November/December Trailnet Champion | Cass Rose Carnahan
Whenever Cassandra (Cass for short) Rose Carnahan gets on her bike, she feels like a kid again. “There are very few things that still feel like childhood fun to me. Biking is fun, it gives me this feeling of exercise freedom out in the fresh air. It’s pretty much the same to me now as it was when I was little,” she says with a huge smile. From a young age, Cass has always had a passion for health and fitness which is why she took part in various athletic activities growing up. Although her interest in high school sports ended with graduation, her interest and passion for biking continued to grow. Riding her bike to and from school or to meet friends was her first taste of independence and freedom as she explored her hometown.
At 18 years old, Cass moved away from her rural hometown of Red Bud, to the big city, St. Louis! She was overjoyed that she could finally call herself a “city girl.” Riding around on country roads in Red Bud did not prepare her for riding on the streets of St. Louis. “I had to learn how to get around safely. I had learn to share the road with cars– even though some drivers didn’t want to share the road with me,” says Cass about her first few weeks riding around St. Lous. Yet, it didn’t take her long to adjust to the city cycling rules of the road. Biking helped her come to love St. Louis. Cass had found her home in our city.
Cass started beauty school in St. Louis and tried out a few different career paths after graduating that centered more around health and fitness, but she missed being a Hairstylist. She spent time trying to figure out a way to merge the two worlds so her career could combine her two passions. Cass decided to focus on naturally curly hair helping clients to maintain their natural beauty in their curls using healthy hair styling techniques. This is the moment her career path became clear and her studio name, Curls By Cass, was born.
Cass has been a Hairstylist for 15 years and she currently hosts her own studio within ChopShop in The Grove. For the past five years, Cass has watched The Grove grow and it is now one of her favorite St. Louis neighborhoods. “The Grove is an absolutely amazing diverse neighborhood. There is art everywhere, delicious food, craft beer, and small businesses are opening left and right. Plus, this area is perfect for biking!”
As someone who loves to be social, but isn’t big on the typical bar scene — Cass found an immediate connection with the biking community in St. Louis. She is a huge fan of group rides such as the Ghost Ride, South Side Cyclery Group, and the Monthly Cycle. Riding with these groups helped Cass keep up with her fit and active lifestyle while engaging in social gatherings that included food and drinks with many of her best friends. Cass recently got an urge to advance her riding from community rides to more long distance cycling. She decided to get advice from the one person she trusted the most– knowing he’d point her in the right direction– Mike Weiss from Big Shark. Mike fitted Cass with a Cannondale Synapse and recommended that if she wanted to ride longer distance rides, she should join the Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club rides.
Most new riders transitioning from casual group rides to long distance rides like to take their time by working toward 50, 60, or even 80 mile rides, but not Cass — she was ready to take on a century right away. She learned from Mike Weiss that Trailnet was hosting the Birthday Bridge Bash Ride, which had a 100-mile distance option the following month. Cass decided to learn more and reached out to Trailnet’s Rides Manager, Steve Schmidt. Steve encouraged Cass to tackle the century ride saying she’d have full support from our SAG van if she needed any help. Since then, Cass has completed five Trailnet rides, including the Bottleneck Bridge Ride and the 62-mile Metric at Ride the Rivers Century Ride.
Cass shared her thoughts on the Trailnet Vision for St. Louis.“The Grove and where I live in The Hill are pretty bike-friendly communities, but I hear people constantly expressing how scared they are to ride in the streets alongside people driving. There are just too many drivers who don’t share the road with bikers. It can be scary for people who aren’t comfortable riding. We need to have these lanes so people can ride and feel safe. This has to happen! St. Louis is capable of being a more bike-friendly city and this vision could make that happen,” Cass says with hope. She believes that everyone should not only have access to bikes, but also have the opportunity to easily bike to the places they want to go and our vision is helping make that a reality for St. Louis.
“Kiddos on the Move” by Ginny McDonald
Trailnet has always been dedicated to getting people moving, and has enjoyed longstanding partnerships with two St. Louis Public Schools, where we work to get kids moving in safe, fun, and active ways.
October marked the annual Fall Walk to School Days at both Froebel Literacy Academy in Dutchtown and Farragut Elementary in north city. These events welcome students, staff, and parents to celebrate the benefits of walking: bringing the community together, getting kids to school on time, and starting their day with physical activity that improves their ability to learn. All who attend are treated to orange juice and snacks, and “footie” tokens to attach to backpacks.
At Farragut, the event also provided a way to display the efforts of a group of students who participated in Trailnet’s Safety Class. The class was one of the offerings of “Farragut University,” a new initiative at the school that allows third through fifth graders to choose Friday afternoon electives. Students in the Trailnet class learned about ways to stay safe as people walking, and also collected data about driving behaviors that put walkers at risk. Using Trailnet’s speed guns, they clocked people driving speeds around the school, and also monitored drivers’ reactions at area stop signs.
Students found that nearly 50% of people driving exceeded the 25 mph speed limit, and that only 25% of people driving came to a full stop at stop signs, most rolling through the stop (nearly 50%), and the remaining people driving not stopping at all. Participants in the class also learned about ways that they can advocate for their community by improving safety for people walking, especially kids walking to school.
The students produced graphs of their data, which Trailnet has sent to elected officials and to the St. Louis Street Department, alerting them to the risks that drivers pose to walkers in the area. Students also outlined specific suggestions that they felt would improve conditions, such as speed bumps, painted crosswalks, and the use of crossing guards and enhanced police patrols.
Walk to School Day also became a way for Safety Class students to spread the word to younger kids about ways that they can be safer as they walk to school. The students’ display cautioned fellow students not to jaywalk, to always look both ways for cars, and to wear bright colors when walking, advice that is especially important at Farragut since many of the students are walking before the sun comes up.
The ultimate goal of the Safety Class is to organize a “Walking School Bus” at Farragut Elementary. Parents who walk their own children to school have signed on to lead bus routes that will “pick up” other kids along their way to school. Our hope is that a sustainable walking bus program will bring members of the community together, and will make the trip to school safer for all of the students. Thanks to the generous support of the Saigh Foundation, Trailnet will offer incentives to bus route leaders who have taken on the responsibility of leading students to school on time.
October also brought the second annual “Bike Week” at Froebel Literacy Academy. Every student in the school got to spend their P.E. class pedaling around the playground, weaving through obstacle courses, and improving handling skills through “slow bike races” and other challenges. Von Smith, Froebel’s Family and Community Specialist, summed up the value of Bike Week: “This gives our students a special experience that many would never have had otherwise. It’s vitally important that parents learn about gems within the community. Trailnet has become an important part of the academic and social growth of our students.” Many of the students summed up their feelings about Bike Week with a straightforward question: “When are you coming back?”
Trailnet thanks Mr. Smith and Robert LaPlante, Farragut’s Family and Community Specialist, for welcoming us to work with their students. Special thanks to Ron Effland of MoDOT for his invaluable help with Bike Week, and to generous support from the Saigh Foundation and Great Rivers Greenway.
Board President, Michael Hickey, Reflects on the Movers and Shakers Gala
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our 2017 Gala. What an incredible night and tremendous success — a sell-out crowd of over 400 movers and shakers excited about Trailnet’s vision for connecting St. Louis through a network of protected bikeways and sidewalks. Ron and Kelly Kruszewski and Jason Hall set the tone and created even more momentum for Trailnet’s mission to connect people from where they live — whether it’s north, south, east, or west – to where they want to go.
For almost 30 years, Trailnet has been advocating for, planning, and helping build safer streets for cyclists and pedestrians throughout St. Louis. Throughout that time, Trailnet has been a catalyst for change and has shown itself to be inclusive, interactive, dynamic, nimble, and responsive to the needs of the St. Louis community. We can make St. Louis better – we can make Chicago, New York, Seattle, and San Francisco jealous of what we have and what we strive to become. We can create a network of connected and protected bikeways and sidewalks that people from around the world will come to see, study, and use.
You can be part of that vision. Check out the latest video and help us make Trailnet’s vision a reality by renewing your membership today! And don’t forget – memberships also make great holiday gifts! Thank you again for your support!
-Michael Hickey, Trailnet Board President
September Newsletter | 2017 Gala Update
A Collaborative Vision for St. Louis!
At the 2017 Movers & Shakers: Connecting St. Louis Gala on Thursday, November 2 from 6-9 pm at the Palladium, we’re revealing the destinations and the thoughtful work of our committees on the protected bikeways and sidewalk improvement Master Plan!
At last year’s Gala, we announced our bold vision of a region connected by a network of protected on-street bikeways and sidewalk improvements that link people to the places they want to go. Since then Trailnet’s Planning Team has been hard at work leading our five Master Planning committees made up of 80 talented people representing 56 partner organizations. Their work is something to celebrate and we can’t wait to share it with you. Join us for a lively, fun evening of mingling with the leading change makers in our region invested in transforming St. Louis.
Special thanks go to David Wolfe and Florian Kuplent of Urban Chestnut for providing our malt beverages. Prost! Wines are from Dan Burkhardt and Bethlehem Valley Winery. For your sweet tooth, we have a treat for you from The Cup and Ericka Frank!
We have a dynamic line-up of Silent Auction packages that represent St. Louis, so have your checkbooks ready because you won’t want to miss out. Every dollar we raise directly supports Trailnet’s work to bring this vision to life for all of us.
Wondering who’s coming? Please see our list of Sponsors and Host Committee members. Trailnet wouldn’t be who we are without our members because you all are the Movers & Shakers, and we’d love to celebrate with you!
Pop-up traffic calming demonstrations are temporary installations that provide an opportunity to review the impact that street design can have on public health and pedestrian activity. Slowing vehicle traffic can assist in making streets feel safer and more livable as well as welcoming to residents of all ages.
The purpose of this demonstration was to draw attention to the intersection of 38th and Warwick in Midtown which was chosen due to the high speed traveling through this interior residential street. We added stop signs and crosswalks to this intersection demonstrating a simple, low cost solution to ensuring the intersection could be safer for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers. Learn more about this Kansas City demonstration by watching this KCTV5 news coverage.
Trailnet Attends Active Transportation Summit
The second annual Active Transportation Summit occurred on August 11th in Jefferson City. Representing Trailnet, our Education and Encouragement Manager, Taylor March and CEO, Ralph Pfremmer, went to the summit to share and hear ideas for making our communities more active, vibrant, and economically sustainable through bicycling, walking, and trails. The event included walk and bike tours of Jefferson City, a chance for Trailnet to discuss with other Missouri bicycle, pedestrian, and advocacy professionals from around Missouri as well as the annual meeting of the Missouri Chapter of the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals. Summit topics and themes ranged from the increase of tourism and the economic impact that bicycling, walking, and trails has on rural, suburban, and urban communities to the health and safety impacts bicycling, walking, and trails have individuals.
John Kohler, the Planning and Programming Manager for The City of St. Louis, presented alongside Jacque Lumsden from CBB: Transportation Engineers + Planners on the Louisiana Avenue Calm Streets Project, the first “Calm Streets” Project in St. Louis that was steered by a grant Trailnet provided. This presentation was an opportunity for Missouri pedestrian and bicycle professionals to learn the history, conceptual planning efforts, and project details that Trailnet wrote providing safe, comfortable, and inspiring street designs that could build neighborhoods and connect people to institutions and amenities.
To follow, Taylor March gave an overview on the current Complete Streets and Public Health policies Missouri has adopted – 35, to be exact. Communities all across the state have adopted Complete Streets policies because they see the positive impact these Complete Street projects have on neighborhoods making them better, safer, complete and connected. March elaborated on the connection between Complete Streets and public health and how any city, county, or neighborhood can improve the public health by adopting or implementing a Complete Streets policy.
In replacement of Patrick McKenna from MoDOT, Ralph Pfremmer asked to be a Keynote Speaker at this years summit. Pfremmer felt that presenting at the summit was a great opportunity for Trailnet to provide a regional perspective on what connectivity and mobility could look like in St. Louis. He stressed the importance of racial equity when developing new street designs like our protected bike lanes and sidewalks for the St. Louis region that connects our city and helps bridge our cities racial divide post-Ferguson. Keeping strong development, racial equity, and equal access regardless of location at the forefront of conversation when creating an improved transportation method are the keys to success for St. Louis to grow.
The August Blender: Planning Committees Come Together
Come September, we will be nine months into the 18-month Master Planning process for a network of on-street protected Bikeways. Our Master Planning process has five committees made up of 80 people from 56 partner organizations. With assistance from the Community Builders Network, we gathered all five of our planning committees together for our first Blender of the Master Planning Process.
For the past four months, these parties have pledged to ensure recommendations for outreach, design, destinations, routes, affordability, and land use policy that will support a more just community. The purpose of this Blender was to allow all five committees to convene for the first time and openly discuss the ideas, thoughts, and plans each committee has created thus far. The goal of our Blender was to make sure the committees are keeping each other in-check with the ultimate goal of our Master Plan, which is making St. Louis safe and easy to ride and walk around using the planning lens guiding principles.
Overall, The Blender had high energy and very important thoughtful conversations happening with the 60 people in attendance representing all five committees. Bob Lewis from Development Strategies made a comment to Trailnet about how we’ve gone about the Master Planning Process since his day-to-day work deals with using data to help people do their own planning. He shared that, “Planning is at its finest when we all get together to learn from the data and figure out a mutual future.” This is exactly what our committees did throughout this day of learning and developing to ensure our plan is meeting the planning lens. Most committees learned what areas they could improve on and got a better idea of what the right track looks like for the Master Plan.
Please click here to watch a short recap video of the days events.
Request for Proposal: Consulting Services
Trailnet’s Chief Executive Officer, Ralph Pfremmer, is on the Steering Committee for the Route 66 Meramec River Bridge, stewarded by the Missouri State Parks Foundation. They are seeking proposals from Development Consultants wishing to partner with the committee to develop and recommend short and long-term strategies to reach their $10 million fundraising goal over the next eight years.
BACKGROUND
A nationally recognized landmark and one of the last Warren Truss designs in Missouri, the 84-year-old bridge was scheduled for demolition in early 2017 due to advanced deterioration. But thanks to a collaborative effort from local stakeholders, Missouri State Parks was recently able to accept ownership of the bridge and earn it a reprieve from the wrecking ball.
The opportunity now exists to renew the 1,008-foot-long bridge as a connection for people walking and biking in Route 66 State Park, where it is located. Additional funding is needed to save the structure and create a lasting cultural asset. The historically significant bridge, already an international attraction for Route 66 and architecture enthusiasts, could become a vital conduit for transforming the surrounding area. Revitalizing this bridge will:
Restore a vital piece of history
Promote healthy lifestyles
Connect communities
Enhance the State Park experience
Encourage international tourism
Catalyze future development
SCOPE OF SERVICES
The committee is soliciting proposals from firms or individuals experienced with the development of multi-faceted fundraising strategies with both local and global experience. Because Route 66 has a global appeal and many visitors are from other countries, the scope of the fundraising effort is likely to span far beyond the St. Louis region. The selected partner will work closely with the committee to identify target audiences, short and long term strategies and possible funding sources.
The selected consultant will lead a review of potential fundraising strategies such as giving clubs, annual fund, grants, events and major gifts solicitation. The review will result in a comprehensive structure for the committee to operate within as gifts are solicited.
Implementation
The selected consultant may be asked to remain available to the committee for some time to assist with implementation of the selected strategies.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING PROPOSALS
General Provisions
Any contract awarded as a result of this solicitation of proposals will be awarded without discrimination on race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, or national origin.
Submission of Proposals
Please submit a PDF that contains the following information:
A synopsis of qualifications of the firm, the primary contact and anticipated project lead stating his/her professional credentials. Please clearly state the individual representing the contractual authority of the firm.
Outline of the approach you would use to pursue the overall fundraising goals.
Outline an example timeline.
Outline of proposed deliverables.
Provide three (3) references for clients and contracts similar to scope of work in this document.
Provide a schedule of fees.
Provide a brief description of the firm participating in this proposal and its ownership structure. Indicate percentage ownership by women and minorities.
Disclose any material agreements, relationships, or employment your firm or team members have that may create a conflict of interest or the appearance thereof.
Contract Award
The development committee of the Steering Committee will review and evaluate all responses to the Request for Bids. Staff may contact any or all respondents to clarify submitted information and/or to set up interviews. Firms will be notified in writing via electronic mail or letter once the committee has reviewed all materials and selected a candidate.
Important Considerations
The committee reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to 1) reject any or all submittals when, in its opinion, it is determined to be in the public interest to do so, 2) waive minor informalities of a submittal, 3) cancel, revise, or extend this solicitation, 4) request additional information which the committee deems necessary. This Request for Proposals does not obligate the committee to pay any costs incurred by any respondent in the submission of proposal or in making necessary studies or design for the preparation thereof, or for procuring or contracting for the services to be furnished under this request for proposals.
SUBMITTAL DUE DATE: Friday, September 1, 2017 4:00 P.M. Central Standard Time
Questions or information related to this request should be directed to: Judd Slivka, Executive Director for Missouri State Parks Foundation
Joi McClain & Kellen von Hoven, Trailnet Champions
Here at Trailnet, we wouldn’t be able to conduct majority of our events nor our advocacy work around this community without the dedication of our volunteers and staff members. Whether they are spending their weekends out on the trail for a Bicycle Fun Club ride or spending Monday – Friday downtown assisting with membership entry and ride registration – our team is stronger thanks to these dedicated individuals. For this month’s Trailnet Champion, we wanted to say a special thank you to not one, but two incredible members of our team. 18 year-old Joi McClain and 17 year-old Kellen von Hoven could be spending their summer months embracing their lack of schoolwork and sleeping in, but instead they decided to trade in their school desks for office ones by working at Trailnet this summer. They have been assisting our office with administrative tasks as well as working the Bicycle Fun Club rides. Before heading back to school this August, our Marketing and Communication Manager, Jeanette Harris-Courts, had the chance to sit down and have a chat with these two ambitious and active community members. Between discussing what it’s like working for Trailnet and learning what these St. Louis natives do for fun (besides advocating for cyclist and pedestrian safety) — no topic was left unsaid during an interview at the Kaldi’s in City Garden this past July.
Jeanette Harris-Courts: Good Morning guys! Let’s start with the basics. Tell me a little bit about yourselves. Where do you guys live and where do you currently go to school?
Kellen von Hoven: I live on a private street right at the edge of the city in the Central West End. I love my neighborhood and living in the Central West End, especially with all of the incredible restaurants to visit nearby. I currently attend MICDS [Mary Institute and Saint Louis Country Day School] where I’ll be a Junior this upcoming fall.
Joi McClain: And I live in the Florissant neighborhood. To know my neighborhood is to love it. It’s quiet, but full of life and kindness. It is it’s own world inside St. Louis. I just graduated from Metro [Academic and Classical High School] and will be heading to Washington, D.C. to start my Bachelor’s in Computer Science at Howard University, with a minor in Spanish…possibly a double minor in Creative Writing. I’m not 100% sure yet.
Jeanette Harris-Courts: Congratulations on graduating, Joi! I sure know we’re going to miss having you around the office after you depart for college in a few weeks. Kellen, do you have any ideas where you might be going to college after this next year?
Kellen von Hoven: I definitely plan on going to college after high school, but I’m undecided as of now as to which one. I do know that when I get to college in two years, I plan on applying and participating in the ROTC or the NROTC to start my carrier in the military.
Jeanette Harris-Courts: Wow! Good for you, Kellen. We can’t wait to see what college is lucky enough to snag you. So how did you both get involved with working for Trailnet?
Joi MC: I got involved in the summer of 2016 through STL Youth Jobs. At the end of my eight-week program, Director of Programs Cindy Mense asked me to stay as a part-time employee. As a 17-year-old, the benefits were good enough for me. I’d be working at a desk, on the computer, and listening to music at work instead of flipping burgers and smiling at mouthy customers. Beyond that amazing opportunity and the flexible hours I was allowed, Trailnet gave me valuable job experiences that will prove useful for future jobs.
KVH: I’m family friends with Steve Schmidt, the Rides Manager here at Trailnet. I started as a volunteer for the Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club rides doing a variety of things – I arrive before the 7:30 a.m. registration time to help Steve set up, I work registration, I’ve ran the occasional SAG run, and I help pack up at the end of a ride day. I continue to stay involved with Trailnet because I really enjoy these rides. The people are great, it’s always a great atmosphere, it’s for a great cause, and of course, I get to talk about bikes for hours on end with other riders – which is hard to do in my everyday life since my friends don’t even know how to take the front wheel off of a bike.
JHC: I know cyclists love seeing you out at our rides, Kellen. So Joi, what do you do here at Trailnet?
Joi MC: I mostly help with data entry for our bike rides, events, and memberships. It’s mundane work, but the workplace environment here at Trailnet is amazing! Working in the office helps me realize that Trailnet is member-driven and the work I do is the lifeblood of the organization. Lately, I’ve been branching out a bit more by managing signups and registrations, tabling to help with community outreach for the new vision, and helping Steve out at more rides and events.
JHC: Speaking of our vision, what are your thoughts about our city, the vision, and do you think St. Louis has what it takes to make this type of infrastructure happen?
Joi MC: St. Louis is as ruptured as it is beautiful. We have a lot of work to do socially, politically, structurally, and economically. For better or for worse, to be a St. Louisan is to be passionate. I firmly believe no city can succeed without citizens who want to see the growth of that city. It takes work to develop a city, so without people willing to work, the city itself will not work. I do community outreach to help further Trailnet’s new vision because I truly believe in it. I love St. Louis, and I want to see it develop by way of bike and pedestrian accommodation. The changes that need to be made aren’t easy ones, and they would take all of our hard work and support; but if it means seeing my city flourish economically, living in a destination city, and making sure my friends and family feel safe and secure on the roads, however they choose to travel, I’m willing to work for it.
KVH: I couldn’t agree with Joi more. I bike everywhere – to friends houses for parties, to run errands, going on leisure rides with my dad, and I even biked to both of my jobs this summer. I love the idea of the Trailnet Vision. I feel fairly safe and comfortable riding on the street since I have some biking experience, but still, I have dealt with my fair share of accidents that had the inclusion of cars. I think people with less riding experience would feel much safer and more comfortable riding using the infrastructure that Trailnet wants to make happen. A city thrives through community, and that’s all I see with what Trailnet is doing. Biking, running, and walking are all great activities to do with family and friends so having a space for people to do so would only help the city grow. I think STL has potential and it might have a long way to go, but I believe we can get there.
Joi MC: Exactly! St. Louis has the foundation of any top city, which is residents that love their town and who want to see it prosper. All we need now is to come together, define our priorities, and make a decision to move forward as a city.
JHC: Cheers to that you guys! I couldn’t have said it better myself. When you advocates aren’t helping us make St. Louis a safer community for bikers and pedestrians, what do you do in your free time?
KVH: Other than biking I do many other activities – mostly with my family. This includes scuba diving, sailing, and skiing. When I was younger, my parents would go sailing every spring break for a week with other family friends and they’d leave my brother and I at home. Once my brother and I were old enough, they began taking us along and teaching us how to sail. I really got into manning lines and working on deck while by brother – who for some reason can’t get sea sick – works the ship from below.
Joi MC: Before anything else, I’m a poet, and language is the greatest tool I will ever wield. Accordingly I’m also interested in Spanish and programming. Whether on paper or on screen, I am a creator with the ability to make something out of nothing. To pull strings from keystrokes and epics from graphite. To take words—from English or Ruby, Spanish or JavaScript—that accomplish nothing on their own…I manipulate them to form my own world of meaning. That world may remind someone of their childhood or manage a database of employees; no two poems or projects are the same. I like to say that writing doesn’t just fuel me, but it’s my engine, ignition, and battery.
JHC: Beautiful, you two. Okay one last question: What has been your most memorable Trailnet memory so far?
KVH: My most memorable Trailnet experience was my first Bicycle Fun Club ride, the Great Pizza Ride. I was able to be there from the very beginning to the end. I got to meet a lot of new people, I rode the ride after registration, and the pizza afterwards was delicious.
Joi MC: When I first came to Trailnet, I was supremely intimidated. I didn’t say much to anybody and worked through my lunches despite being told to take breaks. The point I began to relax came on a Tuesday when everyone was in the kitchen celebrating some birthday. I was working through yet another break when I heard the employees of Trailnet making plans for happy hours while sitting on tables & making lame jokes with each other. It was tremendously humanizing. After that I started to gradually ease into the professional, but fun Trailnet atmosphere, and I’ve been comfortable with my coworkers – and now friends – ever since.
JHC: Oh Joi, we sure are going to miss having you around the office. Luckily we get to keep Kellen for a few more years, but we hope to see you around when you come back in the summers Joi. Thank you both for taking the time to meet with me and discussing your time spent at Trailnet, outside of Trailnet, and your thoughts on our vision. Our office appreciates your hard work and dedication to our mission to help make St. Louis a more commuter friendly city.
KVH: Thanks, Jeanette! Joi MC: Thanks!
Janice Branham, Trailnet Champion
Growing up in Springfield, Massachusetts, Janice Branham moved to the St. Louis region when she was in high school with her family and hasn’t left since. Now living in Manchester, she describes her street as quiet with a high population of young families living in this hilly neighborhood filled with lots of open space. Having this much open space is perfect for Janice since she enjoys spending most of her time outside, especially anything that involves a saddle or a paddle. Raising a family in the St. Louis region was great for the Branham family since they love having the ability to drive a few short minutes out from St. Louis to enter an environment that is perfect for camping, hiking, and biking.
Janice has biked since she was a kid, but her deep dive into the biking world came along after she met her husband, Barry. She slowly started by doing weekend rides and then began commuting by bike to and from her job at Oasis where Janice is the Communications Director. Oasis is a national organization based in St. Louis whose mission is to promote healthy aging through lifelong learning, active lifestyles, and volunteer opportunities around the St. Louis community. “Engaging our minds and our bodies makes us happier and healthier, and people are eager to use the wisdom and experience they have gathered throughout life in meaningful ways,” Janice expresses when asked what makes her want to wake up for work everyday. “I’m planning to retire from full-time work in the next year. While, I’m excited about having the freedom to wander around on my bicycle and [spend] more time with my grandchildren, I know that I’ll want to continue to use the skills I’ve developed along the way through volunteering or part-time work around the community.”
When Janice isn’t working or volunteering, she tries her best at being an active grandmother and wife. Three years ago, she and her husband rode the central California coast on CA-1 from Bodega Bay to Carpinteria, just south of Santa Barbara and they plan on riding Route 66 fromSt. Louis to Santa Monica next. Janice explains how she loves the independence of self-contained travel because, “You can decide where and how far to go depending on what each day presents.” When asked about the biking scene in St. Louis, Janice says there are many beautiful places to see and you get to know them a lot better on a bike seat. She also loves how biking is a natural intergenerational activity that she can enjoy along side her grandchildren. “My grandchildren have graduated from training wheels and I love seeing them push their boundaries and discover the freedom of exploring their neighborhood in a new way.”
Finding fun and beautiful places for Janice to bike with her family are important, but the most important issue to Janice is safety first. “We have to make our streets safer for walking and biking. Traffic-calming tools and protected lanes willallow more people to enjoy the health benefits and happiness of traveling by bike or on foot. And more bicycle-friendly environment will make St. Louis a more appealing place to live and work, which is good for the region,” states Janice. “We also need more public education on strategies to ride safely anywhere. Being visible and predictable, knowing when to take the lane and how to communicate with drivers – these are essential survival skills. Pulling over to let the cars pass now and then when you can do it safely helps too. I think it shows an understanding that “share the road” is a two-way street.”
As she plans to retire this year, spending more time volunteering, being a grandmother, and bicycling around our neighborhood – we hope to make Janice and other riders like her have the ability to see the vibrant neighborhoods, parks and trails, cultural and educational institutions throughout St. Louis. Janice believes just like us that, “Putting people first and making it safer for people to explore and enjoy all these resources will help us be more connected and make St. Louis a better place to live.”
Most new riders transitioning from casual group rides to long distance rides like to take their time by working toward 50, 60, or even 80 mile rides, but not Cass — she was ready to take on a century right away. She learned from Mike Weiss that Trailnet was hosting the Birthday Bridge Bash Ride, which had a 100-mile distance option the following month. Cass decided to learn more and reached out to Trailnet’s Rides Manager, Steve Schmidt. Steve encouraged Cass to tackle the century ride saying she’d have full support from our SAG van if she needed any help. Since then, Cass has completed five Trailnet rides, including the Bottleneck Bridge Ride and the 62-mile Metric at Ride the Rivers Century Ride. 
October marked the annual Fall Walk to School Days at both Froebel Literacy Academy in Dutchtown and Farragut Elementary in north city. These events welcome students, staff, and parents to celebrate the benefits of walking: bringing the community together, getting kids to school on time, and starting their day with physical activity that improves their ability to learn. All who attend are treated to orange juice and snacks, and “footie” tokens to attach to backpacks.
Students found that nearly 50% of people driving exceeded the 25 mph speed limit, and that only 25% of people driving came to a full stop at stop signs, most rolling through the stop (nearly 50%), and the remaining people driving not stopping at all. Participants in the class also learned about ways that they can advocate for their community by improving safety for people walking, especially kids walking to school.
October also brought the second annual “Bike Week” at Froebel Literacy Academy. Every student in the school got to spend their P.E. class pedaling around the playground, weaving through obstacle courses, and improving handling skills through “slow bike races” and other challenges. Von Smith, Froebel’s Family and Community Specialist, summed up the value of Bike Week: “This gives our students a special experience that many would never have had otherwise. It’s vitally important that parents learn about gems within the community. Trailnet has become an important part of the academic and social growth of our students.” Many of the students summed up their feelings about Bike Week with a straightforward question: “When are you coming back?”
Thank you to everyone who attended and supported our 2017 Gala. What an incredible night and tremendous success — a sell-out crowd of over 400 movers and shakers excited about Trailnet’s vision for connecting St. Louis through a network of protected bikeways and sidewalks. Ron and Kelly Kruszewski and Jason Hall set the tone and created even more momentum for Trailnet’s mission to connect people from where they live — whether it’s north, south, east, or west – to where they want to go.
This summer, Trailnet has been using a Planners4Health grant to assist 
Come September, we will be nine months into the 18-month Master Planning process for a network of on-street protected Bikeways. Our Master Planning process has five committees made up of 80 people from 
Overall, The 
KVH: I’m family friends with Steve Schmidt, the Rides Manager here at Trailnet. I started as a volunteer for the Trailnet Bicycle Fun Club rides doing a variety of things – I arrive before the 7:30 a.m. registration time to help Steve set up, I work registration, I’ve ran the occasional SAG run, and I help pack up at the end of a ride day. I continue to stay involved with Trailnet because I really enjoy these rides. The people are great, it’s always a great atmosphere, it’s for a great cause, and of course, I get to talk about bikes for hours on end with other riders – which is hard to do in my everyday life since my friends don’t even know how to take the front wheel off of a bike.
KVH: I couldn’t agree with Joi more. I bike everywhere – to friends houses for parties, to run errands, going on leisure rides with my dad, and I even biked to both of my jobs this summer. I love the idea of the Trailnet Vision. I feel fairly safe and comfortable riding on the street since I have some biking experience, but still, I have dealt with my fair share of accidents that had the inclusion of cars. I think people with less riding experience would feel much safer and more comfortable riding using the infrastructure that Trailnet wants to make happen. A city thrives through community, and that’s all I see with what Trailnet is doing. Biking, running, and walking are all great activities to do with family and friends so having a space for people to do so would only help the city grow. I think STL has potential and it might have a long way to go, but I believe we can get there. 
Joi MC: Before anything else, I’m a poet, and language is the greatest tool I will ever wield. Accordingly I’m also interested in Spanish and programming. Whether on paper or on screen, I am a creator with the ability to make something out of nothing. To pull strings from keystrokes and epics from graphite. To take words—from English or Ruby, Spanish or JavaScript—that accomplish nothing on their own…I manipulate them to form my own world of meaning. That world may remind someone of their childhood or manage a database of employees; no two poems or projects are the same. I like to say that writing doesn’t just fuel me, but it’s my engine, ignition, and battery.
KVH: My most memorable Trailnet experience was my first Bicycle Fun Club ride, the Great Pizza Ride. I was able to be there from the very 
Joi MC: When I first came to Trailnet, I was supremely intimidated. I didn’t say much to anybody and worked through my lunches despite being told to take breaks. The point I began to relax came on a Tuesday when everyone was in the kitchen celebrating some birthday. I was working through yet another break when I heard the employees of Trailnet making plans for happy hours while sitting on tables & making lame jokes with each other. It was tremendously humanizing. After that I started to gradually ease into the professional, but fun Trailnet atmosphere, and I’ve been comfortable with my coworkers – and now friends – ever since.
Janice has biked since she was a kid, but her deep dive into the biking world came along after she met her husband, Barry
As she plans to retire this year, spending more time volunteering, being a grandmother, and bicycling around our neighborhood – we hope to make Janice and other riders like her have the ability to see the vibrant neighborhoods, parks and trails, cultural and educational institutions throughout St. Louis. Janice believes just like us that, “Putting people first and making it safer for people to explore and enjoy all these resources will help us be more connected and make St. Louis a better place to live.”