Trailnet Champion: Brittany Jones

Each month we feature a member of our community that is working to push Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. Brittany Jones is our champion for April!

Creating a world where everyone can move freely and safely takes more than just good infrastructure. It takes people who understand the connections between community, health, and justice — people like Brittany Jones, this month’s Trailnet Champion!

Brittany serves as the Assistant Director of Clinical and Community Integration and Racial Equity Initiatives at the St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN). She’s also the Project Manager for the REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) grant in St. Louis, a CDC-funded initiative aimed at addressing chronic disease and health disparities. Through REACH, Brittany helps lead efforts that not only address health inequities but also transform how communities experience and access safe, welcoming spaces.

For the REACH grant, Trailnet is taking the lead on strategies that increase physical activity through community design. Together, we’re helping neighborhoods connect activity-friendly routes to everyday destinations — a key part of creating more equitable, active, and thriving communities.

“Working with Trailnet has been an enlightening experience for me,” Brittany shared. “Trailnet has taught me the intricacies that go into creating built environments and really thinking about how we create an environment based on what a community wants. And I’ve seen Trailnet put that at the forefront — and it’s been a beautiful thing.”

Originally from Richmond, California, Brittany moved to St. Louis in 2018. She earned her undergraduate degree in Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies blending social work, criminal justice, and psychology and completed a dual Master’s in Social Work and Public Health from Washington University. Her passion for public health and social justice is personal.

“My passion comes directly from how I grew up,” she said. “I had to overcome a lot of adversity, and I’ve always had this heart and desire to give back—I just didn’t always know how. Social work is my heart and public health is my brain. They work hand in hand, beautifully.”

That passion now fuels her work to center equity, healing, and liberation in every aspect of public health. From supporting community coalitions to advancing policy strategies, Brittany brings both lived experience and professional insight to the table.

In her role managing the REACH grant, Brittany sees firsthand how the built environment impacts health — whether through access to nutritious food, green space, or safe places to move and gather. She credits Trailnet with helping her see how transportation and street design are deeply woven into these outcomes.

“Trailnet has been instrumental in helping to create action plans, traffic calming tactics, and really pushing the Safe Streets for All agenda,” she said. “It’s changed the way I look at where I live and how I participate as a community member. How do I help create a safer environment for myself, my neighbors, and the kiddos on my street?”

Brittany recently joined Trailnet’s planning team in Washington, D.C. at the National Bike Summit, organized by the League of American Bicyclists, where she and Erich Hellmer, Community Planning Manager at Trailnet, gave a presentation entitled “Who is a ‘Cyclist?’ Reimagining Equitable Mobility through Collective Action.” She’s thoughtful about how transportation conversations need to reflect historical context.

“There’s room for criticism and deeper thought,” she said. “When we’re talking about bike lanes or accessibility, how does that change for people who have been harmed by racist policies and segregation? I love being part of conversations that include those narratives.”

Brittany’s leadership, compassion, and big-picture thinking make her a powerful partner in our shared mission to create communities where everyone can walk, bike, and move safely — no matter who they are or where they live.

Thank you, Brittany, for your dedication to building healthier, more equitable communities!