August’s Trailnet Champions are our generous Peloton Society members, whose leadership investments fuel Trailnet’s mission for safer streets.
Nancy and Dick Arnoldy Debbi and Doug Audiffred Ellen Shapiro and Gerald Axelbaum David D. Boltz Rebecca Boyle Connie and Dan Burkhardt Michelle and Mike Cody Tom and Sally Cohn Kathy Fulton and Bill Coppel Rodney Crim and Cynthia Curry-Crim Ann and Vance Crowe Jennifer Cunnane Deborah and Bob Dolgin John Drew Erika Enstrom Matthew Fischer Jane Goode Kathleen and Rich Gund Sarah Hanly and Alexander Babich Paul Higgins Lotsie and Rick Holton Linda and Mike Honigfort Bob and Emily Koplar Nancy and Ken Kranzberg Nancy Meyer and Richard Kutta Susan and Robert Lewis Barbara and Bob Lindecke Michael Lynch Chris and Bridget McAndrew Kathy McHugh Constance McPheeters Cindy and Jim Mense Kyle and Lesli Moylan Melissa and Giancarlo Pillot Jerry and Judy Potthoff Nora Ryan and Ned Golterman Bill and Carla Sauerwein Michael Schwartz and Clara Perry Miriam and Steve Singer John Sweet Terry Luth Thornton Jane and Pat Tracy Nancy Treaster Laurie and Raymond Van de Riet Jr. Henry Webber and Chris Jacobs Robyn and Mark Wittry Marilyn Young
These 2023 Peloton Society members are listed in our recently released annual report to recognize their incredible impact on our organization. Their names appear alongside Trailnet’s successes in making St. Louis better for biking, walking and public transportation last year.
Ready to join their ranks? Become a Trailnet member today at trailnet.org/join
Trailnet Champion: Peleton Society
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In August 2024, we featured the Peleton Society.
August’s Trailnet Champions are our generous Peloton Society members, whose leadership investments fuel Trailnet’s mission for safer streets.
These 2023 Peloton Society members are listed in our recently released annual report to recognize their incredible impact on our organization. Their names appear alongside Trailnet’s successes in making St. Louis better for biking, walking and public transportation last year.
Ready to join their ranks? Become a Trailnet member today at trailnet.org/join
Trailnet Champion: Jacque Knight
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In July 2024, we featured Jacque Knight.
We interviewed Jacque Knight, AICP—Transportation Planning Lead at CMT & mom to 2 young kids—to highlight her necessary work in the local transportation planning space.
How have you been involved with Trailnet? As a transportation planner in the St. Louis region, I have had the opportunity to get to know the wonderful team of people at Trailnet. The work of the organization focusing on Streets for All is something I do in my work on a daily basis at CMT. From participating in pop-up demonstrations, to hosting the annual gala, working alongside Trailnet is always fun.
How are you helping push the St. Louis region toward “Streets for All”? My focus in the work that I do is about rethinking how streets should function in our City and region. As public spaces, streets are important places within Cities that help connect people to their community. Nearly 1/3 of all American’s do not have a drivers license, and when we focus streets around vehicular mobility, people without that access are left out of society. Providing safe mobility options is a powerful step toward healthy, vibrant and equitable communities. CMT is currently leading both the Walk Bike Jefferson County Master Plan & the City of St. Louis Transportation & Mobility Plan—both exciting projects allowing me to think about better use of street space for all people in the future.
Trailnet Champion: Chris Geden
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In June 2024, we featured Chris Geden.
Chris Geden is the Thrive Outside Program Manager for River City Outdoors and the Director of Community Engagement for the River City Foundation.
“Trailnet’s mission of making the St. Louis region a better place to walk, bike and take public transit goes hand in hand with our mission to make the St. Louis outdoors a more equitable and inclusive place for all,” said Chris. “Two of the biggest barriers to enjoying the outdoors in our region are access and transportation. Both Trailnet and RCO are working to remove those barriers and make the St. Louis outdoors safe and welcoming for everyone, as well as working to educate our residents on why this is vital to our community and economy.”
As well as having overlapping missions and values with Trailnet, River City Outdoors is the presenting sponsor of our Juneteenth Community Ride for the second year in a row.
“People protect what they love,” said Chris. “The Juneteenth Community Ride drives that saying home in a number of ways. It reminds us of the beauty, history and resilience represented in St. Louis’ Black culture. It also shows Black people out enjoying the outdoors together, which is the sense of community that we should all strive for. It reminds us why we should protect cyclists and pedestrians on our roadways, because there’s no better way to see a city than by foot or bike. And it reminds us how to look back in a way that helps us move forward.”
Trailnet Champion: Emma Klues
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In May 2024, we featured Emma Klues.
In advance of this Saturday’s Bridge Birthday Bash, we reached out to Emma Klues—the VP of Communications & Outreach for our partners Great Rivers Greenway, and a wonderful person. Here’s what she had to say about our partnership with GRG, and more importantly, THE BRIDGE!
“I have volunteered or partnered with Trailnet off and on for years, but as silly as it sounds, my favorite thing I’ve done with y’all is our venn diagram to really help people understand how Great Rivers Greenway and Trailnet have similar visions and values but different missions,” said Emma. “There is a need for both (and others!) because no one organization can do everything it takes to give people the safe, active choices they deserve. We’re a government agency that builds greenways, we don’t do traditional advocacy for crash hotspots and street projects, so I am continually glad Trailnet exists to do that work.”
And when asked about the bridge, Emma said: “…Okay I have always loved visiting the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge but this.new.PARK! It delivers exactly what community members asked for—new safety features, restoring a prairie, wetland and woodland, a glorious pavilion, public art from Simiya Sudduth, permeable paver parking lot (say that five times fast) and more. The Bridge Birthday Bash is a great way to check out and celebrate this historic iconic bridge and this brand new park. See you there!”
Trailnet Champion: Kara Burt
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In April 2024, we featured Kara Burt.
Kara Burt grew up in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri and now manages The Audubon’s Hotel & Restaurant at the heart of historic downtown Ste. Gen. Kara was instrumental in bringing Trailnet to Ste. Gen for the inaugural StG Gravel Classic in 2022, and Audubon’s continues to sponsor the ride and support our work.
“While planning the first StG Gravel Ride, we were without a Tourism Director, so a few of the merchants and I got together to welcome the riders and Trailnet to town,” said Kara. “After meeting with Corinne and Matt and seeing the passion for what they do I knew it was something I wanted to be a part of. I’m happy to help with the rider experience and host the after party for the StG ride…
It’s about getting riders out to enjoy our beautiful scenery and support Trailnet’s mission. Their advocacy & assistance in planning for safer streets is a vital part of creating safer communities. Who wouldn’t want to support that? It’s a win for everyone.”
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In March 2024, we featured Kelly McGowan.
If you are civically engaged in St. Louis City, you’ve probably heard Kelly McGowan’s name, or at least the name of the organization she founded—Transform 314.
“Growing up here, I immediately understood there were two St. Louises—The one my family and I resided in, with other predominantly Black families; and the other one with predominantly white residents,” said Kelly. “I also saw the differences in resources, opportunities, and transportation infrastructure. As I became older and learned why that was, and how components of our built environments play a role in adverse health outcomes, I knew I wanted to help mitigate those issues…”
As Kelly dove into this work, she realized how integral local government is when it comes to shaping the fabric of our communities, and yet, how few people engage with their local government. “With this realization, Transform 314 was created to support Black St. Louisans to drive the changes to create equitable built environments,” said Kelly.
Lately, Transform 314 and Trailnet have been working together to ensure that our audiences understand the proposed changes coming to the built environment in St. Louis. Kelly has a knack for making local politics approachable and easy to engage with—join her email newsletter at the bottom of this page to tap in!
Trailnet Champion: Dirk Sprogoe
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In February 2024, we featured Dirk Sprogoe.
Dirk Sprogoe, owner of Billy Goat Bicycle Company in Kirkwood, was born and raised in St. Louis and still calls it home.
“Born to European parents, my brother and I spent many summers in Switzerland and Germany and it was there that we saw cycling as something much bigger and more exciting than it was back home,” said Dirk. “That introduction to cycling inspired both of us to get racing bikes, start training, and then race our bikes all over the midwest… Back then, we dreamed of one day owning our own shop. We’ve owned [Billy Goat] now for 8 years, and absolutely love what we do.”
Dirk is now 30+ years into his career in the local bike industry, and as passionate as ever. He comes by his passion honestly.
“My 85 year old mother still prefers to walk a mile to the grocery store and back, rather than drive..so maybe it’s in our genes. I will always prefer riding my bike to work over driving, and that has been true for over 30 years now,” said Dirk.
Dirk and Billy Goat Bicycle Co. are perennial supporters of Trailnet’s work. Whether he is providing SAG support or sponsoring a ride (like the upcoming StG Gravel Classic), Dirk’s support is grounded in his belief in Trailnet’s vision.
“As a pedestrian, a cyclist, and a motorist, what excites me the most about Trailnet’s Streets for All vision is that it’s a plan with a 360 degree viewpoint. Regardless of whether I am walking, riding, or driving, I often see folks at odds with one another, and often without compassion for the other side. I feel that Trailnet is working to address the concerns from all sides, and to find legal and practical solutions with everyone’s best interests at heart.”
Trailnet Champion: Michael Schwartz
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In January 2024, we featured Michael Schwartz.
We want to recognize Michael Schwartz for nine years of dedicated service on Trailnet’s board of directors. Since joining Trailnet’s board in 2014, Michael—a mergers & acquisitions attorney and partner at Norton Rose Fulbright—has provided us with legal counsel, fostered partnerships throughout the region and most recently helped lead the 2023 Jewish History Community Ride!
Michael remains deeply committed to Trailnet’s mission and to supporting the Streets for All movement, even as his time on the board has ended.
“I know I don’t need to be on Trailnet’s board to make an impact,” he said. “We need folks in our community to advocate for pedestrians and cyclists—whether they are walking, running, cycling or otherwise getting around for enjoyment or out of necessity. I’ll continue to speak up, and I hope you’ll join me.”
2023 was an outstanding year to be a “Trailnut”! (a nickname our team happily adopted following a cake decorating snafu at this year’s Ride the Rivers)
Together with our members, donors, sponsors, partners and neighbors, we celebrated some of the most significant wins EVER for people walking, biking and using transit in the St. Louis region.
We made a lot of progress, and we’re excited to move into the new year with a lot of momentum. Here’s some of what we accomplished:
2023 Stats
2,919 riders ages 4 to 85 came from 21 states to join us at 11 bike rides
195 people learned new bike skills and explored the greenways through our bike education programs funded by Great Rivers Greenway
We analyzed 736 crashes throughout St. Louis City and St. Louis County to produce our 2022 Crash Report
Our advocacy team attended 111 community meetings, reviewed 15 bills, and testified at 6 hearings.
Our planning team engaged 220+ people at two traffic calming demonstrations
Along with BWorks, we surveyed Aldermanic candidates, received 9 responses, and published their positions on mobility issues
8.41 miles of bike infrastructure is funded for construction in the City of St. Louis, much of it inspired by Connecting St. Louis and Trailnet’s other advocacy efforts
Years of conversations at community meetings, public testimonies and outspoken advocacy in pursuit of safer streets culminated in the signing of the St. Louis Safer Streets Bill (Board Bill 120) on March 1, 2023. Trailnet CEO Cindy Mense stood by the mayor’s side and gave remarks on behalf of all of Trailnet’s neighbors and supporters who stand to benefit from this unprecedented investment!
Trailnet will continue to engage with the City to make sure that this money is put to use efficiently, effectively and in the interests of all road users.
Distracted Driving Banned
For years, Trailnet and our statewide partners have recognized distracted driving as one of our most pressing problems. Along with other members of the Hands-Free Missouri Coalition, we have advocated tirelessly to get Missouri legislators on board with a hands-free driving law.
In honor of the memory of Randall Siddens and countless other victims of distracted driving in Missouri, we are proud our state has finally taken this step forward.
This 1.1-mile corridor is a pilot project for the City’s Calm Streets initiative. The construction of phase 1 was the result of years of hard work and collaboration across the City. We look forward to seeing how this project will progress—eventually connecting two of our City’s largest parks and paving the way for future infrastructure improvements across our streets network.
Pop-Up Traffic Calming Demos
It can be hard to imagine what new infrastructure could look and feel like to walk, bike or drive through. That’s where traffic calming pop up demonstrations come in. We use temporary materials like brightly colored cones, tires and flowers to demonstrate a cross walk, bump outs, fewer driving lanes or a bike lane.
We hosted two of these this year: one for MODOT on Route D in St. Louis City and another on Park(ing) Day on Compton Avenue.
New Community Trail for South County Students
A team of Spire volunteers constructed an all new walking and biking path on the property of Bayless Elementary School this summer! The project was the result of a collaboration between Trailnet, Spire and Bayless Schools, funded by Spire Serves and carried out by volunteers through Spire’s Day for Good program. The trail is an asset to the school’s bike education programs.
7th grader Sudais Abdirahman reminded us of the importance of getting outside and being active, saying, “It… gets my mind clear because the breeze gets in my hair and it’s… relaxing,”
Trailnet’s First Soiree
In our 35th year we tried something new.. and it was a rousing success!
Trailnet’s inaugural Paving the Way Soiree was a new take on our annual fundraising event—a night for us to celebrate with our friends and supports, to recognize the partners who make our wins possible and to raise a little money.
This year’s event also featured the presentation of our first ever batch of Members, Advocates and Partners (MAP) Awards. We can’t wait to build on this event and celebrate more deserving community leaders in the years to come!
Miles of Smiles at Trailnet Rides
Trailnet’s rides are a big part of how we carry out our mission. Rides provide a safe place for people to have fun on their bikes, meet other active people, explore their community, and make a statement with their presence that our streets are for PEOPLE!
The best part of our rides are the smiles! You can’t help but smile when you’re riding your bike. It’s just fun!
