|
Do you know an inspiring individual or group who helps to Promote Active Living in the St. Louis bi-state area? Someone who walks or uses their bicycle for transportation or encourages others to do so? Someone who helps with community bicycle and pedestrian planning or legislation?
Someone who promotes trails or bicycle/pedestrian compatible roadways? Someone who really loves outdoor active recreation or helps others to live healthier and more active lives?
We know many of these Everyday Heroes - click the images below to read their stories. If you or someone you know qualifies as an Everyday Hero, please call 314/436-1324 x 115 or 
Dick Weiss, Urban Orienteer
 Dick Weiss is a self-described, “mainstream, moderate guy.” However, he recently did something that many might consider a bit nutty – he got rid of his car. Not completely nutty as his wife still has her car, and he can use it when he’s in a hurry or has to go somewhere where the public transportation is inadequate.
He gave up the standard set of four wheels for two reasons. He had come to the end of his 30-year career at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as a reporter editor and writing coach and could work from home. The second reason was no less compelling: he could save money! “MetroLink had conveniently placed four stations within a 10 to 15 minute walk from my door. Add to that a Clayton Road bus stop just five minutes away.” He did the math and sold his car – a depreciating asset – reduced his insurance premiums and saved money on gas, “pocketing thousands of dollars every year.” Even better, he thought of all the calories he would burn walking to and from the bus and MetroLink stops.
In the process, he discovered how easy it was to give up his car and that it was fun to learn how to get around town without it. He found, to his delight, that the train and bus can serve as an office. He does business on the Shrewsbury line with his laptop and cell phone, scheduling appointments, creating and editing copy. He can also occasionally download e-mail when he is within range of someone’s unsecured wireless router!
He knows that many of his friends consider public transportation something for other people – or as a last resort when their car is in the shop. They may take it to a ball game to save on parking. But, he suspects that none of them have taken bus and rail for an hour-and-forty-five minute journey to a business meeting in Earth City. He knows that he could surely have gotten there quicker, then jokingly adds, “but the maybe Sir Edmund Hillary could have parachuted from a plane to the summit of Mount Everest if all he wanted to do was plant a flag.”
He considers his explorations “urban orienteering” and encourages us all to get around town in the “most interesting, healthy, environmentally-friendly and amusing way.”
April, 2008
Barbara Fraser, St. Louis County Council Representative, District 5
 Barbara Fraser cares about important issues. Education, Health Care, Economic Development and the Environment – important issues that affect St. Louis area residents every day. Before her election to the County Council, Barbara represented District 83 in the Missouri House of Representatives where she served on the House Committee on Education. Prior to entering politics, Barbara was a teacher for 22 years and served on the University City School Board. As a state representative, she also sponsored legislation that reauthorized the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIPs) and worked to promote economic development through supporting historic tax credits and the Quality Jobs Program.
Now, as a member of the St. Louis County Council, Barbara’s goal is to guarantee that the inner suburbs in District 5 continue to grow in an environmentally friendly way. Barbara states, “I am working to ensure that the communities in my District remain thriving, people–centered, safe and exciting venues.” She also recognizes that transportation infrastructure is vitally important to grow the economy. According to her, "safe, reliable, and well-maintained roads and bridges are not a luxury, they are an economic necessity to an area's thriving business climate.”
But Barbara’s vision of a well-planned regional transportation system isn’t designed for cars alone. It includes accommodating all people – those who drive single-passenger vehicles, those who use mass transit, those who walk and bike. She shares, “I am intrigued by the ‘Great Streets’ program and would love to see the St. Louis metropolitan area embrace walking and biking as Chicago and Indianapolis have. All people need to be included in this vision.”
Barbara recently took action on the Hanley Road widening project - a major transportation initiative under the jurisdiction of St. Louis County. The original design plans for phase 1 - the south portion between Hanley Industrial and Laclede Station Road - called for an elevated interchange over Manchester Road and widening from four to seven travel lanes from Hanley Industrial Court to near Laclede Station Road, with no plans for adequate bicycle/pedestrian accommodations. In July, Trailnet asked the public to help ensure bikeable/walkable communities by contacting Barbara Fraser, St. Louis County Council, District 5, and Russell Carnahan, U.S. House of Representatives, 3rd District Missouri.
After receiving more than 170 e-mails from Trailnet constituents, “an overwhelming response,” Barbara learned more about the project. In her words, “The Hanley corridor is a place where people live, work and shop, and it includes MetroLink. I want to ensure a people-centered environment for all who use the whole corridor and accommodating MetroLink users, bicyclists and pedestrians who want to cross the road is critical.” She was then able to help bring Trailnet into discussions with St. Louis County and the affected municipalities of Brentwood, Maplewood and Richmond Heights. A number of meetings ensued to discuss the County’s plans and Trailnet’s alternate design solution that would accommodate for 14-foot wide outside bicycle lanes. After careful consideration, St. Louis County's Department of Highways and Traffic issued a stop order, calling for more time to investigate other design solutions. As of October, 2007 the issue has not been resolved; however, Barbara remains optimistic that a positive outcome will be obtained.
Barbara continues, “Trailnet needs to be responsive to its mission of Promoting Active Living. It is incumbent upon the organization to educate the public and the elected officials who make these decisions.” We agree. Through public engagement, we are able to connect with and educate our elected officials about why transportation planning is a core component of Active Living - about how including bicycle, pedestrian and mass transit facilities accommodate more people and provide opportunities for us all to be healthier and more active.
Thanks Barbara, for caring about the issues important to Trailnet!
October, 2007
Christine Waitman
 Christine Waitman believes in serving her community of Bridgeton, where she and her husband have lived for over 30 years. So much so, that she decided to run and was elected to the City Council in 2000. Her initial interest in public service was spawned by the research she did on hazardous waste land-fill issues.
She now continues to work on some of the City’s more challenging issues, but also fills her days with something she passionately enjoys: Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning. Christine and her husband are avid walkers – and she knows every bump and crack in the sidewalks near her home and City Hall (she is quick to add that “bumps” are rare and quickly fixed by Bridgeton’s street department). She also knows the value of Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning to Bridgeton’s residents and their economy:
“Bridgeton became involved in the Bikeable/Walkable Community Planning Project as a way to expand our residents’ access to recreation. Communities need to be more involved in recreation to be healthy and to attract new residents - people really do consider quality of life amenities when choosing a place to live. This planning will help us provide safe and family friendly parks to all of our neighborhoods and it will also offer huge economic benefits.”
Christine was instrumental in working with Trailnet and our partners on the Bikeable/Walkable Community Planning Project. She helped move issues through Council and was successful in changing an ordinance to allow parks within any of Bridgeton’s zoning classifications. According to Christine, “we previously only allowed parks in residential areas, but upon Trailnet’s recommendation, we can now designate more land for parks and trails - what we now call ‘linear parks’ - allowing for more connections between residential, commercial and light industrial areas.”
Connectivity and accessibility to top-notch recreational facilities are issues Christine considers very important for healthy community growth in Bridgeton and throughout the entire St. Louis region. “We want to connect our residents to our new state-of-the-art Recreation Complex, we want to connect to St. Charles and Creve Coeur Park and have access to the Missouri River,” states Christine. She also notes that the KATY Trail attracts people from all over the region and the world and provides a huge economic boost through business brought to hotels, restaurants and shopping centers.
Through public engagement, Christine knows that people want trails to go by their property. According to her, “our residents say YES, how do we get it, NOT we don’t want it.” She is looking forward to working with Trailnet to implement Bridgeton’s Bikeable/Walkable plan, and she highly recommends this service of Trailnet to other communities – “but they will have to get in line after us!” Don’t worry Christine, we are as just as excited about Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning as you are, and we have enough time and expertise to go around.
April, 2007
Joshua Clermont
 Josh Clermont likes to Go, Go, Go. On his bike, walking and running outdoors. His parents, Michelle and Bill, encourage this activity because Josh has autism – a developmental disorder characterized by impaired social interaction, problems with communication, and limited activities and interests.1 They encourage his biking and running because, “it calms him down and Josh seems the happiest and most at peace when he is active and out in nature.”
In fact, exercise has been found to be a very effective and inexpensive treatment for autism. Studies have shown that vigorous exercise is often associated with decreases in hyperactivity, aggression, self-injury, and destructiveness in autistic patients. And, in general, exercise is important for both physical and mental health for everyone.2
Michelle and Bill thought Josh’s bike riding might have to come to an end when he outgrew his tricycle because he couldn’t manage a two-wheeled bike with training wheels. Luckily for Josh, his need for a specialized bicycle was met by a donation from the Estate of Charles Palmisano. This therapeutic tricycle provides Josh with the stability he needs and gives him the freedom he loves. The Clermont’s were also assisted through the donation of a helmet by Variety - the Children's Charity of St. Louis (www.varietystl.org). Variety helps children who are physically and mentally disabled through donations of medical equipment including wheelchairs, leg braces and therapeutic tricycles.
Trailnet applauds Josh, his parents and all those who have helped him stay active riding his bike. We hope Josh continues to Go, Go, Go for a long time!
1 Autism Fact Sheet: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stoke at www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
2 Center for the Study of Autism at www.autism.org/exercise.html
April, 2007
Paula Shelden
 Paula Shelden became involved with a Safe Routes to School (SR2S) program when Trailnet coordinated an International Walk to School Day Event at Hudson Elementary school, following the national model for a SR2S program that was implemented in Marin County California in 2000. Paula has worked with Trailnet staff on a number of SR2S events at Hudson Elementary, including International Walk to School Day, a Spring Walk & Bike to School Event, and Healthy Heart Month since 2005, when Trailnet began promoting walking and biking to school as a means to improve the health of children, their communities and the environment.
When Paula was first introduced to the program, she was very excited to think that children could improve their cardiovascular health and endurance by walking to school. As a physical education teacher she was always thinking of new ways to teach her students about adopting healthy active lifestyles and the SR2S program seemed like a natural fit.
After being involved with the SR2S program for the last several years, Paula now realizes that the benefits are much broader – helping students, their parents and their communities. At the top of her list of benefits is obesity prevention: “by helping children start good habits in elementary school, we are establishing healthy lifestyles that will carry into adulthood.”
Next on Paula’s list is asset building for families by giving children and their parents time to connect with each other as they engage in healthy activity. According to Paula, many families have decided to make walking to school together a priority once a week, so they can enjoy each other’s company and get some exercise at the same time. She also notes that parents’ fitness is improved through this type of regular physical activity – just as much as their kids!
An additional benefit is that regular physical activity has a positive impact on children’s ability to concentrate in school. Paula cites numerous studies that show children involved in healthy physical activity do better on standardized tests.
Last, but not least, on Paula’s list of benefits of the SR2S program is FUN. “It’s wonderful that children are able to enjoy nature around them as they walk to school – trees blossoming in the Spring and leaves turning colors in the Fall. Children really sense a connection to their community when they are out in it on a regular basis.”
Paula’s goal is to make Safe Routes to School a routine for her students and parents at Hudson Elementary. She believes that a teacher’s excitement is contagious to the rest of the school. After meeting her and working with her, we know that her goal will be realized.
April, 2007
Karen Karabell
 Karen Karabell made the bicycle her primary means of transportation after 9/11. As a businesswoman and strong believer in self-sufficiency, she hoped to reduce her need to do business with oil.
The bicycle is now vehicle of choice for Karen and her entire family, including her husband, Harold, and sons Gabe, 18, Alex, 15, and Eli, 11. Karen is co-owner of a property management firm. All of her firm’s rental units are within five miles of her home in the Central West End. This enables her to follow the motto of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation: “Less than five, why drive?” She not only rides to work but also combines bicycle commuting with MetroLink to do her shopping at Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods in Brentwood – and never has to worry about a parking spot!
Karen has many more reasons to bicycle commute now: the exercise, the fresh air, the changing seasons and being more connected to her community. She enjoys “feeling like a ten-year-old” when she’s out on her bike. She waves and says hello to neighbors and strangers alike. Many of her work commutes take her through Tower Grove Park, an “urban jewel and the perfect prescription for anyone having a bad day!”
Karen joined the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation in 2002 as a way to meet other transportational cyclists and to encourage more St. Louisans to bicycle commute. She supports the Bike Fed’s focus on safety, education and access for all cyclists in the metropolitan St. Louis area. Karen became board chair in November 2005.
As board chair, she seeks to create a community that respects all road users, and encourages people to be open-minded about the possibility of using the bicycle for everyday transportation. Her first concern is safety. She recommends that all cyclists – from beginners to veterans – take a "Road 1" course offered by instructors certified through the League of American Bicyclists.
“Most people think they don’t need Road 1,” Karen said. “They say, ‘I know how to ride a bike.’ But so many cyclists don’t know how to ride effectively and courteously with other vehicles.” She suggests that cyclists consider acting like “pantomime artists on wheels,” so that all other road users know exactly what they are doing.
Road 1 covers bicycle safety checks, fixing a flat, on-bike skills and crash avoidance techniques. The course gives cyclists the confidence they need to ride safely and legally in traffic or on the trail. (More information is available at www.bikeleague.org/programs/education/index.php).
Karen has taken the course and plans to become a certified instructor. In particular, she would like to encourage more women to view cycling as both a safe and practical form of urban transportation. Indeed, she sees this as a tipping point for the overall acceptance of cycling in the community.
Research supporting this concept was presented in March 2007 at the League of American Bicyclists’ National Bike Summit. John Pucher, a professor of urban planning at Rutgers University, spoke exactly to this point. Among Pucher’s findings are the following:
- “Women generally are more sensitive to safety than men;
- Improving cycling safety would greatly enhance the attractiveness of cycling to a broad spectrum of society;
- ONLY where cycling attracts women is it really a success!!”
(More on this can be found in Pucher’s address, “Cycling for Everyone: The Key to Public and Political Support,” at www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit07/presentations/pucher_closing_
session.pdf)
Trailnet salutes Karen as an Everday Hero, and commends her for all of the great work she is doing to make cycling in St. Louis a success. To use Karen’s words, we also ”look forward to the day when all St. Louisans consider bicycling as normal – not alternative – transportation.”
April, 2007
Dave Dunkman's Longest Walk
 Dave Dunkman likes to walk. He also likes to run, play football and baseball. However, after 30 years teaching physical education in the Parkway School District and three knee operations, he prefers to walk. He walks for fitness and recreation with a goal of walking 30 miles per week.
Dave starting teaching physical education six years ago at The College School, a private school that engages children in creative learning through an experiential curriculum. Several years ago, he discovered the “Walking School Bus” concept when he was researching ways to get his students interested in walking. A walking school bus is a group of children walking to school with one or more adults. It can be as informal as two families taking turns walking their children to school to as structured as a route with meeting points, a timetable and a regularly rotated schedule of trained volunteers. (Source, www.walkingschoolbus.org).
2006 was the first year that The College School participated in International Walk to School Week in October, thanks to Dave’s leadership and inspiration. He decided to challenge his students, their parents and other faculty to walk from ten different locations to the school, located at One Newport Place in Webster Groves. He would do his part by walking from his home in Festus – 36 miles from Webster Groves! He left his house at 8:15 pm the previous evening, taking only one break in Arnold to pick up Kyle Perkinson, an eighth grade student, who accompanied him for the last 15 miles to school. By the time Dave and Kyle arrived at school at 8:30 am on October 3rd, 16 other students had joined their “bus.” The College School had more than 300 students, parents and faculty participate in their International Walk to School Week event, with 65 students on their longest walking school bus.
Dave encourages other teachers and schools to promote walking as a non-competitive, less intense way to improve their students’ fitness. He continues to walk his students to school on a regular basis when the weather permits and enjoys this time when he, “can listen to [his] students’ dreams.” When asked if he and The College School will participate in International Walk to School Week next year, he replies of course, but he plans to move to Webster Groves first!
October, 2006
Fairway Elementary
 Fairway Elementary, “Home of the Eagles,” has had soaring success with their Safe Routes to School program. Fairway, located in Wildwood Missouri, is a new elementary school in the Rockwood District. The school takes pride in its “strong community involvement through parent volunteers,” and this was demonstrated most recently during International Walk to School Week, held in October, 2005.
Rebecca Timm, mother of two, active PTO member and substitute teacher, was instrumental in getting the Safe Routes program off the ground. She often walks or bikes with her own daughter and wanted to give other neighborhood children the same opportunity. She worked with Trailnet staff to solicit parent volunteers and local businesses, and she served as the liaison between Fairway staff and parents. She assigned all parent volunteers to their Walking School Bus locations for Fairway’s Walk and Bike to School event on October 7, 2005. In addition to Rebecca, more than 100 other parents participated in the October event.
The Fairway staff and Wildwood community also fully supported the event in October. 100% of the faculty either walked, greeted or handed out raffle tickets for prizes. The Police and Fire Departments escorted groups of walkers and bikers during their morning commute, and many businesses donated food or prizes, including Ballwin Schwinn, Coldstone Ice Creamery, Federal Express, Papa John’s Pizza, Planet Smoothie, St. Louis Bread Company and Schnucks Markets. This overwhelming support from parents, teachers and the entire community contributed to the outstanding success of Fairway’s Walk and Bike to School event with over 450 students (83%) participating.
According to Jeff Powell, Physical Education/Health Teacher at Fairway, many students and parents have continued to walk or bike to school since the October event. He has especially noticed larger groups of students walking together, even during the colder months. Jeff is working with Rebecca, other parent volunteers and Trailnet to plan and implement a second Walk and Bike to School event on Wednesday, April 26. Community leaders met earlier this year to discuss infrastructure changes in the community to improve walking and bicycling accessibility. We look forward to working with the Fairway community as they reach new heights with their Safe Routes to School program in 2006 and beyond.
October, 2005
Dolphin Bicycle Club
 It started with a simple idea. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Report on “Promoting Better Health for Young People through Physical Activity and Sports,” first came out in 1996, Mimi Deem, a physical education teacher at Compton-Drew Investigative Learning Center Middle School, decided to motivate her students to be more active. She wanted a non-competitive activity that the children could continue for a lifetime and started an after-school walking club for 7th and 8th graders. The club was moderately successful at first, but really gained momentum and the students interest, when it shifted gears to become a bicycle club with the help of Joe Torrisi, Community Education Specialist for the St. Louis Public Schools and avid cyclist.
Principal Andrea Walker secured the club’s future in 2001 when she decided to purchase bicycles for the school after realizing that renting bikes was too expensive. Mike Weiss of Big Shark Bicycle Company was instrumental in helping Joe select 30 mountain bikes that were easy to ride and within the school’s budget.
The Compton-Drew Dolphin Bicycle Club, the only student bike club in Missouri, now numbers 40 active members and several parent volunteers annually. The students, parents, Mimi and Joe ride three days/week during the school year in Forest Park. Students must maintain a C average to join and stay in the Club and teamwork and cooperation are emphasized. The Club also takes several longer “Bicycle Adventure” trips each year. Last October, they enjoyed their 3rd annual Tour of Principia College in Elsah, Illinois. The group rides a total of 45 miles from Compton-Drew Middle School to Elsah including a MetroLink shuttle from the Central West End to Laclede’s Landing. Once in Elsah, they tour the campus and stay overnight with their college hosts. The group then rides back to St. Louis in the morning. This spring, the Club will depart on their 5th annual Katy Trail Bicycle Adventure. The trip includes a 2-day, 110-mile ride along the Katy Trail to Jefferson City, followed by a tour of the State Capitol, and then a train ride return trip to St. Louis.
Benefits of the Club include the obvious improvements in physical health and conditioning and many not-so-obvious benefits. Mimi noted that the Club motivates students to get better grades so that they can remain active members, and the daily exercise helps them focus better on afternoon homework. She has also found that 8th grade girls, especially, benefit from learning bicycling skills and developing an active lifestyle. Joe has seen that the Club has lead more parents to become involved in bicycling and that entire families are becoming healthier as a result. Mimi and Joe have both seen that Club Alumni stay in the saddle and ride their own bikes to High School and even join the Club on some of their Bicycle Adventure trips.
Mimi, Joe and Andrea have a lesson plan that works: take the simple idea of motivating students to be more physically active and add in moderate financial resources and dedicated faculty and parents. The results are amazing: students who achieve better academically and enjoy better physical health and self-esteem, and children who have developed healthy habits to last a lifetime. We give Mimi Deem, Joe Torrisi, Andrea Walker and all the members of the Dolphin Bicycle Club an A+! We hope their story inspires you to follow their lesson plan and achieve the same results.
October, 2005
HOK, Inc.
 A global architecture and engineering firm located in the Metropolitan building in downtown St. Louis, prides itself on implementing sustainability in its designs. So when Tim Gaidis of HOK, Inc. makes the claim that his company “walks the talk”, he can back it up with a great bike commuting success story. Almost 10% of HOK’s 170 employees complement their commute by using a bicycle. What makes this even more impressive is that bike commuting was a rarity four years ago.
The bike commuting seed was planted back in 2001 when Bob Powers, an avid bike rider, was inspired when he noticed Mara Baum, an employee at the time, riding her bike to work. He decided to give it a try and became a regular velo-commuter. Bob remembers that the toughest part was the first time. After that, it was relatively easy. He was also motivated by the reduced impact he had on the environment when he rode his bike stating that “Including production, each gallon of gas puts 28 pounds of carbon into the air”. That was also the year that Trailnet and MoDOT started promoting National Bike to Work Day, the third Friday in May. Bike commuters were offered free breakfast, secure bike parking, and showers at the Marquette YMCA. On a rain promising day, only a few from HOK took advantage of the event. Following the event, a couple at HOK worked out a deal with the Y to get showers at a special rate to make biking to work or exercising easier.
In 2002, The “Sustainability Team”, a group of four dedicated to improving company ecology, caught wind of office bike commuters and decided to promote alternative transportation in the office. Lunch presentations were offered illustrating the importance of sustainability and the effects of the automobile. Also, to help make the bike tire rubber meet the road, HOK took advantage of Trailnet’s free Bike Commuting 101 presentation program. The design and unveiling of a shiny new bike corral, prominently located near the freight/bike elevator, offered further incentive to ride. In addition, the team used posters and office email to encourage coworkers to try bike commuting on National Bike to Work Day where a tasty Companion Baking breakfast awaited cyclists in front of the Missouri History Museum. Six from HOK braved the rainy day to ride in to work.
Last year, the team kept promoting the advantages of alternative transportation and “Alternative Fridays” emerged where employees were encouraged to take measures to overcome the “single occupancy vehicle” phenomenon. Bicycling became a more integral part of HOK with the formation of a MS150 team and an email bike-list offering camaraderie and a pool of knowledge for those new or considering biking. With the focus again on gaining participation at Bike to Work Day, the goal was to get coworkers to the Missouri History Museum where a group ride would then continue on to the office. For those in need, bike route advice was provided to help make the ride to the museum as easy as possible. As a result of these efforts, twelve employees participated in Bike to Work Day. Now the bike corral typically has from two to six bikes in it and fifteen employees are known to use a bike to get to work.
With the incorporation of bike commuting as part of a company’s culture, more and more employees will soon realize the benefits. When Abdel Ferhi, who uses his bike year round for his main means of transportation, was looking for a company to work for last year, one of his goals was to work in a company that supported the bike commuter. He is very pleased with his decision to join HOK and sees bike commuting being even more prevalent there. Intern Nicole Towns was so inspired by the fervor of bike commuters at HOK, that she actually went out and purchased a brand new bike. She also likes how bike commuting “is a great way to get exercise and train for weekend rides”. She especially enjoys “riding through Forest Park and being able to take my bike on MetroLink”.
Tim admits that even though HOK has some things in its favor to support the bike commuter, based on HOK’s global perspective, St. Louis has a long way to go compared to other cities that incorporate sustainability into their development. Cities that have bike commuter stations that tie-in to mass transit, plentiful bike racks, buildings that have showers and lockers, and bike routes that not only connect communities, but most importantly, include bicycling and walking as an important part of the transportation system and not a nuisance. He realizes that when considering a design for a new facility, and incorporating sustainability through facilities that promote the health and welfare of a company’s employees, sometimes conflicts with bottom line costs. However, what needs to be strongly considered are the reduction of health care expenses and increased output levels from a more healthy and productive workforce. Not to mention the advantages to the community as a whole and the improved perception of that company by implementing such improvements.
2002
Sandra Reeves
 Vehicular transportation is often instinctively viewed as the only mode of travel in our society. As a result, most people would panic if told they could no longer drive their car. Sandra Reeves is a "can-do person," and as a result, she came up with a creative solution when she was prohibited from driving two years ago due to an illness. She decided to ride her bike instead.
Sandra began bicycle commuting seven miles to her job at Clark Middle School in East St. Louis. Because her car was off-limits, she commuted seven days a week in all weather and also used her bike to visit her Mother, see friends and run errands.
Sandra was able to drive again last year but continued to bicycle commute because of all the positive benefits. She rides for fun and to stay fit, and for Sandra, staying healthy is a top priority because she has scoliosis. She rarely lets this deter her from bike commuting and thinks that the exercise from commuting is an important aspect of taking care of herself. Sandra recommends bicycle commuting to others who are health conscious and she reminds us that, "when you're out riding your bike, you're not near your refrigerator!"
Sandra also rides to save money at the gas pumps and recommends that we all consider dealing with higher gas prices by "driving our bikes." She even takes a bike along when she drives her car, providing her with a reliable form of transportation in the event of an emergency.
Sandra has never had a safety concern about bicycling in East St. Louis and thinks her hometown's reputation is undeserved. She brings this positive attitude to her community volunteering and is a community activist working on a joint project with the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana. The Alta Sita Community Development project involves students from the University and local residents who work together to repair and clean up Virginia Park, one of East St. Louis' neighborhood parks. Sandra's long-term goal is to upgrade all of the parks in East St. Louis.
Trailnet salutes Sandra Reeves as an Everyday Hero. We truly admire her positive attitude and sense of community, and we hope that her story will inspire others to make a difference in their communities by bicycle commuting.
2002
Dr. William Knowles
 It’s not every day that you can bicycle or walk on a trail alongside a Nobel Prize winner. However, on any given trail in St. Louis you just might encounter Dr. William Knowles, Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. Dr. Knowles was honored in 2001 with the Nobel Prize for his work, which resulted in major advances in organic chemistry. He and his Monsanto colleagues worked on asymmetric catalysis, which is crucial in speeding up chemical reactions to provide large quantities of very pure molecules needed for the mass production of pharmaceuticals making these medicines accessible to the mass market. He and his wife, Leslie, traveled to Sweden in December 2001 to receive the award from King Carl Gustaf XVI and attend the numerous press conferences and white tie dinners.
Since then, Dr. Knowles’ life has returned to a more normal pace, including bicycling. He started bicycling in earnest 50 years ago when he bicycle commuted to his post-doctoral position at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He preferred riding his bike because he could avoid the traffic congestion and he found that his commute was actually faster. Later in his career, his bicycling took a back seat to his research, but he got re-involved in 1986 when he retired from Monsanto.
These days Dr. Knowles rides several times a week for recreation. He has ridden on many local trails, including the KATY Trail, Grant’s Trail, the Riverfront Trail and Creve Coeur Park, and he enjoys these excursions as opportunities to spend quality time with his friends and his daughter. He also likes the exercise and, at 84 years old, highly recommends bicycling as an excellent exercise for his contemporaries. He prefers the longer trails because he wants to ride at least ten miles at a time. He is looking forward to the Grant’s Trail extension into Kirkwood, which will permit him to ride directly to the trail from his house. He is also excited about all of the other new bicycle trails being built in the area and thinks they are perfect for his peers and others who prefer a flatter grade on a dedicated trail.
Trailnet is honored to name Dr. William Knowles an Everyday Hero. We are grateful for his long-time support of Trailnet and our mission.
2002
Bob Foster
 Bob Foster has a passion for riding bikes. This hasn't always been the case: In fact it was only eight years ago when he first took a serious interest in bicycles. __He started by riding his bike two to three miles each day in his Webster Groves neighborhood each morning. As the rides lengthened to nine miles, Bob, 41, discovered that he could ride the same distance to work. Besides the great training opportunity and the health benefits he discovered something else: By merging exercise and commuting, he could sleep an extra hour and exercise twice as much.
Since then, Bob has become an avid bike commuter. When Bob first started commuting to his job as editor-in-chief for the American Optometric Association in Creve Coeur it was very important to find a safe route to ride. The bicycle/pedestrian lanes along Ladue Road and the little-traveled McCutcheon bridge over Highway 40/64 were just what he was looking for. Over the years he has developed knowledge about streets throughout the St. Louis area. "Since I've been riding for transportation, I feel like a cab driver because I know so many routes around town and you're always looking for better ways to go." He is also willing to share what he has learned. Need help with a route? You can send Bob an e-mail at bob.foster@stlbikefed.org with your questions and he will be glad to help you plan your route.
Initially a fair-weather rider, Bob now rides in all kinds of conditions. On those days with foul weather, his first step out the door in the morning is the hardest. "It's tough to work up the motivation to ride out into pouring rain. But, if it starts raining while I'm on the road, I just keep pedaling. Generally, the real show-stopper is ice and snow. I'll ride in the snow, but if I don't have adequate room, or if it's potentially icy, I'm not going to go during rush hour. If it's below freezing and sleeting, I won't ride. I'll ride if it's cold and dry. This year it's been as cold as 15 degrees and I've ridden."
When asked about his interactions with motorists, Bob says: "I can count on two hands the number of incidents I have had in 8 years of commuting, and none have been life-threatening; just somebody throwing a bag of fast food, or yelling. If you compare the number of hostile interactions driving to work versus biking to work, I think biking has less interaction, and less hostility. Occasionally, I've had people yell 'Get off the road!' or 'Get a car!' It's kind of funny because I want to yell back, 'I've got two cars already!" or "Get a bike!"
A surprising side effect of riding for transportation, Bob says, is he keeps riding farther. First it was centuries (100 mile rides), then double- and single-day triple centuries. "I view biking to work as training rides. It's an important base for becoming a mileage junkie. The commute is great training and it saves money. Then there's the satisfaction in knowing that I'm not at the mercy of the oil companies, and that I'm doing my part to reduce air pollution."
When asked about how others in his workplace view his commuting he says, "I've got coworkers who have standing offers to give me a ride home if I need one. My coworkers have all been very supportive when I go on charity bike rides, such as the MS 150 or Habitat for Humanity."
Bob says that the gear that he uses is pretty minimal. Depending on conditions, he rides either a road bike or a mountain bike, both fitted for a rack bag to carry his clothes and lunch. He just added fenders recently but that was because construction on Ladue Road creates a lot of mud and gravel. If there is a chance that he will be riding at night he makes sure that he has lights on his bike. He does his best to arrange his work schedule so that he is home before dark, preferring to avoid the combination of rush hour traffic and darkness. He always uses a blinking light on the back of his bike and high visibility, reflective clothing.
Bob says that another reason to use a bike is economic: "The Surface Transportation Policy Project just came out with a study that says that the typical car costs about $6,000 a year to own and operate. My three-driver family has only two cars, which means that I am saving about $6,000 a year. Just enough to buy two IRA's and buy a $2,000 bike."
Bob also rides his bike from his office in Creve Coeur to the Critical Mass rides at Kiener Plaza, always held at 5:30 pm on the last Friday of every month. He says Critical Mass is a fun, noncompetitive ride with a lot of people who ride bikes for transportation purposes and share a vision of a region that is more hospitable to pedestrians and cyclists. He says he also enjoys the rides because it's great to see the city at night at a slower speed than a motorist.
"The city is really a lot safer, and a lot prettier than people give it credit for. I'm convinced there's more danger driving to and from the city on the highways than there is in the city itself."
"Trailnet has done a really good job of building bike paths that are very helpful, but people shouldn't lose sight of the fact that bicyclists have a right to the road, and that motorists should share the road with them. Just because there is not a bike path to where you'd like to go, that doesn't mean that you can't be on the road riding safely and following the same rules as motorists."
"I'm glad to see Trailnet is raising awareness of biking as transportation and people are starting to think about it that way. They are asking: "Why can't I go to the grocery store, or to the drug store, or the video store on the bike rather than driving?" Bob is raising the awareness of bike commuting through his website, Green St. Louis too.
Bob's wife, Robin, enjoys using her bike to run errands and they have also gone to some of the Bicycle Fun Club rides together. Bob's 18-year-old son enjoys driving the support vehicle for some of his long rides. "My family and I have done Grant's Trail and the Riverfront Trail quite a bit. In the wintertime I really like that as a training route, too. There's not that many people and you can get a good workout."
One day Bob and his 9-year-old son were at the bike park on Grant's Trail having fun zipping around the trails and his son said "Hey Dad, now I know why you like biking so much!"
2001
|
