History Museum at 7:30 AM. MoDOT and Trailnet will be presenting a press conference on the need for road safety for all. This is an incomplete list but I will be joined by John Nations from MetroLink, Sheryl Hodges from St. Louis County, Ed Hassinger from MoDOT, and Frances Cole, whose mother was hit and killed last summer while cycling.

The other is the Ride of Silence, an international event that honors cyclists that have been killed and injured; raises awareness of cyclists on the road; and appeals to all to share the road. Trailnet has added a Walk of Silence to our local events to honor pedestrians and runners that have been killed or injured. It is being held on May 16 at three locations, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Both are free events.

Both will be a chance for us to mobilize, to demonstrate how many of us want safe roads for all. And it will give us two very good opportunities to look into our hearts and decide what each of us is willing to do, when we drive, to make that happen.

On a related note, regarding the driver who hit and killed 19 year old Sam Scott on February 3 as he rode his bike home from work: it was reported on Friday that she was charged with first-degree involuntary manslaughter and driving while intoxicated (her blood alcohol content that was more than three times the legal limit). We are in touch with, and will continue to be as this case continues, the University City Assistant Prosecuting Attorney.

We have urged him as he prosecutes this case to keep two things in mind: that Sam, while cycling on Delmar, was operating a legal vehicle; and that this case should be tried with all the gravity of any accident involving legal vehicles with additional attention to Sam’s status as a vulnerable road user.

Awareness, education, and a willingness to look at our own behaviors are imperative if we are to make roads safer for all users. It is my hope that these events elevate everyone’s awareness, including law enforcement officers, attorneys, judges, and jurors, that we need to not only respectfully, responsibly share the road with multiple, rightful users, but to anticipate their presence on the road as well.

I will keep you informed via this blog space, Facebook and Twitter as this tragic case unfolds.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

May is National Bike Month

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 22:08:46 GMT

Get ready for May – it is full of great Trailnet rides and many other bike-related events.

All of Trailnet’s free weekly rides are in full swing by the beginning of May. Click here to read about our Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday (3), Thursday evening and Saturday morning rides.

The Vino Fondo/Missouri’s Grand Fondo (May 5) and three Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club (BFC) rides happen in May: the Tour de Grove Bicycle Ride (May 12), the Berry Bicycle Ride and Strawberry Festival (May 20), and the Great Pizza Bicycle Ride (May 28). Details on those rides and all our 2012 BFC rides can be found here.

Trailnet Community Rides in May include the Freedom Crossing Celebration Ride and Bike Rodeo (May 5), the South Grand Mother’s Day Bicycle Ride (May 13), and the Kirkwood Farmers’ Market Mayfest Twilight Bicycle Ride (May 18). Details on those and all our 2012 Community Rides can be found here.

May 3 – Trailnet and MoDOT are collaborating on a Road Safety for All campaign and will be presenting a joint press conference on Thursday morning, May 3 at 7:30 a.m. at the Missouri History Museum.

May 6 – Trailnet hosts Dinner and Bikes – vegan chef Joshua Ploeg, publisher and movie maker Joe Biel, and writer/blogger Elly Blue's spring tour of the southeastern U.S. (and St. Louis) at the William A. Kerr Foundation, beginning at 4:00 p.m. Registration at $12, which includes a delicious dinner and one drink ticket, is limited. Register online here.

May 10 – Trailnet will be manning a Wake Up to a Sweeter Commute table at the 8th and Pine Metro stop in cooperation with Citizens for Modern Transit. We’ll have a MetroBus rack and a demo bike for anyone who wants to practice loading their bike onto one of their racks, and the bike blender will be there for anyone wanting a pedal powered blended iced coffee.

May 16 – The Ride of Silence, an international event that honors cyclists that have been killed and injured; raises awareness of cyclists on the road; and appeals to all to share the road. Trailnet has added a Walk of Silence to our local events to honor pedestrians that have been killed or injured. There are three different starting points: in St. Louis, Metro East, and St. Charles. Click here for complete information.

May 17 – Join us for the Great Race between Team CarShare, Team Bike, and Team Transit. It kicks off at Post Office Plaza at 4:45 p.m. and finishes at CJ Mugg’s in Clayton. This event is sponsored by CMT, St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership, StL Style, Trailnet, and WeCar.

May 18 – National Bike to Work Day. Receive complimentary breakfast and coffee thanks to Companion bakery on your way to work. Trailnet is hosting five refueling station locations; for more information or to learn how to plan your own Bike Month and refueling stations, click here.

May 22 – Trailnet on Tap, hosted by the Marina Villa neighborhood, at the Jefferson Bistro, 3701 S. Jefferson Ave., beginning at 7:00 p.m. features Live Well Ferguson presenting on building healthy neighborhood coalitions.

In all, that’s 40 rides, 3 walks, 5 great events, and Bike to Work Day breakfasts scheduled along many city and county bike routes – all rounding out our National Bike Month calendar. Additional partner events are listed on our home page calendar. And it looks like we will be adding a Bike Smart class or two as well. It’s going to be a fun, full month – we hope to see a lot of you during May.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Volunteer and ride for free!

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:42:53 GMT

Consider volunteering for Trailnet. The Bicycle Fun Club season kicks off on Sunday, April 15 and it will be followed by 20 more rides that will serve close to 10,000 recreational cyclists before the end of our season in mid-October.

We're looking for volunteers for every ride starting April 29 - your help would make a big difference. Perks to volunteering are to ride free at the close of registration AND receive a free ride voucher for a regularly priced BFC ride of the volunteer’s choice!

Be a part of the fun! Our great volunteers assist before each ride by helping set up tables, tents, and refreshments, selling tickets, handing out maps and answering general questions.

If you would like to help our BFC staff put on one or more of our well-organized, well-supported, popular rides, call Amy at 314.436.1324 x114 or email amyschmidt@trailnet.org.

Thank you – and thanks to ALL our volunteers! We could not achieve all that we do without our dedicated volunteers.

Smart driving means no smart phones

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:17:23 GMT

It’s been three months since the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) recommended that states outlaw all non-emergency phone calls and texting by operators of every vehicle on the road.

Drivers have become extremely dependent on using their car time as phone time. Living up to the NTSB recommendation will require a cultural shift. So let’s talk about changing how we communicate while we travel – but let’s also talk about changing how we travel while we communicate.

Instead of seeing this recommendation as a punishment or even a challenge, see it as an opportunity: an opportunity to safely text, talk on your cell phone, and indulge in multiple distractions as you travel. That opportunity is available to you throughout the day and evening, and often runs as frequently as every seven minutes. Public transit.

If you drive to and from work, think of how stultifying it is. If you’re like most people, you’re in your car alone… No wonder you want to talk to someone! Rush hour traffic, with little more to do than look at the vehicle in front of you inch its way forward, makes you feel like just one more nameless, faceless member of the rat race.

There’s more to life – at least to travel – than that, right?

Imagine texting to your heart’s content, tweeting, checking Facebook, updating your LinkedIn status, reading a book, closing your eyes, putting on your make-up, people watching, working, journaling, drawing, making a new friend. And that’s just the beginning of how you can enjoyably, comfortably, productively (or not), use your travel time.

The possibilities and advantages of taking public transit are endless. But the best part? You’re not taking any risks – you’re not endangering people in vehicles or people on bikes or on foot.

You know I could go on about the environmental and health advantages of mass transit but for now I’d like to focus on safety. Putting another person at risk because we are intent on assuaging our boredom as we drive is the height of selfishness. Make the shift to active transportation and be a part of the solution. We are all members of the communities we live in, work in, play in, and travel through. Let’s get out of our single passenger vehicles and enjoy them! Once you do, you’ll want to make it possible for others to do the same. And they would, if only hopping on the bus or train were as easy as hopping into the car.

Model transit and model roads are about connecting people in the best way possible. That’s not achieved by building bigger and bigger roads where we continue to distract ourselves by futilely trying to connect with others while we’re isolated in our cars.

Most people would actively transport themselves if their trips were safe and enjoyable, like they are in top-10 cities. We can have that. We just have to hang up, let others know transit must be a regional priority, and commit to making St. Louis the best place it can be.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Trailnet’s 2012 calendar of rides now available

Tue, 13 Mar 2012 22:01:13 GMT

About 300 people came out to connect with friends and other cycling enthusiasts Saturday night at our Beans, Brews & Bikes chili party at the Immaculate Conception Parish Hall in Maplewood. It was a new venue for this annual party which unveils our 2012 calendar of upcoming rides.

If you were unable to attend and pick up a calendar, you can click here to view it online. Or you can pick up a calendar at Trailnet’s office (411 N. 10^th) or your local bike shop. Consider riding there or bringing your bike and getting a pre-season tune-up so your bike is in good shape for the beginning of the season.

If you’re a member, watch your mailbox this week. A 2012 Calendar of Rides is being mailed to all members in good standing.

If you’re not a member – you may want to check out the benefits of membership. All annual memberships come with substantial discounts for one year on Bicycle Fun Club rides for two adults and any children in the family under 18. Depending on your membership level you will receive at least two Bicycle Fun Club ride vouchers and a cool, made in the U.S. 2012 Trailnet t-shirt.

Decision makers take notice when I say our membership is 2,000 members strong – and the more members, the stronger our voice. Please consider being a member. You can enroll online or call our membership line at 314.436.1324 x 103. Thank you. Here’s to a great 2012 ride season!

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Clarification on Senator Blunt's vote, and what's next

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:31:53 GMT

Senator Blunt voted no on Tuesday, March 6 against moving the Reid amendment package forward, delaying any further vote on bike/ped funding. After no movement on Wednesday, we were unsure if things would start moving again so we sent out an email to alert our members.

Late last night, the Senate came to an agreement that will allow them to start voting on certain individual amendments, among them the Cardin-Cochran amendment that supports bike/ped funding.

At this point, it looks like voting for the Cardin-Cochran amendment will take place on Tuesday. Visit the Transportation for America website for a comprehensive analysis and explanation of the single amendments that have been presented to the MAP-21 Senate transportation bill instead of the Reid package of amendments. We will provide regular updates through our social media conversations on Facebook and Twitter.

I apologize for the rollercoaster of emails regarding the federal transportation bill. We're doing our best to balance keeping you updated and activated versus boring you with policy talk. If the transportation bill passes, it will have an enormous impact on the way our roads are built, and how walkers and bicyclists fit into those roads. The current transportation bill expires March 31, 2012, which is why there is so much activity right now.

We're nearing the end, and cannot wait to get back to the business of creating programs, planning and policy that gets people out on their feet and bicycles. To that end, we're looking forward to grabbing a beer and bowl of chili with you this Saturday for the release of the 2012 ride calendar. Please contact me with any questions at rhonda@trailnet.org.

Sincerely,

Rhonda Smythe
Policy & Advocacy Coordinator for Trailnet

RSVP now for Beans, Brews & Bikes 2012

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:46:27 GMT

Our annual ride season kick-off party is next Saturday, March 10 at a great new location in Maplewood!

It’s time to get excited for all the cycling fun planned for 2012 and reconnect with old friends and fellow riders.

Saturday, March 10
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Immaculate Conception Parish Hall
7240 Anna Ave.
Maplewood, MO 63143

Beans, Brews & Bikes is a potluck party open to both members and non-members.

Join us for:

• the unveiling of the 2012 Trailnet Ride Calendar

• gear from some of St. Louis’s local bike shops

• the opportunity to renew your Trailnet membership or join and take advantage of special premiums and ride discounts

• recognition of 2011’s most active riders and volunteers

Admission is $5 if you bring chili, an entrée or side dish to share, or $10 without a dish. Children age 10 and under are free.

2011 Trailnet volunteers get in free!

There will be a cash bar, no outside alcohol allowed.

RSVP by 5 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 here, by e-mailing john@trailnet.org or calling (314) 436-1324 x 106.

Safe Roads

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:12:16 GMT

I sat down with the intention to write a blog in response to the Post’s February 23 article “Walking is a lost ritual” but my mind is consumed with the hit-and-run crash Thursday evening that left 82-year-old pedestrian and my fellow Webster Groves resident, Kathleen Kinderfather, in serious condition.

We have come, rightly, to fear roads and yet what is the purpose of roads? Why do we build them? They are connectors. They exist so that we, all of us, can get to where we’re going: school, home, work, the grocery store, mom’s house.

Roads are not inherently dangerous for walking, biking or accessing transit, but they are often designed to be dangerous. We as a society have spent and continue to spend billions of dollars making driving an automobile the most comfortable, easy, and enjoyable way to move from Point A to Point B. It should come as no surprise, then, that the automobile guides the planning, design and engineering of our roadways and hence our communities. Because we have become used to giving cars the advantage over active travel (using your feet and or bicycle to get to transit or your final destination), people just assume that the purpose of roads is to move cars.

That all stands to reason when transit stops lack shelters; and sidewalks and medians on which we are directed to stand while crossing a street, if they exist, are often too narrow or are mere inches away from speeding automobiles.

Roads can, of course, be designed to be safe for all modes of travel. In fact, studies indicate that when roads are designed, built and maintained to prioritize the safe and enjoyable passage of all modes of travel, everyone benefits. Injuries of all types are reduced. Not only does it benefit the individual that is actively transporting himself or herself, but the community and the economy benefit too.

There is much work to do in car-centric communities before we will see those benefits but I am optimistic, because a number of communities that Trailnet has worked with, including the City of St Louis, have adopted Complete Streets policies. These policies make the simple statement that roads must be designed for the safe passage of all users: first for pedestrians since they are the most vulnerable, then bicyclists, transit users, delivery vehicles, and finally single passenger cars.

And we as drivers must be prepared to slow down, put away our cell phones, and expect to see walkers and cyclists on the road in our vibrant, livable communities.

Walking and cycling are not “lost,” nor are they “rituals.” They are both means of transportation and while they may be threatened, they are not going away.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Update on cyclist's death

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 23:00:39 GMT

We have Sam Scott’s police report and are doing everything we can to keep up with how the details of this case are unfolding. We all know these sad events are extremely sensitive and that the wheels of justice do turn slowly. What Trailnet continues to focus on is how we can work together to save lives.

Just this week we met with staff in Senators Blunt and McCaskill’s offices, and visited legislators in Jefferson City to advocate for a statewide anti-harassment policy and greater penalties for injuring or killing cyclists and pedestrians.

It is our privilege to represent cyclists and pedestrians and we take very seriously our responsibility to help keep them safe. Have a safe long weekend and please care for your fellow travelers while on the road.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Another cyclist struck and killed by automobile driver

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:32:30 GMT

We are incredibly saddened by this week's most recent bicyclist struck and killed by an automobile driver. According to a press release from University City Police, "On Friday 2/3/12, at approximately 11:20 p.m., officers and medical personnel responded to the 7500 block of Delmar for a bicyclist hit by a vehicle. The bicyclist struck is identified as Samuel Scott (19 years of age), of the 7400 block of Delmar. Samuel Scott was conveyed by paramedics to an area hospital for treatment, where he later died of his injuries.

The driver of the striking vehicle, a female age 29, remained at the scene with the victim until police arrived. The driver was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. The investigation into the incident continues and the case will be presented to the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s office today for consideration."

Trailnet has requested the police report and will continue to provide updates to our readers. In the meantime, we are working hard to build our partnerships with this end: reduced fatalities as a result of a comprehensive, well-funded safety campaign. It is time. It is beyond time. It is too many lives beyond time.

We hope to organize monthly events/rides to raise awareness. Please mark your calendars for May 16, 2012 for the National Ride of Silence after work, starting at the Missouri History Museum at 6:30 p.m.

Until all information is made available, we cannot respond to the specifics of this fatal accident but want to reiterate that 14% of trips are made on foot and bicycle, 12% of fatalities are cyclists and pedestrians and yet, historically less than 1.5% of federal transportation funds are dedicated for bike/ped projects.

And now, both the House and the Senate have a majority of our elected officials gunning to gut, if not eliminate these funds. We have clear evidence that designing and building roads for the SAFE travel of ALL modal types increases the number of people on foot and bicycle – it gets people out of their cars for at least a portion of their journey. Studies show that the more people on bikes, the safer each cyclist is. Walking and bicycling are not only healthy for the individual, the environment and the communities we live in, they reduce our expensive and dangerous reliance on oil.

Please drive with special attention to those on foot and bicycle. They are the most vulnerable road users.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Disastrous federal transportation bill released

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:07:32 GMT

I just attended Congressman Carnahan’s meeting with stakeholders on the about-to-be-unleashed federal transportation bill. While the Congressman has shown support for walking and cycling funding, the news of the almost 800 page bill is beyond disheartening. It stands to eliminate any chance of our country efficiently using taxpayer dollars in an efficient, globally competitive manner.

This is as urgent as it gets.

Please – take 30 seconds NOW and call these Missouri elected officials who sit on the House Transportation Committee:

Russ Carnahan, St. Louis - (314) 962-1523
Billy Long, Springfield - (417) 889-1800
Sam Graves, St Joseph - (816) 233-9818

Use this script or your own version of it, but please make sure you reference DEDICATED bike/walk funding:

“I am a Missouri resident and am calling to ask for dedicated bicycle and pedestrian funding to be included in the American Energy and Infrastructure Act.”

Additionally, please click here (and scroll down) to quickly and easily send an email.

At a time when the ills of decades long car-only policies are crippling our health, our federal, state, and personal budgets as well as our country’s ability to reduce our oil dependency, I must question what has motivated the authors of the current transportation bill.

The disastrous back sliding the bill will unfold for our country will include:

• Funneling as much money as possible to highways
• Giving even more power to spend that money to state DOTs, not cities and metro regions
• Shortening the environmental review process
• Eliminating programs "that do not have a federal interest," which appears to include all dedicated funding for bicycle and pedestrian programs
• Doing away with discretionary transit programs, which would spell the end for the very successful U.S. Department of Transportation TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery) funding
• Augmenting gas tax revenue with an as-yet-unspecified revenue stream from oil and gas drilling

The significant progress we’ve made to rebuild safe and connected pedestrian and bicycling facilities is about to seriously erode. With this bill’s irresponsible use of our tax dollars, we can expect to continue to see a rise in obesity and obesity-related diseases, respiratory disease (especially in our children), loss of population in our inner ring suburbs due to large roads bisecting them, and loss of the momentum we were gaining in local economic health.

It’s so sad to know that our representatives are not representing us at all…and using our hard earned dollars in the meantime.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Trailnet part of HUD regional planning grant

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 20:51:57 GMT

A significant development on the federal level within the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is bringing great benefits in terms of livability planning to St. Louis – and Trailnet is proud to be included in the process.

Last June, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) joined a nascent HUD/Department of Transportation (DOT) Sustainable Communities partnership. The resulting three-agency partnership aims to streamline the federal processes behind urban development and, according to the partnership website, will coordinate the efforts of the agencies to protect the environment, promote equitable development, and help address the issue of climate change.

Last October, the partnership announced the winners of the first round of Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grants (amounting to about $100 million split among 45 regions) to create plans for sustainability, affordable housing, and transit.

The East-West Gateway Council of Governments authored a grant for the first round and our region was awarded $4.6 million – that round’s largest award. Many well-respected agencies are partnering in the work of that grant, including Trailnet, Citizens for Modern Transit, Great Rivers Greenway District, Metro, and others.

The planning work that will be done as a result of this grant is intended to connect downtown to the Mississippi River more effectively, enhance livability aspects of the region, and increase bike and walkability. Because livability includes issues of housing, jobs, transportation, clean air and water, economic development, and equity, this planning grant requires partner agencies that understand the complexities of community planning, and have experience in programming at the scale and scope that will serve a thriving metropolitan area.

Trailnet brings experience in looking at communities, systems, and problems from the intersection of public policy, public health, and urban planning. This grant is Trailnet's golden opportunity to continue and expand our role as catalyst for moving our region toward increased active living through highly intentional planning; smart, comprehensive policy; and a diversity of affordable, enjoyable programs.

This grant gives many effective agencies the opportunity to strengthen their relationships, vision together the elements of an integrated plan for greater livability and sustainability, and work with residents to build a community that meets their needs now and well into the future.

We are energized by this work and impressed by our federal government’s vision in giving communities access to the power to achieve their vision for a well-planned, well-designed, 21st century community.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

What a week!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:00:47 GMT

Even in the 'off season', St Louis is demonstrating an impressive, growing bike culture. Tuesday night's Trailnet on Tap attracted about 70 people to Cafe Ventana to socialize and learn tips for winter riding. Then Thursday brought two showings of Bicycle Dreams at the Chase featuring the 2005 grueling Race Across America. And there's more. This Sunday is the annual Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet featuring more square feet of sold out vendor space than ever!

Click here to learn about the Shift Your Commute February log-your-miles challenge and mark your calendars for our 2012 Ride Calendar release party, Beans, Brews & Bikes on March 10 at the Immaculate Conception Parish Hall; click here for more details.

Enjoy your weekend!

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Please Read - Important Info About Bicycle Dreams

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:04:13 GMT

DUE TO A CONFLICT AT THE MOOLAH Bicycle Dreams will show at the Chase Park Plaza Cinema. The 7:00 show is SOLD OUT. There will be a second showing at 9:15.Tickets for the 9:15 show are $11 in advance ($10 plus $1 service fee) here or $15 at the door. BIG SHARK and TRAILNET apologize: this was completely out of our control. Call 436.1324 x 111 or 881.0322 with questions.

2011 was a good year for Trailnet!*

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:08:39 GMT

The down economy was challenging for everyone, but that didn’t keep 2011 from being a good year for furthering Trailnet’s mission. Here is just a short list of some of the accomplishments you, our supporters, helped us achieve:

Since the Downtown Bicycle Station’s April opening, 89 people have become members.

Trailnet’s TravelGreen program, which promotes biking to work and for short trips, expanded into the Central West End, Washington University, and throughout the City of St. Louis. Stay tuned for new events in 2012, including our Trailnet on Tap speakers’ series.

Trailnet’s Community Planning team completed long-range plans to improve bike and walkability in Ellisville, DeSoto, Old North, Ferguson, Washington, and Franklin County.

We saw 330 cyclists on National Bike to Work Day, May 20, 2011. Mark your calendar for events we are planning for National Bike to Work Day 2012 on May 18.

Trailnet responded to calls from parents all over the region asking what they can do to make their kids’ routes to school more walkable and bikeable. Our Safe Routes to School staff met with and advised reps from over 22 schools across the state and provided over 400 school children with the basics of bike safety.

Since the kick-off of shiftyourcommute.com in May, 252 members have been logging their active transportation miles and tracking their calories burned and carbon emissions reduced.

Trailnet’s Livable St. Louis Conference provided a stimulating forum with incredible speakers and 275 attendees. Details on this year’s conference are coming soon.

21 Bicycle Fun Club (BFC) rides were enjoyed by nearly 8,000 riders on roads in over 70 communities in Missouri and Illinois. BFC volunteers donated a staggering 618 hours of service, and our 7th Ride the Rivers Century, at 593 cyclists from eight states, was our largest ever.

Trailnet launched our first Bike Smart bike safety and skills classes, taught by a League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructor. Our classes encourage riders of all abilities and ages to get out and ride predictably, visibly, and safely. More classes will be added in 2012.

Over 1,000 people enjoyed 18 family friendly St. Louis bike rides through our most interesting communities. Rides included our annual Tour De Plants and the ever popular Literary Ride.

Trailnet’s Active Living Awards celebrated Derek Glanvill, REI, the City of Columbia, IL, Citizens for Modern Transit, and Mike Murray, exemplary individuals and entities engaged in unique and sustainable efforts to incorporate physical activity in every day living.

Trailnet took healthy eating and active living state-wide through our expanded technical assistance program; and we added a half-time advocacy staff person.

Our popular Breakfast for Bikers series expanded to three locations around St. Louis.

Trailnet provided free Bike Valet at LouFest for over 400 riders who biked their way to the two-day music festival.

…And Trailnet relocated to 411 North 10th Street in downtown. We are just upstairs from the Downtown Bicycle Station and our friends at Urban Shark Bicycle Company. We are so grateful to our friends and donors for helping make our new location a reality.

Everyone at Trailnet wishes you a happy new year and sends many thanks for your investment in Trailnet and the work we do. You helped make 2011 memorable for all of us.

We’re ready to celebrate 2012 and all its possibilities!

*And for bikes! Click here to listen to my interview as a part of St. Louis Public Radio’s “Good Year” series.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

*And for bikes! Click here to listen to my interview as a part of St. Louis Public Radio’s “Good Year” series.

Are you a Trailnet member?

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 21:55:17 GMT

We at Trailnet don't just talk about healthy, active living...we work to make it a reality.

Trailnet is a 23-year-old nonprofit membership organization, not a public entity. What this means is we depend on YOU, our members - to make a financial commitment so that we can continue to be on the leading edge, moving our region toward greater vibrancy and livability. It is a sign of the times that there is a growing number of taxpayer-funded and private organizations joining Trailnet in this essential endeavor - and we are thrilled. We recognize that as others join us in our planning, programming, and policy work, we are able, even encouraged, to step up, roll up our sleeves, and dig into the next "great idea."

We did just that by trail building 23 years ago; then taking on the charge of making two important Missouri-to-Illinois bridges bike/walk friendly; and then working with the railroads to create rails-to-trails projects that include Grant's Trail.

Over time, our purpose and work evolved significantly. We shifted from a narrow focus on trail development to a comprehensive emphasis on fostering healthy and active communities. We integrated work in public health, urban planning, policy advocacy, community organizing, and bike walk programming. Click here for more information about our work and our accomplishments.

If you're not a Trailnet member, or if your membership has lapsed, please support us by joining or renewing your membership. If you appreciate our work, click here to join or renew online, or call our membership line at 314.436.1324 x 103 to charge your tax-deductible contribution. If you're one of our loyal members, thank you from all of us for your confidence in our work.

Let's take the next bold step together. Let's work to continue moving St. Louis into the highly regarded, livable metropolitan area we all know it can be.

Thank you.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Re-thinking driving and cell phone usage

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 23:08:11 GMT

The National TransportationSafety Board (NTSB), a federal agency, announced yesterday that it was calling for a ban on all cell phone use by drivers (read more here).

This is powerful news; it confirms that distraction-related accidents are about cognitive distraction. Deborah Hersman, the chair of the NTSB, says “it’s about not being engaged at the task at hand.”

It’s easy to understand why people shouldn’t text, read, or watch videos while they’re driving; that looking away from the road while driving is unsafe. Many of us have incorporated hands-free devices in our vehicles thinking that will allow us to talk and drive safely. What the NTSB has learned after 10 years of investigations into distraction-related accidents is that there are no hands-free devices that allow us to talk on the phone and drive safely. Simply stated, there are serious risks to driving and talking on the phone. Period.

People aren’t going to want to hear this. Legislators already shy away from bans having to do with any cell phone usage, even texting, while driving. Change is something that’s going to have to come from US.

This will have to be a cultural shift. Much like drinking and driving, the public will have to raise the collective consciousness around cell phoning and driving being dangerous and ultimately, unacceptable.

Trailnet is committed to take a leadership role in making the roads safer for all users. Obviously, cyclists and pedestrians are extremely vulnerable when sharing the road with distracted drivers. But we and our loved ones all travel by car sometimes; we drive, we travel in carpools and on buses; and the NTSB report shines a light on the fact that cell phones have made our roads unsafe for everyone, no matter how we travel on them.

Tell me how you feel about this report. Tell me how wiling you are to turn your cell phone off while you’re driving. Tell me what you think would work in changing peoples’ behavior.

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Congress retreats, St. Louis advances

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 15:41:04 GMT

At the end of this month, unless Congress is convinced to act otherwise, the tax benefit to the individual for transit will be cut nearly in half.

As it stands right now, the amount an individual spends, up to $230 a month, on his or her commute in a vanpool, train or bus, can be deducted from his or her paycheck, tax free. That’s the same amount the federal government allows people to get deducted from their paychecks for parking. After December 31, the transit benefit could be reduced to $120. The parking benefit is not at risk; it will remain the same.

Click here to tell Congress to protect this crucial benefit – for everyone, regardless of how he or she gets to work.

I have trained myself to look for the hidden costs of publicly funded or subsidized infrastructure projects. It’s simple to see that the hidden cost here is more cars on the road – and this at a time when we’re just beginning to see measurable increases in the numbers of cylists and pedestrians. Increasing numbers of cyclists on the road is tied to one thing – a sense of safety. De-incentivizing people to travel by vanpool, train, or bus is the opposite of what we need to see happening. Encouraging people to get back into their single passenger vehicles comes at great cost: it not only makes the roads less safe for everyone, but it is far less healthy for the individual than active transportation. Essentially, it’s subsidizing poor air quality, an overburdened storm water system, and sedentary lifestyle-related disease.

And it leads people to need a place to park once they’ve driven to work. Parking lots are not-so-hidden costs that represent nothing more than the loss of economic and social activity that would better utilize that square footage.

As most of you know, I ride my bike to and from work nearly every day. When I leave the office for a meeting that I cannot ride or walk to, I take the MetroLink whenever possible. If my meeting is at a university, a hospital, or a corporate center, my host very often graciously offers to validate my parking. It would be a better use of funds for them to acquire vouchers from Metro to encourage (and reward) people to use “efficient transportation.” But no one has ever said yes when I say I didn’t drive and ask if they have a Metro voucher for me instead.

However, I see great potential for movement toward greater sustainability and livability in the City of St. Louis. The City held its first Sustainability Summit this week. Kudos to the City – every department was represented at the Summit, setting the stage for an integrated, systems approach to change. I hope we’ll see similar a similar commitment and comparable initiatives in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, and the entire region.

It will only be through these kinds of commitments that the hidden costs of our publicly funded infrastructure projects will be scrutinized. What I hope we’ll begin to see is increasing, personal investment in our community, our “home”; a willingness, on everyone’s part, to ask: “Who does this benefit and how?”

Ann Mack
Executive Director

Bike Swap Meet 2012 date is set!

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 19:31:00 GMT

Everyone needs a bike fix in January. Whether you’re a buyer, a seller, a seasoned or a novice cyclist, this event will get your heart pumping.

The 2012 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet, presented by Trailnet, is a great place to find terrific deals on used bikes and accessories, as well as the excess inventory that shops and dealers from around the region will be looking to sell before the biking season kicks back up.

So mark your calendar now for this year’s Expo! It’s your chance to catch a sneak peek at next season’s goodies, search for that hard-to-find bike part, or find a great deal on your dream bike. There will be lots of information available on 2012 biking events as well.

And if you’ve got old bikes, frames, and wheelsets, you can give them a second life and earn some cash to spend on the spot. For $5 per bike, frame, or wheelset, we can set them up for sale at the popular Bike Corral.

When: Sunday, January 29, 2012
10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Where: Gateway Center – a 12-minute drive from the Arch
One Gateway Drive
Collinsville, IL 62234

How much: $5 entry fee

What else: A Classic Bike Show will also be featured at the Expo. For $5 per bike, you can display your classic bicycle/s and compete for trophies in several categories.

Contact: John Cameron at
john@trailnet.org
314.436.1324 x106

To register for a booth, click here.