Considerations for East-West Gateway Executive Director Search
Trailnet and NextSTL suggested some penetrating questions for the East-West Gateway Board to ask candidates for the council’s executive director position. Check out our memo below.
MEMORANDUM
TO:
Mark Kern, St. Clair County, EWG Board Chair
Alan Dunstan, Madison County
Francis Slay, City of St. Louis
Ken Waller, Jefferson County
Steve Ehlmann, St. Charles County
Terry Liefer, Monroe County
John Griesheimer, Franklin County
Steve Stenger, St. Louis County
FROM:
Ralph Pfremmer, Trailnet
Alex Ihnen, NextSTL
RE: East-West Gateway executive director search
We write as organization and opinion leaders with expertise in business development, urban planning and transportation. We are also partners and observers of East-West Gateway’s important work.
We understand a firm has recently been chosen to conduct a nationwide search for the top staff post of East-West Gateway’s executive director. Our purpose in writing is to express ideas that are relevant to your upcoming executive search process.
St. Louis is at a critical juncture. After years of economic and population stagnation, and the tough challenges and deep divisions we face brought to the forefront last August, we need a change of course. This is an important opportunity to hire an outstanding leader, collaborator, and expert to guide us in utilizing our assets to become a more prosperous region. We strongly believe the right candidate should possess the following expertise:
Demonstrated use of metropolitan planning organization (MPO) best practices;
Demonstrated commitment to collaboration and meaningful community engagement;
In-depth understanding of 21st century transportation and economic development challenges and opportunities;
Ability to create impactful and realistic regional initiatives; and
Leadership capabilities to engage and direct staff in fulfilling objectives and strategies identified in the OneSTL plan.
In order to vet the expertise of candidates, we ask you to consider incorporating the following questions into the interview process:
1) In 2013 East-West Gateway completed its Regional Plan for Sustainability, OneSTL. The plan was a $4.7 million investment by the federal government, and countless hours from partners. To increase sustainability in the region, and make the most of this investment, how will you guide the agency to win funds and foster collaboration to implement the plan?
2) In the 21st Century, we have seen a dramatic change in demand for land use and transportation options, as the millennial generation looks for more urban housing with multiple transportation choices, and the retiring baby boom generation is looking to downsize to more compact housing where walking and transit are convenient and accessible. How would you lead East West Gateway to make St. Louis a strong regional and global competitor as the market demands transportation choices and walkable communities?
3) The latest Long Range Plan does not prioritize funding for any major transit, bicycle, or pedestrian projects over the next 30 years. Meanwhile, our peer regions, including Kansas City and Nashville, are updating their transportation system for the 21st century by prioritizing transit and setting aside funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. As Executive Director of East West Gateway, what changes would you make to compete with our peers?
4) Since 1950, the region’s population has grown by 50% while the land use has grown by 400%. Now we are struggling to pay for the maintenance on all of the roads, parking lots, and sewers that serve our spread out population – we’ve rendered ourselves house-poor.How would you lead East West Gateway to address the challenges of our stagnating population and growing maintenance bills due to aging infrastructure? What could East-West Gateway do to encourage more economically productive land uses?
5) Historically, central cities have been dependent upon the rural areas surrounding them for food and raw materials, while the rural areas have been dependent upon the central cities as a market for their goods. Infrastructure investment and policy choices over the past 60 years have undermined already built places in favor of more spread out newer ones. How would you encourage discussion, collaboration, and understanding between the diverse interests of our region? How will you lead our region to ensure we have a strong, competitive central core?
6) Due to the high number of pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries, Missouri and Illinois are both on the Federal Highway Administration’s watch list, Focus Cities/States of Concern. Connected2045, the latest EWG long-range transportation plan, reports deaths and injuries in crashes cost the region $3.2 billion in 2013. What approaches could East-West Gateway take to influence and improve safety on the streets and highways of our region?
7) It is a fair assumption that federal, Missouri, and Illinois infrastructure funding levels will be limited for the foreseeable future. More than ever, high returns on our investments are critical. Small multi-modal improvements in neighborhoods are often the highest returning investments we can make. How would you approach the identification of projects large and small that create the highest return on investment for the EWG region?
8) Best practices for community engagement include involving residents from the beginning of any project and integrating engagement into existing community-hosted meetings, instead of creating new meetings. Please describe your experience implementing these community engagement best practices, and any others.
We offer these comments and ideas because regional progress requires that East-West Gateway have a strategic leader as executive director. We welcome your interest, seek to engage you and the region in this process, and wish you well in the executive search.
Advocacy Alert: Help ensure funding for safe walking and biking for our youth
Help make sure that Congress doesn’t cut the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding in the next transportation bill. TAP helps local communities build sidewalks, crosswalks, bike lanes, trails and more. TAP funding supports Safe Routes to School initiatives throughout St. Louis City and County.
Without TAP, hundreds of millions of dollars used to improve streets for walking and biking would evaporate. Some of these funds have been used to support youth programs like Trailnet’s “Steps in the Right Direction” at Froebel Literacy Academy to help make walking and biking a way of life in St. Louis.
Please follow the link below to ask Senators Roy Blunt and Senator Claire McCaskill to support bill S. 705, the Transportation Alternatives Program Improvement Act. Thank you for supporting legislation that will keep our youth walking and biking safely.
Trailnet’s Manager of Policy and Advocacy, Rhonda Smythe with Alderman Scott Ogilvie, and Trailnet’s Executive Director, Ralph Pfremmer
An update to St. Louis City’s Complete Streets policy passed on January 30, 2015 with unanimous support from the Board of Aldermen. Every aspect of our lives are impacted by the way our streets are designed and built. The comprehensive and collaborative approach laid out in this bill will have significant impacts on the quality of life for St. Louisans.
Major updates include:
A new framework for collaboration between City departments will be developed. The Departments of Health, Parks and Recreation, and Office of the Disabled will now have a formal seat at the table for the planning and implementation of future transportation projects. This means that air quality, public health, public safety, ADA improvements, and safe connections to major destinations will have a higher priority than in years past.
Street design standards will be updated to reflect the most current best practices, guidelines, and recommendations issued by the USDOT. This means no more bike lanes in gutters and appropriate pedestrian signals!
A targeted, data-driven approach to high crash intersections and corridors with prioritized improvements. Trailnet recently partnered with OpenDataSTL and Walker Hamilton to create an interactive map of bicycle and pedestrian crashes at http://bike-ped.confluencecity.com/. Tools like this enable data-driven decision making.
Performance measures and benchmarks will be identified and assessed annually.
Alderman Ogilvie sponsored this important piece of legislation and continues to be a strong advocate for pedestrians, bicyclists, and people with disabilities. Many partners joined Trailnet in advocating for the Complete Streets update, including Paraquad, American Heart Association, AARP, YMCA, and numerous neighborhood advocates. Our deep and sincere thanks for the valuable work they do to support a more livable St. Louis!
For more information on Complete Streets, click here.
New Directors of Transportation in City and County
St. Louis news of late has been filled with death, tragedy and crime. We know that’s not the entire story. There is a lot of positive activity happening below the surface of the news cycle. St. Louis has become an entrepreneurial hub. Our region has talented, creative, and energetic people working every day to create a vibrant, active region. Organizations and agencies are collaborating at an increasing rate. Together, we are focusing our collective activities towards the same targeted outcomes – economic inclusion, talent attraction, and increasing transportation options.
We are in a moment of great opportunity with significant changes in City and County staff. County Executive Stenger is working to fill high-level positions in his administration, and the selections he makes will shape the future of the region. Mayor Slay announced this week a new Chief of Staff, Deputy Chief of Staff, and Director of Operations. We applaud his decision to promote the next generation to positions of power. They know better than many which assets will bring new residents and businesses to our region.
Both City and County are working to fill vacant Director of Transportation positions. The importance of placing the right people into these positions cannot be overstated, as they will determine how streets are designed throughout the region and who can safely use them. The Directors of Transportation can choose to continue on the current path of car-centric road design or choose to diversify transportation options. They can help make St. Louis a more livable region with a North-South Metrolink line, protected bike lanes the whole family can ride, and pedestrian crossings that accommodate all people regardless of age or ability.
We are counting on our leaders to choose wisely, selecting staff who are innovative, with a collaborative and transparent nature, and are willing to work hand-in-hand with private and public businesses for the betterment of the region. We need a 21st century vision and plan for the St. Louis we want to become, and stand ready to support our leaders and put in the work to take the region to the next level.
As we plan for our future, we should always focus our energies towards principles that ensure community advancement. We must collaborate, be inclusive, and promote transparency to meet our region’s highest potential. Together, our region can lead in fostering a healthy, active community where walking, biking, and public transit are a part of our daily lives.
–Ralph Pfremmer, Trailnet Executive Director
Trailnet one of 12 organizations to get 2014 Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving grant from the EPA
The grant will allow Trailnet to work through critical next steps with the City of St. Louis and other partners to make Calm Streets a reality in St. Louis! Look out for community meetings in October and visit the project page to find out more. Read the press release.
Improving the Pedestrian Experience Workshop
Trailnet brought speakers from across the Midwest to participate in Streets for Everyone: Improving the Pedestrian Experience. The workshop, funded by the Laclede Group Foundation, was attended by sixty-five local professionals, including transportation planners, elected officials, academics, and public works employees. Discussions focused on how to design and build walkable communities and attempt to integrate a pedestrian perspective to help create a more walkable St. Louis. There is heightened concern for pedestrian safety in St. Louis because of recent statistics reflecting risks to pedestrians in the City: between 2006-2010, the City of St. Louis reported 1,800 pedestrian‐related motor vehicle crashes. These numbers have put St. Louis on the Federal Highway Adminstration’s list of Focus Cities, which identifies cities with the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities and severe crashes. The City of St. Louis, the Federal Highway Administration, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and other partners have drafted a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) to help guide the region on how to reduce pedestrian related crashes in the City.
Where do we go from here?
Trailnet is excited to begin this dialogue around making the City attractive and safe for pedestrians and we hope that you will join us in this campaign. Working with local and regional partners, Trailnet will host a Walk Summit in 2015. The Walk Summit will serve as a call to action for community members, activists and organizers, elected officials, engineers, and transportation professionals to integrate the pedestrian perspective into their work and call for safe solutions to roadways that rank most dangerous for walkers. Adopting the PSAP will be an important first step in creating more pedestrian friendly roads in St. Louis.
How you can help
Be part of the effort to create a more walkable St. Louis by collecting data on pedestrian activity. Stand up and count as a volunteer at the 3rd Annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts next week.
100 Miles of New & Upgraded Bike Routes in St. Louis City
Bike St. Louis Phase III implementation begins this week! Phase III includes 40 miles of new bike routes and upgrades to 60 miles of existing bike routes in St. Louis City. This project started with the Gateway Bike Plan in 2009, an intensive 16-month process to plan future bike routes throughout the three county metropolitan region in Missouri.
Trailnet was 1 of 15 stakeholder groups that participated on the Phase III Advisory Committee hosted by Great Rivers Greenway District. We surveyed our members in Fall 2013 to define problem areas and priority locations for bicycling, and received almost 900 responses. We then rode the problem areas with advocates and elected officials to seek out creative solutions, and used this feedback to advocate for high quality infrastructure.
Types of bike routes
Our goal is Streets for Everyone – safe and continuous routes that connect residents to jobs, schools, parks and other major destinations, regardless of age or ability. Trailnet advocated for high-quality, family-friendly routes throughout the planning process. Click herefor a map and listing of new and upgraded routes.
Funding
Phase III is a $1.4 million project, primarily funded with federal transportation dollars. A local match was provided by Great Rivers Greenway District and St. Louis City with existing sales tax revenue. Any municipality is able to apply for federal funds for projects like Phase III. East West Gateway is currently taking comments for the 2015 funding cycle.
Stay tuned for more details! We’ll be following the street crews and posting pictures of the new routes on social media and look forward to hearing your feedback. Please post your pics to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram – let’s celebrate this investment in bicycling!
Trailnet and Partners Ask St. Louis County Executive Candidates Questions About Critical Issues
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.
Trailnet Calls on City to Eliminate Pedestrian and Bicycle Fatalities
Death and injury in any form are unacceptable. Our city is often focused on violent crime, rightfully so. But this conversation ignores another major contributor to deaths and injuries – traffic violence.
From 2009-2012, 49 people were killed while walking or biking and 1,496 were injured. This is more than one person a day hit by a car while walking or biking in St. Louis City. Another fatal crash occurred on Friday, killing a bicyclist in full reflective gear. These traffic deaths are preventable and can be eliminated by prioritizing people on foot and bicycle, the most vulnerable users of the road.
Mayor Slay has made it a focus of his administration to make St. Louis more walkable and bikeable, but without a multi-sector action plan and strict enforcement of traffic violations this will not be accomplished.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has continually named St. Louis as a Pedestrian Focus City, because the rate of drivers hitting pedestrians is so high. Thirty-six percent of city traffic deaths are pedestrians.
The City of St. Louis must get serious about keeping residents safe and make a commitment to the people of this city. In order to achieve a walkable and bikeable city, eliminating injuries and deaths must be a measurable part of the City’s Sustainability Plan and include the Departments of Streets, Health, and Public Works.
There are two main ways to decrease traffic crashes: change the behavior of the people using the road, and change the physical engineering of the road.
At minimum, Trailnet urges the City to:
Set a goal to eliminate pedestrian and bicycle fatalities (e.g. Zero fatalities by 2019)
Increase enforcement of traffic violations that injure and kill people: speeding, running red lights, turning violations, and running stop signs
Hire a Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator with the expertise to design and implement safer streets for people walking and biking
Set a plan to:
Begin utilizing FHWA recommended traffic calming measures such as high visibility crosswalks, speed bumps and roundabouts
Update and adopt the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan
Pass policies to create safer streets such as no texting while driving
Zero is the only acceptable number. If you live, work or play in the City of St. Louis, call Mayor Slay today at 314-622-3201 and ask him to set a timeline to eliminate pedestrian and bicycle fatalities.
Concerned cyclists will gather next Monday, June 30at 8 a.m. in front of City Hall at the Tucker Street entrance to ask for safer streets.
