Despite the stormy weather, 37 people came out to learn about gender equity, biking, and walking. Atomic Cowboy created a warm and inviting space for us, with snacks and beer abound to offer reprieve from the chilly rain.
Trailnet’s TravelGreen Coordinator Molly Pearson opened the evening by discussing findings by the League of American Bicyclists’ Women Bike initiative, focusing on the Five Cs – Comfort, Convenience, Consumer Products, Confidence, and Community.
Urban designer Courtney Cushard discussed her expanding women’s group The Monthly Cycle. Faye Paige Edwards of GirlTrek addressed access to physical activity among women of color. Lastly, educator Leah Patriarco examined how street harassment affects if/how/when women choose to bike, walk, or take public transit.
Check out the slides below! Want to know more, or be put in touch with one of the presenters? Email Molly Pearson at molly@trailnet.org.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a FUN women’s cycling event, check out The Diva Cup, hosted by The Monthly Cycle. Get your ticket now!
THANK YOU to all who came out for Arch Women: A Pedal-Powered Movement! Stay tuned for more to come.
Kirkwood Draft Plan Available for Public Review
The Draft Kirkwood Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan is available for public review from September 13 through October 26, 2014. You can review the plan and make comments in a variety of ways:
The planning team will share the draft plan at the Greentree Festival on Saturday, September 13 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm. You can review the plan and proposed routes, talk to the planning team, and submit comments on the plan.
The public outreach event will be Saturday, October 25. More details can be found here.
You can review the plan at Kirkwood City Hall and the Kirkwood Community Center from September 15 through October 25. Comment cards will be available.
Your comments and feedback will help us to create a plan that works for your community. Please contact Marielle Brown, 314.436.1324 x115, marielle@trailnet.org, with any comments or questions.
Sunday, August 31 started out with decent temperatures in the low 70s and beautiful blue skies. Riders were eager and ready to go by 7:10 but were held at bay until 7:25 a.m. The turnout for this Sunday City ride was stellar with nearly 400 cyclists.
Each route started cycling in different directions and featured unique rest stops. The short route began by going north into Forest Park. Cyclists then had a refreshing rest stop with cold watermelon at Turtle Playground.
The medium route cyclists first headed south and rode a bit on the River des Peres trail before stopping at Bellerive Park. At the park, cyclists admired a scenic overlook of the Mississippi while enjoying snacks provided by Pedal the Cause.
The long route traversed some of Grant’s Trail and River des Peres Trail before heading north into the City. Making a stop at the Carondelet Park YMCA, cyclists replenished with some hard-earned trail mix.
Most of the riders returned before the afternoon temperatures and humidity became too overbearing. The historic Giro della Montagna ProAm races of the Gateway Cup started in the early afternoon just half a block from our ride start. The Giro della Montagna races have been going on since 1986 and attract a large crowd and professional racers from all over the nation.
Kirkwood Planning Advisory Committee Meeting 4 Agenda and Summary
The fourth Kirkwood Planning Advisory Committee meeting was held on Thursday, August 28, 2014 at Kirkwood City Hall. The summary of the meeting, along with the agenda can be downloaded below:
Saturday morning, August 16, started off with a steady drizzle of rain and temperatures in the mid 70s. Checking radar, it appeared the skies would clear for our 11 a.m. start but the rain kept coming. Despite the weather, cyclists arrived ready to check out some awesome St. Louis breweries.
Ann Mack’s “Growler” group was the first to start. Behind them was George Nelson’s “blue circles” and then Hawkie Moore’s “let’s party.” As groups departed, more cyclists arrived excited for the tour.
The next groups to depart were Dave Beattie’s “Oranges” and Ian Hackett’s “purple shooters.” Groups were initially divided with 20 riders in each but approaching the end of registration, groups included close to 40 cyclists. Barrett Schmidt’s “blue balls,” Brian Hanke’s “black beards” and Steve’s “Crazy Train” began the ride at around 11:30 a.m.
The final version of the Webster Groves Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan is now available. The plan will be presented to City Council on August 19 at Webster Groves City Hall. The plan was crafted through the collaboration of many parties, and the vision will serve Webster Groves in enhancing livability through walking and biking for years to come. The planning team would like to thank the Sustainability Commission, the Planning Advisory Committee, the staff and elected officials of Webster Groves, and the residents of Webster Groves for their participation, hard work and commitment throughout the planning process.
Please contact Marielle Brown, Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Manager, with any questions about the plan: marielle@trailnet.org, 314.436.1324 x115.
1) St. Louis County, especially North County is home to 11 zip codes that rank among the nations 395 worse zip codes for underwater mortgages. The impact of foreclosures in recent years has also had an impact on the housing market and County neighborhoods. These realities have meant tax revenue decreases, home value declines, and declining properties, which have disrupted families and sent a negative message to neighbors. If elected, what will you do to help families deal with or prevent foreclosure?
2) There are a variety of tools that can be used to strengthen housing and economic development. These ideas have been discussed for the County: land banking with a supportive revenue stream, pooling grants for bigger community revitalization projects, defending historic and low income housing tax credits, creating zoning that allows for a mix of housing options, and coordinating planning and resources support across County departments for effective development. Which tools would you use to strengthen housing and economic development in the County?
Economic Development
3) St. Louis is defined by its neighborhoods and communities—each with a distinct housing and economic focus. What policies would you put into place to invest in communities in need? How will you support community commercial districts?
4) Large-scale economic development initiatives such as the push for increasing entrepreneurs and bio-tech jobs impact the whole County and region, and are essential for a robust economy. How will you make sure large-scale economic initiatives benefit communities in need of jobs or investment?
5) High poverty areas have risen a 150% in the County in the last decade. How would you reduce barriers to entering the workforce for a variety of populations (college students, new mothers, etc)?
Transportation
6) East West Gateway Council of Governments reports that St. Louis County driving rates have steadily decreased by 4.5% since 2007—a higher percentage of decrease than the nation’s 2.8% decrease. At the same time, more people (including Millennials and Baby Boomers) want to live in areas with more transportation options like taking public transportation, walking, and biking. How would your administration accommodate these resident preferences and connect neighborhoods to jobs, education, services, and amenities?
7) There has been significant investment in public transit along the central corridor. How would your administration improve north-south corridor transit?
The streets are our largest public space. People riding bicycles and driving cars should be held accountable for following the rules of the road and ensuring that the streets are for everyone.
Summary of Missouri Bicycle Laws:
Bicycles are vehicles under Missouri law (307.180) and cyclists have the same rights and duties as operators of other vehicles (307.188)
Cyclists shall ride as far right as is safe except when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions, when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle, or when on a one-way street (307.190)
Cyclists may ride abreast when not blocking other vehicles (307.190)
Cyclists may ride on the shoulder of the road, but are not required to (307.191)
Cyclists shall ride in the same direction as traffic (307.191)
Cyclists shall signal when turning (307.192)
Bicycles shall be equipped with brakes (307.183), a white front light, and a rear red light or reflector (307.185)
Motor vehicles shall not park or idle in bicycle lanes (303.330)
Operators of motor vehicles shall maintain a safe distance when passing cyclists (300.347)
Cyclists shall not use the sidewalk in a business district (300.347)
If a red light does not change for a completely stopped cyclist after a reasonable time, the cyclist may proceed if there is no approaching traffic (304.285)
For a more comprehensive list of Missouri Bicycle Laws click here.
The third Kirkwood Planning Advisory Committee meeting was held on Wednesday, July 16, 2014 at Kirkwood City Hall. The summary of the meeting and the agenda can be downloaded below:
Despite the stormy weather, 37 people came out to learn about gender equity, biking, and walking. Atomic Cowboy created a warm and inviting space for us, with snacks and beer abound to offer reprieve from the chilly rain.
Urban designer Courtney Cushard discussed her expanding women’s group The Monthly Cycle. Faye Paige Edwards of GirlTrek addressed access to physical activity among women of color. Lastly, educator Leah Patriarco examined how street harassment affects if/how/when women choose to bike, walk, or take public transit.
