St. Louis now has more than 200 miles of bike lanes and trails, and the goal of the Gateway Bike Plan is to nearly double that number in the next two years. The number of bicyclists taking advantage of these facilities has also increased. Between 1990 and 2013, the number of people commuting by bicycle in St. Louis nearly tripled, and the number of people taking to the roads and trails for fun and recreation has increased dramatically.
Although these improvements are a great start, bike lanes can only increase the safety of bicyclists if both motorists and cyclists understand how to negotiate these facilities safely and responsibly. When statistics on pedestrian deaths are considered, this makes the need for responsible driving habits even more urgent. Twenty-one pedestrians were killed in St. Louis City last year, the highest number in thirty years.
Trailnet partnered with Great Rivers Greenway, Alta Planning and Design and the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation to create a Driver’s Guide explaining proper operation of a motor vehicle on roads with bike lanes and other features designed to protect pedestrians and bicyclists. If you would like to learn more about types of bike lanes, signals, road markings, and how to operate your two- or four-wheeled (or two-footed) vehicle safely, give our Driver’s Guide a look.
Have a new or soon-to-be driver at home? Please make sure and share this important information with them.
Thanks to and
Trailnet and the Katy Land Trust Partner to “Ride the Katy”
If the Gateway Arch forms the contemporary pillars of the front porch of our region, then the Katy Trail is a meandering path through our backyard. In the city, cultural institutions and historical sites are a short walk from home. On the Katy Trail, you can set out for an afternoon and bike through woodlands and meadows, past the bluffs of the Missouri River.
The Katy Land Trust and Trailnet have formed a partnership to highlight attractions in the area accessible by active transportation. The organizations will collaborate to connect the region and to highlight the area’s natural and cultural treasures. Join us on Saturday, July 16 to celebrate this new partnership as we Ride the Katy from Defiance to the newly-renovated Peers Store, where riders can enjoy live music and refreshments.
“The CityArchRiver project reminds us that St. Louis is the door that opened to the west,” says Dan Burkhardt, author and founder of the Katy Land Trust. “Many who focus on the rejuvenated Arch already have an interest in river-related activities. This ride will be a prime time to showcase our other ‘just around the river’s bend’ attractions: trails, rivers, parks, farms and forests that are closer than most visitors realize. The variety of natural and scenic wonders surrounding St. Louis is truly remarkable and they distinguish our region from many other cities.”
Experience Missouri’s spectacular countryside and meet the directors of Trailnet and the Katy Land Trust who will be on hand to discuss this exciting partnership.
For details about the ride and to register online, click here.
Trailnet partners with Whole Foods Markets for One Dime at a Time
St. Louis area Whole Foods Markets have selected Trailnet as their “One Dime at a Time Partner” from now through the end of June. Customers who bring their own bags into the store have the option of receiving a ten-cent per bag refund at checkout, or have a dime donated by Whole Foods to Trailnet. The partnership encourages patrons to reduce consumption of disposable plastic or paper bags and also helps to make customers aware of non-profit organizations that work in the local community.
Trailnet staff will be celebrating the One Dime at a Time partnership at all of the Whole Foods stores in the area. Come by and visit with Trailnet staff at these locations:
Central West End store during their Grand Opening on Wednesday, May 25th in the morning, and Sunday, June 12thfrom 12 to 3 p.m.
Galleria store Saturdays, May 28th and June 25th from 12 to 3 p.m.
Town and Country store Sunday, May 22nd and Saturday, June 18th from 12 to 3 p.m.
Trailnet Visits Jefferson City for Bicycle and Pedestrian Day at the Capitol
On April 11, a Trailnet delegation of nine advocates traveled to Jefferson City for Bicycle and Pedestrian Day at the Capitol, joining other advocates from around the state to support and oppose certain bills in the House and Senate. Three Trailnet staff, one board member, two Walk Bike Ambassadors, and three long-time Trailnet members spent the day lobbying state representatives and senators.
One of the highlights of the day was the chance meeting with two couples from Wisconsin and California who happened to be on a Katy Trail vacation. They heard about HB 2047, which would allow motorized vehicles on the Katy Trail, and came to the Capitol to ask questions.
“We won’t ever come visit this area again if Missouri allows motorized vehicles on the Katy,” one Katy Trail adventurer said before asking, “Who can we talk to?”
Trailnet managed to schedule a meeting with them and a Republican House member where the travelers effectively presented their opposition to HB 2047 as people who love the Katy just the way it is.
With just weeks left in the legislative session, we continue to monitor the status of HB 2047 and other bills. Alerts will go out if any action is needed.
For ten years, Harold Karabell has led bicycle tours that highlight St. Louis’ unique neighborhoods and interesting inhabitants, both living and deceased. Riders on his tours have pedaled their way through Calvary and Bellefontaine cemeteries, LaSalle Park and Soulard, Old North and “North of Old North” (Hyde Park, College Hill, and O’Fallon Park), exploring the history and architecture of these fascinating parts of St. Louis. He recently led Trailnet’s Literary Tour, winding through the Central West End, Academy, and Fountain Park neighborhoods, regaling riders with the life stories of local writers such as Tennessee Williams, T.S. Eliot, and Kate Chopin while reading selections from their works. Of all of the tours that he leads, Harold lists the cemetery and literary tours as the most popular, though he himself plays no favorites.
“People seem truly fascinated by well-known authors and tombstones,” Harold says.
Harold is also a dedicated bike commuter, using his bicycle as his principal mode of transportation, a lifestyle that he concedes is a relatively new phenomenon.
“Forty-five years ago, I didn’t know a single adult bicycle commuter,” Harold says. “You would see children on bikes using them for fun and recreation, but seeing an adult bike commuter was even more unusual than dining with a vegan. My wife and I used our bikes much of the time when we became parents and were able to serve as a model of alternative transportation for the next generation. Now bikes are accepted as a legitimate and even preferred form of transportation for increasing numbers of people. We’re not marginal any longer, we’re almost mainstream.”
Harold believes that this shift came about in part because of people’s concerns about our energy dependence and related environmental issues, such as global warming.
“It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by some of the big environmental problems that we face. Riding a bicycle is the single most important thing that an individual can do to make a real contribution and feel good about yourself.”
A long-time resident of the Central West End, Harold feels fortunate to live in a “self-sufficient and sustainable neighborhood.” He describes St. Louis City as “a bike commuter’s paradise – it’s very easy for an educated cyclist to get anywhere they need to go in the city.”
Harold also sees Trailnet as an important agent for change in transportation habits.
“As the pre-eminent bicycle enthusiasm organization in the region, Trailnet builds a constituency of bicyclists and pedestrians and helps move alternative forms of transportation from the margins to the mainstream,” he says.
Going forward, Harold believes Trailnet’s most important focus should be education.
“One can learn, as I have, to ride safely and successfully anywhere in the absence of separate infrastructure, simply by taking one’s place on the road as part of the normal flow of traffic,” Harold said. “Nonetheless, we’re seeing more and better infrastructure each year. The best local example is the City’s protected bike lane on Chestnut Street, a considerable step forward compared to St. Louis’ older door-zone bike lanes. But even the best-designed infrastructure contains not-so-obvious dangers and won’t automatically prevent conflicts between bicyclists and other users of the road. Cyclists need to educate ourselves not to run red lights, not to ride in the door zone, not to be victims of the ‘right hook’ at an intersection, not to be nighttime ninjas, and not to ignore the risks inherent in riding even in state-of-the-art separate facilities.”
Whether commuters or recreational riders, people have many reasons for riding a bike – they might do so to lose weight, to save money at the gas pump, or to do their part for the environment. Harold agrees with his long-time friend Paul McFarlane from the former St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation (which became part of Trailnet in 2011), who sums it up this way: “The bicycle is the answer to every question.”
For Harold, the most important motivation for riding a bicycle is that it’s simply the most pleasurable way to travel.
“If it weren’t just joyful to get on a bike, most of us wouldn’t do it in the first place,” he says. “Being on a bike opens up the sights and sounds of the city in a way that no other vehicle can. Not being confined inside a car allows you to see your neighborhood in a new and exciting way, to hear the birds, to discover that very large part of the world that remains unknown and unknowable when speeding along in a car.”
In that spirit, Harold says, “Nothing makes me happier than to be on my bike heading toward a dinner date with a good veggie burger. Forty-five years ago, who would have imagined that such a thing would be possible for so many of us on an everyday basis?”
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:
donate $25 or more to Trailnet on Give STL Day, May 3rd
Help to put the FUN in our Bicycle Fun Club rides!
These rides, which take place throughout the region, typically draw hundreds of riders. We need help from lots of volunteers so that everything runs smoothly. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities, including:
Registration Setup
Rider Check-in
Membership Table
Group Ride Leader
Rest Stop Help
On regularly priced rides, BFC volunteers ride free at the close of registration and receive a voucher for another regularly priced BFC ride of their choice.
Pick a ride and sign up here – and THANKS for helping!
Century Club 2016
The 2015 ride season was the first year for Trailnet’s Century Club. Riders that completed five centuries on Trailnet BFC and/or partner rides earned a Century Club patch and recognition on our website. Last year, ten riders pedaled through this daunting feat, one of whom completed nine out of the ten eligible centuries!
For 2016 we challenge our riders to more than double the size of the Century Club – be one of the riders who helps us reach our goal of 25 members! Eligible events include the Ride the Rivers Century, other BFC rides that include century options, or any of our partner fundraising events that include a century ride.
It’s easy to “join” the club. For each ride, the online registration page includes a check box to participate in the century. If you are riding for one of our partner fundraising rides, let them know you are participating in Trailnet’s Century Club.
As the season goes on, we will keep you updated on the list of riders pedaling their way to their 500 mile goal!
Ask Mayor Slay, “What’s the plan for preventing crash injuries and deaths?”
Last year there were 21 pedestrian crash deaths on St. Louis streets – the highest total in 30 years of MoDOT records. Crashes also claimed the lives of one cyclist and 31 people in vehicles. In January, Trailnet’s executive director wrote to Mayor Slay about the City’s growing traffic violence and requested a meeting to discuss some solutions.
Last month the meeting at City Hall took place, though Mayor Slay did not attend. The Mayor’s Office declined Trailnet’s recommendation to implement a Vision Zero strategy, which more than 10 US cities have done in the past several years. The City said “no” to Vision Zero, suggesting it would be an empty promise to the public because it lacks the money for implementation. Trailnet responded by saying the City of St. Louis must have an action plan for preventing crash deaths and serious injuries, and progress should be clearly articulated to residents. The Mayor’s Office agreed to create an action plan, but we have no commitment as to when such a plan will be forthcoming.
So, we’re asking, “what’s the plan?” for addressing this public safety issue. Trailnet urges all concerned about the safety of those who walk, bike, and drive in St. Louis to ask City Hall this question. Tweet your concerns to @MayorSlay using #WhatsThePlan? or email slayf@stlouis-mo.gov and copy Trailnet. Let the Slay administration know that traffic deaths are preventable, not inevitable, and it’s time to act.
Since her first Trailnet ride ten years ago, Susan Rollins has participated in many Trailnet rides, has been a volunteer, and now serves as a member of Trailnet’s Board.
So what is so great about being on a bike? Susan’s reply: “Cycling keeps me sane; being outside with the fresh air on my face combined with the challenge of the ride calms my soul and gives me a peace that I can’t find anywhere else.” She plans to spend lots of time on her bike this year, including her first multi-day trip, starting in Savannah, Georgia and pedaling around the coastal islands, New York’s Five Boro Bike Tour, and Bike the Drive in Chicago. She also hopes to ride the length of the Katy Trail, and to begin commuting to work by bike at least a couple of days a week.
In her role as Executive Director of the St. Louis County Housing Authority, Susan sees the possibilities that bicycles have for easing the transportation challenges faced by many low-income residents. “Our clients do not have the dollars needed to purchase or maintain a car. So even if you have a job but lack transportation, how do you survive?” Rollins is convinced that creating communities where walking and biking are safe alternatives would provide access not only to jobs and school, but also to better food options and other vital facilities. “Ideally I would like all of our public housing children to own a bike and learn how to ride. I see them visiting libraries, recreational centers, and neighborhood pools. I see them visiting each other and feeling like a part of a community. I see myself riding with our children and showing them how access to transportation can take you to places you never thought existed.”
As a Trailnet Board member, Susan Rollins is dedicated to seeing that vision come true. She feels that realizing Trailnet’s goal of connecting our region through a network of protected bikeways and neighborhood greenways can make St. Louis one of the best places to live in the country. “It is only Trailnet that can put St. Louis on the map as a community that embraces walking and cycling. If we want to look like Indianapolis, Trailnet has the expertise to make that happen. If we want to look like Portland, Trailnet can make it happen. We just have to work hard to raise the funds to make this bold vision a reality.”
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One of the highlights of the day was the chance meeting with two couples from Wisconsin and California who happened to be on a Katy Trail vacation. They heard about 
