Looking Back, Moving Forward: A Reflection on Week Without Driving
As we reflect on Week Without Driving, our hearts are full… and broken.
Broken for every life traffic violence has stolen.
Broken for the families and neighbors whose lives are forever changed.
But our hearts are also full of hope — because this week showed what’s possible when our community comes together.
A coalition of 17 organizations inspired St. Louisans to walk, roll, and ride in the shoes of vulnerable road users — many for the very first time.
We celebrated progress on a plan we first put forth in 2019: the Tucker Boulevard Cycle Track, part of our larger Connecting St. Louis plan. 4,000 residents and 60 partner groups helped shape this step toward a safer, more connected city.
This collaboration didn’t start with Week Without Driving, and it won’t end there either. Earlier this year…
- Four organizations stood with us to present the Transportation Infrastructure Mayoral Forum, to empower and educate voters.
- We convened 23 businesses and organizations to celebrate Bike to Work (or Wherever) Day, to show our region how taking alternative transportation can better connect us to our communities.
- Our annual Juneteenth Ride transformed into a powerful volunteer activation, as we worked with three organizations to bring food, water, hope, and joy to tornado-stricken communities.
- We joined forces with two disability rights organizations for Accessibility by Design: Crafting Complete Streets for All, a workshop on Complete Streets and how we can all better advocate for improved accessibility in transportation infrastructure.
Hope in the midst of tragedy is not a crime. It’s what sustains us — and what propels us forward. Hope is resistance.
Because in the face of loss, anger, and inequity, choosing to believe in a better future — and to celebrate every step toward it — is an act of courage.
But the fight doesn’t end here.
Traffic violence continues to devastate lives across our region. Every person injured or killed on our streets is one too many.
Traffic violence is not the result of individual choices alone — it’s a systemic issue rooted in street design, policy decisions, and which communities have historically been prioritized or overlooked. Solving it requires comprehensive action: better infrastructure, equitable policy, community partnership, and cultural change.
That’s why we’re continuing the work. Trailnet will continue to leverage our expertise in planning, advocacy, and education to prevent traffic violence by…
- partnering with Promise Zone communities to co-create safer streets.
- equipping neighborhood organizations with tools to advocate for lasting change and empowering residents to engage with the processes that shape our streets for decades to come.
- developing plans for safer walking and biking routes to school and funding partner-run bike buses and Earn-A-Bike classes through a Safe Routes to School grant.
We are committed to building and sustaining a diverse coalition of advocates and organizations around a single goal: ending traffic violence. We may have different tactics and approaches to advocacy. Instead of focusing on our differences, we choose to focus on our shared vision.
To our partners, supporters, and community: thank you. Your voices, stories, and advocacy make this movement strong.
The work continues.
The vision is clear.
Together, we’ll build a safer St. Louis for all.