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Celebrating Bike to Work Day

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BTWD1Despite a drizzly morning, nearly 500 bicyclists visited refueling stations located throughout the St. Louis area on Bike to Work Day. Trailnet staffed stations at four locations, including HandleBar, Kaldi’s on Demun, Missouri Botanical Garden, and the Missouri History Museum. Private businesses set up twelve additional stations across the St. Louis area and in Illinois to provide refreshments to bike commuters. Fresh coffee and bagels were provided by Saint Louis Bread Company.  

BTWD2Bike to Work Day, the highlight of National Bike Month, was founded in 1956 by the League of American Bicyclists. Every year, the League assesses each of the 50 states in terms of facilities that encourage bicycle commuting. Missouri is currently ranked 34th in the nation.

BTWD3“We want to make St. Louis one of the best cities for walking and biking in the country by 2030,” says Trailnet Executive Director Ralph Pfremmer. “The assets of our community will most certainly attract and retain talented young people and entrepreneurs, adding to the vitality and economic prosperity of our region.”

The number of bicyclists is growing rapidly from coast to coast. The National Household Travel Survey showed that the number of trips made by bicycle in the US more than doubled from 1.7 billion in 2001 to 4 billion in 2009.

Trailnet works to make a more bike friendly and walkable St. Louis.

“We have a lot of facilities in place: greenways and infrastructure on the streets, and we have a lot of riders that commute to work. We are doing well but we can do better, and that’s what Trailnet works for,” says Pfremmer.

Many thanks to the Great Rivers Greenway District for providing funding for Bike to Work Day, to all of the businesses who hosted refueling stations, and to the bike commuters who made it all happen!

Win a bike during National Bike Month!

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Sixty years ago, the League of American Bicyclists designated the month of May as National Bike Month. This is a perfect time to celebrate the many benefits of bicycling and to encourage more folks to give biking a try.

Here at Trailnet, we’ll be celebrating bikes all month long with a Shift Your Commute May Challenge, with National Bike to Work Day, and by giving away this great Electra Cruiser to the lucky winner of our bike raffle. This 7-speed classic aluminum cruiser features a step-through frame, twist shifter, fenders, a comfy seat, and balloon tires.

Here’s how you can enter to win:

The drawing will be held on June 1st. Spend the Summer cruising around town on your new wheels!

For information or to buy tickets by phone, contact Carol Schmidt at (314) 436-1324 ext. 103 or carol@trailnet.org.

Thanks to for the generous donation of the bike.

Host a Bike to Work Day Station

Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Bike to Work Day on Friday, May 20 by hosting a Refueling Station at your workplace. Join Trailnet in counting 500 cyclists throughout the STL area. We will help promote your station and your business!

How it works:

  1. Recruit co-workers to run the station with you.
  2. Decide what “fuel” you will provide. Beverage and food items may be purchased or donated by partner businesses.
  3. Fill out the online Refueling Station form. Trailnet will arrange for delivery of educational materials to be displayed at your station.
  4. Promote Bike to Work Day at your workplace through flyers, employee newsletters, email, and social media.
  5. If your workplace doesn’t have one already, create a team on ShiftYourCommute.com. Celebrate the benefits of biking throughout National Bike Month by logging your car-free miles (biking, walking and using public transit).
  6. Provide support and encouragement for your co-workers leading up to Bike to Work Day. Some ideas include:
    • Route mapping – provide links or maps in your company newsletter featuring bike-friendly routes; if you are a regular bike commuter, list your favorite streets, shortcuts, and parks to ride through.
    • Bike mentors – pair novice cyclists with experienced bike commuters who can accompany them on their first ride to work.
    • Bike trains – identify meeting locations to “pick up” fellow bike commuters; designate an experienced commuter to lead the group from each spot, ending at your workplace’s refueling station.
  7. On Bike to Work Day, track the number of people who visit your station (don’t forget to count yourself and any colleagues who help run the station), and send your final tally to Taylor March at taylor@trailnet.org by Monday, May 23.
  8. Thank your volunteers, pat yourselves on the back, and start thinking of ideas for next year. Share your success through your company’s social media, employee newsletter, and partners. Share the experience with Trailnet and send any photos or quotes to taylor@trailnet.org.

Gear up for the September Challenge!

Cool weather and fall colors will be coming soon and with them, the September Challenge. Ride your bike to work, walk, or take public transit and log your car-free miles on Shift Your Commute. This free, web-based program will automatically calculate calories burned and carbon emissions saved. Every trip makes a difference – for your health, for the environment, and for regional planning. Trailnet uses data generated from Shift Your Commute to plan projects that improve opportunities for active transportation throughout the region. Stay tuned for info about prizes awarded for individuals and teams who log the most car-free miles during the month of September.

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Safety is the priority for alternative transit in St. Louis

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Trailnet, Missouri Department of Transportation, and Bi-State Development Agency advocate “Safe Roads for All” during National Bike to Work Day

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Trailnet celebrated the St. Louis region’s 10th annual Bike to Work Day Friday, May 15. Sponsored by Great Rivers Greenway, Missouri American Water, and Saint Louis Bread Co., the event drew more than 560 cyclists dedicated to making biking a way of life in St. Louis. Sponsors, volunteers, and Trailnet staff hosted refueling stations throughout the area, offering coffee and bagels to all bike commuters. Bike to Work Day helps to build a sense of community, promotes environmentally-friendly modes of travel, and inspires people to maintain healthy, active lifestyles.

The Missouri History Museum hosted a refueling station during Bike to Work Day and was also the site of the Safe Roads for All Press Conference. Speakers highlighted the progress made in alternative transit over the past year and discussed their vision for a healthy, safe, and vibrant future in the St. Louis region. The conference was presented by Trailnet, The City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Bi-State Development Agency/Metro, and Great Rivers Greenway.

Maggie Crane, communications director for BTWDKaldi'sGinny150002the Office of Mayor Francis Slay, drew applause from the audience when she announced St. Louis will include its first bike and pedestrian coordinator position in the city’s 2015-2016 budget. This is one step required to boost the region’s overall bike friendliness ranking, as evaluated by the League of American Bicyclists.

Ralph Pfremmer, Trailnet’s executive director, stressed the importance of installing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to improve the health of local communities as well as the environment. “For the future, it’s critical that the expansion of well-designed bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure continue,” Pfremmer said. “By increasing safe and pleasant opportunities for walking and biking, we will build the confidence of our users and improve public health and the environment. These assets of our community will most certainly attract and retain talented young people and entrepreneurs, adding to the vitality and economic prosperity of our region.

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In addition to the Missouri History Museum, Trailnet-hosted refueling stations at: Big Shark in the Loop, Missouri Botanical Garden, The Downtown Bicycle Station, Urban Shark, Kaldi’s on DeMun, and Mississippi Mud Coffee Roasters.

Area businesses and organizations also committed to sponsoring “DIY” refueling stations. Participants included the DeSales Community Housing Corp., Ferguson Bicycle Shop, Lyon Park, Microgrid Energy, Nebula Coworking, Pedal the Cause, St. Louis Development Corporation and City of St. Louis Health Department, St. Louis Earth Day, St. Louis University’s Simon Recreation Center, the St. Louis Zoo, The downtown O’Fallon office of Scott Air Force Base, and W.W. Grainger. A map of all of the station locations is available at trailnet.org.

Bike to Work Day was organized in partnership with The City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and Urban Shark Bicycle Company.

Host a DIY Bike to Work Day Station

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Host a DIY Bike to Work Day Station at your workplace on National Bike to Work Day, Friday, May 15. Join Trailnet in counting 500 cyclists throughout the STL area. We will help promote your station and your business!

How it works:

  1. Recruit co-workers to run the station with you.
  2. Decide what breakfast items you will provide. If your workplace’s budget allows, these items may be purchased, or donated by partner businesses.
  3. Once you have an idea of who will run the station and what breakfast items will be provided, fill out the DIY Station form, found here. Trailnet will follow up with you to arrange for educational materials to be displayed at your station.
  4. Make a plan to promote Bike to Work Day through your workplace’s employee newsletter, email, flyers in the breakroom, and social media (don’t forget, Trailnet will be promoting your station too, so someone from outside your workplace might stop by).
  5. If your workplace doesn’t have one already, create a team on ShiftYourCommute.com. Co-workers can join your company’s team and log their car-free miles. On Bike to Work Day, everyone who logs their car-free commute is eligible to win prizes!
  6. Provide support and encouragement for your co-workers leading up to Bike to Work Day. Some ideas include:
    • Route mapping – Provide links or maps in your company-wide newsletter or break room featuring bike-friendly routes. If you are a regular bike commuter, list your favorite streets, shortcuts, and parks to ride through.
    • Bike mentors – Pair novice cyclists with experienced bike commuters who can accompany them on their first ride to work.
    • Bike trains – Identify a handful of meeting locations to “pick up” fellow bike commuters on the way to work. Designate an experienced commuter to lead the group from each spot, ending at your workplace’s Bike to Work Day station.
  7. On Bike to Work Day, make sure to track the number of people who visit your station (don’t forget to count yourself and any colleagues who help run the station), and send your final tally to molly@trailnet.org by Monday, May 18.
  8. Thank your volunteers, pat yourselves on the back, and start thinking of ideas for next year. Share your successes through your company’s social media, employee newsletter, and partners. Share the experience with Trailnet and send any photos or quotes to molly@trailnet.org.