Do you live in a Bikeable Walkable Community? Trailnet is seeking communities in St. Louis, St. Charles, Jefferson, and Franklin Counties to partner with in the creation of bicycle and pedestrian plans. These federally funded plans provide the long-range vision and strategies to make walking and cycling easy, safe, and enjoyable transportation and recreation options. To learn more about Trailnet's Request for Applications, CLICK HERE.
In the last two decades, communities across the nation have come to value bicycle and pedestrian facilities – sidewalks, bike lanes, shared use paths – as significant community assets. Bicycle and pedestrian facilities connect people to local destinations and increase access to recreational opportunities. Such facilities also strengthen the sense of community, increase social interaction, improve public health, improve safety, reduce congestion and pollution and promote social equity.
Trailnet has been helping communities throughout the St. Louis metropolitan region create the framework for developing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure through bicycle and pedestrian master plans. These multi-faceted plans provide the blueprint for municipalities to design healthy and active communities. With a focus on transportation infrastructure improvements and encouraging programs that promote walking and biking, these plans produce action-oriented goals and objectives to help reach a community’s unique desired vision.
If you would like to learn more about Trailnet’s Community Planning services, please call 314-436-1324 x118 or email Kevin Neill.
Many communities in the St. Louis region desire a more healthy and active community, with lively public spaces, great streets that welcome and accommodate walkers, cyclists and persons with disabilities, and an environment that encourages and supports active living. But achieving these goals can be a difficult challenge. Through Trailnet's Bikeable Walkable Communities Program, municipalities in Missouri and Illinois create long-range plans to address bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure needs and develop programs that encourage and support walking and bicycling as safe, fun, healthy, and viable means of transportation and recreation.
Union, Missouri
Background
In the Fall of 2010, Trailnet partnered with the City of Union to develop a plan to improve conditions for walking and bicycling in and around the city. If you want to see more sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails in and around Union, now’s your chance to help!
Plan Overview
The Union Bikeable Walkable Community Plan will provide a blueprint for the development of bicycle and pedestrian improvements throughout the city, making it safer and easier to reach local destinations, including parks, schools, and commercial areas. The planning team will identify and analyze current conditions for walking and bicycling, obtain input residents regarding current walking and biking activities, as well as their desires for future pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and make recommendations for improving conditions throughout the city to create a more interconnected, safe, and convenient network of trails, on-street bike facilities, sidewalks, paths and street crossings.
Plan-Related Events
As part of the project, a number of events will be held to ensure that Union residents have multiple opportunities to meaningfully engage in the planning process. The first of these events was a public workshop scheduled for Thursday, November 4th at 6:30pm at City Hall.
Missed the workshop? No problem – you can download the presentation here.
The City of Union has partnered with Trailnet to make walking and bicycling easier, safer, and more convenient choices for traveling in and around the community. Come join us at the second public workshop to learn more and share your ideas.
When: Thursday, May 26, 2011, Open House 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Presentation 6:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
The City of Union has partnered with Trailnet, a non-profit organization working to promote a health and active living throughout the St. Louis Region, to develop a long-range plan to create safe, accessible connections to schools, parks, shopping areas and other community destinations. Please join us at the Second Public Workshop to learn more about the initial plan and to share your ideas with the planning team.
For more information, please call 314-436-1324 x118.
Survey
You can also share your thoughts and ideas by taking a few minutes to complete this online survey. All survey respondents that include their email address will be entered into a raffle to win Trailnet t-shirts, free Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club ride vouchers, and other cool prizes! Click here to take the survey.
Contact
Stay tuned to this webpage for project updates and upcoming events. If you have questions, comments or concerns about the project or any upcoming events, please contact Kevin Neill, project manager, at 314-436-1324 x118, or by email at kevinneill@trailnet.org.
University City, Missouri
Background
In the Spring of 2011, University City and Trailnet began their partnership to create a bicycle and pedestrian master plan to improve conditions for walking and cycling throughout the community. Building on the strengths of University City – walkable neighborhoods, multiple commercial districts and nodes, great proximity to bus and light rail transit, active and engaged community members, etc. – this plan will create a long-range vision for a more walkable and bikeable University City, with recommendations for physical improvements – sidewalks, trails, on-street bicycle facilities – and for programs and activities that educate and encourage residents to walk and bike for transportation and recreation. With a bicycle and pedestrian master plan in hand, University City can better coordinate improvements for non-motorized transportation with future growth, development, and infrastructure projects for years to come.
Project Overview
The process will begin with an analysis of existing conditions, focusing on current and future land uses, transportation systems, demographic data, and input from members of the community. A public meeting will be held in late spring to discuss existing conditions and gather feedback from attendees. Following this phase of the project, the planning team will develop a long-term vision, design principles and potential recommendations for improving walking and bicycling throughout the community. These recommendations will again be shared with the community at a second public meeting in early fall. Community members will have the opportunity to review design options that incorporate safe and accessible bicycle and pedestrian facilities on various transportation corridors and to provide feedback. The planning team will then develop a prioritization strategy to implement the plan over the coming years. The project will wrap up with presentations to the City Council and other commissions that may have a stake in plan implementation (like Parks & Recreation Commission and the Plan Commission).
Public Meetings
As part of the planning process, there will be two Public Workshops to provide community members with the opportunity to learn about plan and to provide input and ideas to the planning team. The First Public Workshop was held on May 18 and focused on existing conditions in University City that affect walking and bicycling. You can download a copy of this presentation here.
The Second Public Workshop will be held from 7:00 – 8:30 pm on Thursday, September 22 at the Centennial Commons Recreation Center in Heman Park. This workshop will focus on potential design alternatives to make streets throughout the City safer, more accessible, and more convenient for cyclists and pedestrians. This will be a great opportunity for residents to share their ideas and help shape the outcome of this plan. Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information about the University City Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan, click here OR call 314-436-1324 ext. 118
In addition to the public meetings, community members will have the opportunity to share their input and ideas through an online survey. This survey will gather feedback about resident's current walking and bicycling habits, the barriers and obstacles that prevent them from walking and bicycling, and their desired improvements for making University City a community that values, supports, and encourages walking and bicycling for both transportation and recreation.
Contact
If you have questions or concerns about the project, please contact a representative from Trailnet or University City for more information:
Trailnet:
Kevin Neill
Bike Walk Planner/Project Manager
314-436-1324 x118
kevinneill@trailnet.org
University City:
Lynnette Hicks
Senior Public Works Manager
314-505-8567
lhicks@ucitymo.org