Looking for a last minute gift this holiday season? Maybe you want to make a donation to a non-profit/organization instead of buying a physical gift? Check out this holiday gift guide put together by the Trailnet staff!
Below are a few great non-profits/organizations that our staff are highlighting this holiday season and a physical gift for anyone who loves walking, biking, or anything transportation related.
Suggestion From Taylor March – Director of Policy
Front Basket– “This basket from Wald is a practical size, is sturdy and includes supports that connect to the handlebars and down at the front axle, is almost universally compatible with bikes, is made in the United States in Maysville, KY, and can be easily upgraded with some nice bags if you desire. You’d be hard pressed to find a cheaper and better upgrade to your experience and ability to carry the things you need on your way.
Price: $25.75
Support Action St. Louis – Action St. Louis is a grassroots racial justice organization that seeks to build political power for Black communities in the St. Louis region. Action St. Louis builds campaigns that leverages organizing, communications, advocacy and direct action to mitigate harm against our community while fighting for long term transformation.
Suggestions from Matt Hartman – Rides Manager
Surly Neck Gaiter – “A Neck Gaiter is a versatile piece of clothing … Wear it around your neck to keep the warm air in and the cold air out. Pull it up over your face when there is a biting wind. The options are limited only by your imagination, plus it’s wool so you know it’s going to do the trick keeping you warm … One size fits most necks.
Price: $40
Support The Missouri Interscholastic Cycling League – Their mission is to facilitate the development of high school and middle school teams/clubs for grades 6-12 and provide the education, training, licensing, and insurance for coaches and volunteers. They also produce high-quality mountain bike events and races that emphasize the value of participation, camaraderie, positive sporting behavior, and well-being over competition.
Suggestions from Sam McCrory – Programs Coordinator
Support GirlTrek – Pioneer a health movement for African-American women and girls grounded in civil rights history and principles through walking campaigns, community leadership, and health advocacy.
Happy City – Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design – Award-winning journalist Charles Montgomery finds answers to such questions at the intersection between urban design and the emerging science of happiness, during an exhilarating journey through some of the world’s most dynamic cities.
Price: $18 (At Left Bank and Subterranean Book)
Suggestion from Kevin Hahn – Strategic Policy and Communications Specialist
Support The Center for Hearing and Speech – The Center is working to create a world where there is access to communication services for all. The Center for Hearing & Speech provides professional, friendly, and affordable services to more than 40,000 individuals annually.
Merino 150 Beanie – “The Merino 150 Beanie is a lightweight, year-round essential. Run in it, skate ski in it, put it under a helmet for a chilly morning bike commute. Clean seams for a no-bulk fit. More durable now than ever with new Merino 150 fabric”.
Price: $25
Suggestions from Gaby Berberich – Membership Manager
Bike Chain Coffee Mug – Perfect java vessel for cyclists, garage nuts, and industrial aficionados. Ceramic, 14-oz mug, only for hand wash, not for microwave use.
Price: $18.84
Support Great Rivers Environmental Law Center – Great Rivers Environmental Law Center is a nonprofit public interest environmental organization working to: promote the public health by encouraging cleaner energy, improved environmental performance by businesses, and more efficient transportation and land use, thereby achieving cleaner air and water, and improving the quality of life in the region preserve open spaces, forests, floodplains and wetlands for their recreational, aesthetic, and agricultural benefits, and their values as flood storage and habitat for migratory birds and other species; protect disadvantaged populations from an unreasonable share of the environmental burdens of modern society and aid and advise citizens and organizations in asserting and defending their interests in environmental values before administrative officials, and, as a last resort, before the courts.
Suggestion from Kevin Keach – Project and Facilities Administrator
Support St. Louis BWorks – St. Louis BWorks inspires youth to pursue their dreams, care for the world around them, and explore new possibilities through experiential learning.
Sign Up for Bike Index – A bike registration services used across the country by individuals, bike shops, and police departments that gives everyone the ability to register and recover bicycles.
Suggestions from Joe Windler – Mobility Coordinator
Crash Course: If You Want To Get Away With Murder Buy a Car – Using the comic book format, this book vehemently dispels the notion that traffic accidents are inevitable and/or acceptable on any level, insisting that drivers own their responsibility, and consider the consequences of careless and dangerous behavior. It is part thought experiment, part testimonial, and part indictment of a dysfunctional transit environment that puts convenience for drivers ahead of logic, natural resources, and even ahead of human life. Crash Course questions the decisions that shape all our lives. Why don’t roads serve everyone who needs to use them? What makes some people not worth protecting? Where do we start in fixing a broken system that facilitates the use of vehicles as murder weapons in places like Charlottesville, VA?
Price: $17 (from Left Bank and Subterranean Books)
Support City Greens Market – At City Greens Market, our mission is to: Provide access to fresh, quality, and affordable food to our neighbors, promote healthy living in our community, provide a safe and comfortable space for our neighbors to interact, support local farmers as part of our extended communit
St. Louis County Council Approves Bike Reforms
St. Louis County unanimously approved a new package of bike-friendly traffic rules that prioritize the safety of people on bikes, and other vulnerable road users.
The ordinance prioritizes people’s safety and judgement when using lanes, creates a 3-foot passing rule, spells out when people are allowed to ride side by side, creates protections for vulnerable road users, and updates rules for e-bikes.
Monday night, the St. Louis County Council approved County Bill 385, introduced by Councilwoman Kelli Dunaway, which updates the county’s rules on how people on bikes can use roads in unincorporated St. Louis County.
Our streets belong to everyone and everyone should be free to safely use them. We are confident that these policies are an important step towards safer streets.
Trailnet and other advocates worked with Dunaway and the county council to include the needs and concerns of the community. These reforms are an important step to improving safety. Future work will need to ensure similar reforms are adopted by municipalities in the county, as well as St. Louis City and the surrounding region.
These changes highlight Trailnet’s stance that a road-design changes and infrastructure improvements are still necessary to improve safety throughout the region.
The new ordinance updates the county traffic code by:
Prioritizing people’s safety and judgement
Previously, the county has a one-size-fits-none approach, requiring bike traffic to stay as far to the right as “practicable” with no exemptions. If taken by the letter of the law, this means, riding in the gutter, in the door zone or on the shoulder. People riding bikes any other way could be cited for violating traffic law.
The new rules give people on bikes more flexibility under the law to use their judgment. It lays out different exceptions that more closely matches how people actually interact safely on the road.
The reforms create a default for people on bikes to ride in the same direction as traffic and to stay to the right side of the right-most lane. However, it prioritizes people’s safety and judgement when laying out conditions where people can use the full lane, shoulder, or change lanes to:
Avoid debris or other hazards
Avoid vehicles turning in right-turn only lanes
If the road is too narrow for bikes and cars to share the same lane
Preparing to make left turns
Avoid other unsafe conditions
If people follow these rules and obey other traffic laws, they would not violate rules against impeding traffic.
3-foot Passing
It also adds a 3-foot passing law for people in cars when overtaking people on bikes. It requires people driving to:
Change lanes to pass, if there is a passing lane.
If there is no passing lane, people driving must still give the person on the bike 3 feet of space while passing.
It allows people driving to safely cross over the middle lane, even in no-passing zones, in order to give 3 feet to the person in the bike.
Riding Abreast
The legislation would also update the law to allow people on bikes to ride side by side on the street, which was prohibited under the old ordinance.
People may ride abreast if:
They don’t significantly impede other traffic
They are riding on the shoulder, bike lane, or bike path
People riding side by side must switch to riding singe file when they encounter other vehicles.
Vulnerable Road Users
The new rules also define Vulnerable Road Users including:
People walking
People using wheelchairs
People riding bikes and using scooters, skateboards, roller skates, etc.
People working on the roadway: construction workers, first responders
People walking pets
People in animal-drawn vehicles
People on mopeds or motorcycles
People driving farm equipment
The ordinance prohibits people driving in a “careless or distracted manner” if it causes injury to a vulnerable road user. This creates a penalty for distracted driving if it causes a crash, hurting a vulnerable road user.
This falls short of an overall distracted driving ban, since Missouri state law currently prevents local governments from passing their own distracted driving traffic rules. This reality prevents counties and cities from exercising local control, blocking them from addressing this dangerous behavior.
E-Bikes
This bill also extends rules governing bikes to include e-bikes and motorized bikes. The ordinance adopts the three class E-Bike system being used in 22 other states.
Moving forward
These reforms to traffic laws show an important level of political will in the County to support safety for vulnerable road usurers and people on bikes. The soon to be completed St. Louis County Action Plan for Walking and Biking is another important step to prioritize infrastructure to prioritize safety as well.
This success is important and Trailnet is committed to pursue bike-friendly policy and infrastructure in individual municipalities across the region.
Beginning in the Spring of 2020, Trailnet began working with three St. Louis communities to improve walking and biking infrastructure and policies. Trailnet partnered with the Jeff-Vander-Lou and Ville/Greater Ville neighborhoods in the City of St. Louis and the City of Clayton to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety through improved infrastructure and policy.
Trailnet has been working with residents and community partners to plan and improve upon existing conditions within each community/neighborhood. This work was funded with assistance from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS). Read more about what Trailnet is doing to improve connections to everyday destinations in each community.
Proposed crosswalk safety upgrades developed through neighborhood planning and engagement
Jeff-Vander-Lou Neighborhood
Expanding upon the work done in 2015 as a part of a Plan4Health traffic calming grant, Trailnet has been working in the Jeff-Vander-Lou (JVL) neighborhood by planning for traffic calming improvements to curb dangerous driving habits which affect safety for people walking and biking. Trailnet staff has been working with JVL community organizations and residents to 1) identify areas that are in need of traffic calming improvements and 2) brainstorm solutions that will help slow down traffic and enhance pedestrian safety. Trailnet staff met with numerous JVL residents, the neighborhood association, and a JVL alderperson to discuss solutions, timeline, and funding opportunities to make significant improvements within the neighborhood.
In preparation to work with JVL residents and organizations, Trailnet staff also created a traffic calming guide that mentions characteristics, implementation costs, and 3-D renderings of numerous traffic calming solutions that have been used across the City of St. Louis. While the guide was created to help JVL residents visualize and understand the different types of traffic calming used throughout the City, the guide will also be available to residents and organizations in other St. Louis City neighborhoods who are interested in traffic calming solutions in their neighborhood.
Ville/Greater Ville Neighborhood
In the Ville/Greater Ville neighborhood, Trailnet is working with 4theVille to help develop the engagement around a neighborhood plan for walking, biking, and transit improvements. In addition to the strategy to get residents involved in the future neighborhood plan, including a phone survey of people’s current challenges with getting to their everyday destinations.
Trailnet is also providing the neighborhood with existing conditions maps and analysis. Trailnet is looking at several factors that impact walking and biking safety, these include: speed limit, street width, average annual daily traffic, bicycle and pedestrian crashes (and their characteristics), crime that would impact how safe someone feels walking, MetroBus service and associated stops, and vacancy. Trailnet is mapping these factors to help analyze if there are any trends that impact walking and biking safety in the neighborhood that could be addressed by infrastructure or policy recommendations.
City of Clayton
The City of Clayton has committed their DHSS funding to improving pedestrian signage around Shaw Park in Downtown Clayton. The addition of the pedestrian signage will enhance pedestrian crossing safety in and out of Shaw Park.
Trailnet has also been working with the City of Clayton to improve their Complete Street Ordinance. Adopted in 2012, the Complete Streets Ordinance encourages walking, biking, and other non-motorized forms of transit, in addition to typical motorized transit for all users regardless of age or ability.
The Ordinance sets out an ultimate goal to create streets that balance the needs of all users in order to achieve maximum functionality and use.
Now Trailnet and the City of Clayton are looking to improve several facets of the Complete Streets Ordinance including standards on equity, design standards, performance measures, project exceptions, and project selection criteria.
Midland Boulevard Demonstration Project
Since 2019 Trailnet and St. Louis County have been working to develop the Action Plan for Walking and Biking, a master plan designed to improve safety, connectivity, and accessibility for people walking and biking in St. Louis County. In October 2020 Trailnet and St. Louis County completed an important step in order to receive detailed feedback on one of the numerous recommendations highlighted in the Action Plan for Walking and Biking.
With the implementation of a temporary demonstration project on Midland Boulevard St. Louis County sought to gain additional feedback on the future of walkability and bikeability through the corridor. From October 16th to 21st St. Louis County installed a temporary conventional (or striped) bike lane from Vernon Avenue to Ahern Avenue along Heman Park in University City. The project also included pedestrian enhancements to the crossing at Ahern Avenue. For more information on implementation and planning process, feedback from users, and how you can implement similar projects in your neighborhood continue below!
Why Midland Boulevard?
At the beginning of the Action Plan for Walking and Biking, St. Louis County and its project team highlighted Midland Boulevard as a corridor that needed additional insight on travel patterns and capability for additional improvements. Midland Boulevard is specicial in how numerous municipalities (University City, Vinita Park, Overland, etc.) and everyday destinations (parks, libraries, schools, etc.) lie in close proximity to the roadway. Additionally, Midland is also one of the more popular roads for biking in the area and Heman Park is a popular walking destination in the area. With all of these contributing factors, Midland Boulevard, along Heman Park, became an optimal choice to install a demonstration project.
What is a demonstration and why install one?
Demonstration projects are used as a tool for conveying proposed improvements and gathering public feedback and data by altering a roadway for a temporary period of time. These projects look to change roadway design to impact how road users behave and interact with a corridor or intersection. Collection of traffic data and community feedback during the demonstration project time period is also crucial. The data and feedback collected during this time is used to help inform any decision-making processes surrounding any future improvements made to the project area.
What were the results/findings from the demonstration project?
In an effort to gain additional information on how vehicles and road users would interact with the redesigned road space vehicle speed studies and a short survey was developed. In the vehicle speed study, the demonstration project proved successful in lowering vehicle speeds and the percentage of vehicles traveling at 5 mph or more over the speed limit. Before the demonstration project the average vehicle speed was 34.9 mph (Speed limit along Midland is 35 mph) and 10.7% of cars were traveling at a speed of 40 mph or greater. During the demonstration project’s implementation the average vehicle speed decreased to 34.1 mph and 8.9% of cars were traveling at a speed of 40 mph or greater.
The survey responses also provided feedback that supported the demonstration project. Here are some of the highlights from the survey:
12 out of 16 people surveyed disagreed or strongly disagreed that the current conditions (no demonstration project improvements) of Midland Blvd provide a safe environment for biking.
13 out of 16 people surveyed agreed or strongly agreed that Midland Boulevard with the demonstration project improvements made the road a safer and more comfortable environment for walking and biking.
16 out of 16 people surveyed support a permanent installation of the demonstration project improvements.
14 out of 16 people surveyed said they would bike more along the project area if the improvements were made permanent.
How can I do something similar in my neighborhood?
While a full-fledged demonstration project may sound daunting to install, there are ways to try out new bicycle and pedestrian improvements within a community. An important first step is to contact local community leaders, whether that be an alderperson, council member, or city staff member (preferably Public Works or Planning/Development). It’s important to talk with these people as they may have information on if the community has the capability to install demonstration projects on specific roadways.
Assembling a coalition of community members who support an initiative is an important early step to install a demonstration project. Community support is vital for any bicycle or pedestrian project and the best way to build support is bringing together residents, business owners, school officials, and other community members. These coalitions can create a plan for the demonstration project – where will it be, how long will it be up, what materials to use, how will the demonstration project alter the roadway, how will this demonstration project improve current conditions. All of these things are important to think about when developing a project plan.
If you are interested in improving safety in your community, don’t hesitate to reach out to transportation advocacy and planning groups like Trailnet. These organizations are sufficient and experienced in developing plans, talking with city officials, and providing materials for demonstration projects. Trailnet has a lending library of materials that are meant to loan out to communities looking to install demonstrations projects. More information on the lending library is available here.
Pedego E-bikes, Trailnet’s Gala, and Why You Should Buy a Raffle Ticket
Electric assist bicycles, E-Bikes, have steadily grown in popularity over the past decade and have been discussed more frequently since pandemic stay-at-home order was issued. E-bikes are equipped with a built-in electric motor that provides pedaling assistance, making it easier to cover greater distances and allowing a larger population of consumers to enjoy cycling.
Cathy O’neil, age, won her E-bike in a raffle at Trailnet’s gala, last year. O’neil says she has always enjoyed riding bicycles. Growing up in Michigan, O’neil rode her bike as a child and enjoyed many biking trips to places including Wisconsin, Cape Cod, Denmark, France’s Loire Valley, and South Dakota’s Black Hills. O’neil shares,
“The last time I was biking in Wisconsin, the rolling hills seemed more difficult, and I figured that maybe age was telling me to slow down. Now with the E-bike, I can continue to travel and bike. When we no longer need to stay at home, I plan to put my e-bike on the car and enjoy more group bike trips across the country.”
“Pedego has been ever so supportive, and I am thrilled with the bike”
Rob Cantwell, 50, attorney in St. Louis, was gifted his first E-bike from a friend E-bike enthusiast. He now owns 2 E-bikes, the Giant Explore E+ 3 mountain bike and the Specialized Turbo S road bike. Rob easily rides his E-bike 5.8 miles to work and back everyday and often takes his nearly 4-year-old daughter on bike rides using his bike trailer attachment. His Specialized Turbo S E-bike reaches maximum speeds of 28 mph making long bike rides with his daughter a breeze.
In the St. Louis area, Bill and Carla Sauerwein own Pedego ST. Louis and are the experts on all things E-bike. When asked about how their sales were impacted during stay-at-home orders, Bill states that sales have increased but that could be due to several factors,
“As with all things in life, it is never just one thing. Covid has definitely contributed to an increase in sales as people work from home and search for ways to remain fit. But we expected some increase in sales due to seeds we planted last year by doing events and exposing hundreds of people to our technology. Likewise, people are not traveling this summer, so they search for activities to do around home outside. This helped sales also. And covid has also renewed people’s love of cycling. It has been, throughout this pandemic, the activity of choice for fitness enthusiasts, parents home with their children, the work from home crowd, and retired or homebound active people who want to increase or simply maintain their quality of life. Our sales of bikes have just about tripled from last year and we are sold out of popular accessories like panniers and bike carriers. “
E-bikes and related outdoor activities have grown tremendously in popularity since the pandemic started in early spring and stay-at-home orders were issued. The use of the pedal assist allows those who enjoy biking to go farther, longer and make more memories. O’neil shares,
Traditional bikes and E-bikes have many similarities, including multiple gears. Additionally, E-bikes have multiple levels of electrical assistance, generally four or five, so the rider may choose how assistance the bike provides. The ability to ride longer and farther with the assist is a popular selling point for first time buyers.
“Right now, most of my riding is trails. I love Creve Coeur Lake Park, and now I can zoom up those overpasses with the e-bike. Madison County has miles of trails, and I bike longer because I know that if I tire, I can use the power assist to get back to my car. Recently two deer crossed the trail, not far in front of me. One was a young buck with velvet antlers, and as I watched, other bikers stopped behind me, to enjoy the moment. It’s one of many good memories that I’m gathering from this new bike.”
George Napier, 30, employee of Clayton Parks and Recreation and avid environmentalist, enjoys riding his e-bike off road on family vacations.
“For a long time, I thought that E-bikes were a “cheat”- that they made riding a bike too easy but that was before I tried it. The pedal assist can be a game-changer when you are biking off-road trails with strenuous climbs.”
When asked about his experience with folks believing E-bikes to be “cheating”, Bill had this to say,
“The “cheating” line of thinking about E-bikes is now considered old school and narrow minded. I am quite sure you had a cup of coffee before beginning your work today – is that considered cheating because you were able to clear the cobwebs from your head? Is a rode cyclist cheating when he buys a carbon frame, or puts $1,000 worth of better components on his bike? Every person young or old, fir or not fit, has right to ride a bike. My wife and I are on our bikes all day and evening and use our cars infrequently. We run short errands on our bikes, commute to work, grocery shop, run to Target and Walgreen’s and the market in Kirkwood. Most cyclists ride their bike for an hour or two then put the bike away and get in their cars to live the rest of the lives. So, who is cheating? We have customers who have sold their car to buy an E-bike. Our technology also allows people who love cycling but have given up on riding (perhaps because they have a health condition) to ride again and live happy pleasurable, lives outside in the fresh air. Our customers remark often that their Pedego was “life-changing” and they have regained their health. With E-bike technology, you can remain mobile and independent.”
Pedego makes a complete line of 18 electric bikes so that you can easily find a perfect fit for your individual needs and personal style. E-bikes do tend to be heavier than regular bikes, due to the battery which adds much of the additional weight. An average non-electric road bike weighs 20-25 pounds, but most E-bikes weigh 45 to 75. E-bike also have wider tires. The tire on a traditional road bike tends to be less than 1 inch wide, but tires on an E-bike generally run 1½ to 2½ inches for road bikes, 3-4 inches for mountain bikes.
Pedego is committed to quality and offers 5-year warranty on all bikes. O’neil has owned her E-bike for a year and says,
“I’m enjoying my new E-bike, though there is a learning curve. This bike is two to three times heavier than my hybrid, and cornering is much different.The Pedego store people have been really generous with their time and tips, to get me up and riding comfortably.”
At Bill and Carla’s store, you can find all 18 Pedego electric bikes and accessories. Bill says,
“We sell only one brand, Pedego – the #1 brand in America. Prices range from about $2,000 to about $4,500. Most of our customers purchase because the bike is high quality, offered at a great price, and designed and built in America – but also because our bikes come with a 5 year industry leading warranty (far above any competitors’ warranty) and because our dealership is part of the community. They know we are 110% committed to service and making their biking experience a great one. Online bike manufacturers cannot make this guaranty.”
Some of the typical questions asked at St. Louis Pedego….
Probably the most-asked question is: “How far will the battery take me on a charge?” When I tell them our 48V 15A battery will take them up to 60 miles on a single charge, they are quite excited! The second most-asked question is: “Will the bike allow me to get exercise?” the answer is always, Yes! You can get as much exercise as you want with our pedal-assist software. Likewise, our technology allows you to ride farther and more often than you would on a traditional bike. Many of our customers were avid cyclists who stopped riding because of the hills near their home. With our technology, there is no more “hill anxiety” and the fear of returning from a long ride only to climb the hill to your home has disappeared.
The gaining popularity of E-bikes could bring about significant health improvements to bike enthusiasts and to those who were previously sedentary. Researchers in a 2016 University of Colorado study observed improvements in aerobic capacity and blood sugar regulation of those who had a generally sedentary lifestyle. Those who are considering using E-bikes for commuting can breathe easy knowing that riding an E-bike may be faster than traditional urban public transportation and would allow you to arrive less sweaty than riding a traditional bicycle to work. Reducing your carbon footprint has never been easier since E-bike batteries can fit in your bag and do not require a special charging station.
E-bikes are here to stay and there are several reasons why. Meaningful exercise can be achieved for many, including those with physical limitations and older age. Trailnet will be raffling another Pedego E-bike at the 2020 Trailnet gala.
We met up with Clint Mohs, a repeat participant in our 2020 scavenger hunts and community rides to ask him a few questions and see just what makes him such a radi-cool supporter of biking in STL.
How long have you been riding a bike in STL? I grew up here, moved around a bunch, and did a ton of riding all over where I was living, then moved back here when my daughter was born. So, I’ve been riding pretty consistently for the last four years around the city.
What got you into biking? Exercising and exploring. In highschool I played sports, but in college I stopped. I also didn’t have a car, so I got a bike to get around town and tapped back into that childhood sense of exploring and self-reliance, and all that stuff.
What kind of riding do you do? I use it mainly for exercise. With my family, we’ll ride to the park, the zoo, the store. I got a new job recently and my plan was to start commuting this summer now that I was close enough to do so, but then the CoronaVirus happened as my daughter was getting ready to be out of school. Priorities shifted to taking care of my daughter, working from home, etc.
How’d you get into doing Trailnet scavenger hunts? I found out after signing up for the Trailnet Classics. As these were getting cancelled, I went back on the website and found out about the scavenger hunts as an alternative and thought, “these seem pretty cool.” They’re up my alley with the whole exploring thing, learning new things, learning new routes. I started off with the Bike Month Challenge and had a blast – so much fun.
How has COVID changed the way you bike? I’m riding a lot more because I don’t have the rush to get everyone out of the house; I don’t have the long commute. Been waking up early and riding a lot in the mornings. Also doing so many of the scavenger hunts and learning new routes, or, piecing together new things – keeping it fresh. I knew point A and point B existed, but didn’t have a way to connect them or didn’t think about connecting them until recently.
Why are you such a radi-cool supporter of biking and Trailnet? First off, radi-cool is way cooler than I am – just getting that out there. One of the things that I struggled with coming back to STL was having lived and travelled around other more bike friendly places. I witnessed more openness to having bikes on the roads, which wasn’t my previous experience. Coming back to STL, it seems like a natural thing for me to want to support – people being on bikes in the city. There isn’t the same population density as most other big cities, we have a ton of sprawl, but if you live within the city you can get anywhere you need on a bike pretty easily. So, for me it’s super easy to want to get behind something like this, and it also makes me happy to see people on trails and on the roads.
Three big reasons you love biking?
Exploring.
Being outside. Riding the same routes over and over, you get a sense of place in seeing it change from day to day, week to week, month to month.
Just feels good. I don’t know… I just like it. It’s fun.
Missouri 2020 Primary Voter Guide
Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020
St. Louis County Executive & Missouri Senate District 5
Transportation policy and funding impact numerous aspects of life in the St. Louis Region. This voter guide is Trailnet’s effort to educate voters on candidate’s positions on transportation issues in two races St. Louis County Executive and Missouri Senate District 5.
Trailnet is a 501(c)(3) charity and does not participate or intervene in any political campaign on the behalf of any candidate for public office, but is permitted to engage in voter education and get-out-the-vote efforts.
News Release: Juneteenth community tour highlights music, history
Juneteenth community tour highlights music, history
ST. LOUIS – Trailnet and 4theVille are hosting a community bike ride and walking tour to celebrate Juneteenth and African American Music Appreciation Month. From June 20 through June 30, the self-guided tour takes participants through Downtown, Midtown and The Ville to explore historically significant sites.
The 2020 Juneteenth Celebration Community Ride, marks the third year of this partnership between Trailnet, 4theVille, and Missouri Historical Society. This year’s event focuses on the past and present of St. Louis’ rich history of African American musicians shaping our national sound. The self-guided tour also features recordings of local musicians paying tribute to the city’s continuing music traditions.
“4theVille is committed to the celebration of local black history through multi-disciplinary arts and tourism. We look forward to our annual Juneteenth partnership with Trailnet and Missouri Historical Society when we explore different elements of the continued black liberation struggle. This year, we are especially proud to support local African American musicians with our story about the St. Louis origins of black music,” Aaron Williams with 4theVille said.
“Trailnet’s community rides are designed to elevate the voices of our community partners and help tell the stories they want to share. We’re grateful to help 4theVille and Missouri Historical Society share these stories of Black creators and their legacy,” Cindy Mense, Trailnet’s CEO said.
Tour Platform
Originally created as a group bike ride, the event was changed to a self-guided tour to allow for social distancing. The event uses a GPS-based scavenger hunt smart-phone app to direct participants to each site, where they’ll be able to listen to original performances by local musicians, learn about Black creators’ history in our region all while biking or walking.
Participants can begin the tour at any of the stops and can complete the tour in any order, with suggested routes taking people on slower, low traffic streets.The app also allows participants to complete the tour at their own pace and over the course of several days.
Partner musicians and organizations
Local musicians were commissioned to record performances for the tour. These musicians include: Scooter Brown, Tre G, Tish Haynes Keys, DJ Nico Marie, Royce Martin, and Wil Robinson.
The 2020 Juneteenth Celebration Community Ride is sponsored by The Missouri Humanities Council. It was made possible through partnership with 4theVille, Missouri Historical Society, GirlTrek, Northside Community Housing, Black Girls Do Bike, and St. Louis Public Radio.
Details
DATE: Saturday, June 20 – Tuesday, June 30
TIME: The tour and app is available throughout the dates
LOCATION: St. Louis City: including Downtown, Midtown, and The Ville
COST: $10, free for Trailnet members
DISTANCE: Approximately 12-14 miles total by bike, with an individual’s flexibility to do less
Trailnet is the St. Louis Region’s nonprofit walking, biking and public transit advocacy organization. For more than thirty years, Trailnet has been working within the St. Louis region and across the state to respond to the demand for improved walking and biking networks that attract and retain talent, strengthen our economy, and connect people to the places they love.
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Key transportation reforms in national INVEST act
Proposed legislation in Congress has the potential to transform transportation funding and improve communities’ ability to prioritize walking, biking and public transit. Trailnet joined with Transportation for America and The League of American Bicyclists to support these vital reforms in the INVEST ACT.
We will keep you up to date on ways to help and how to add your voice as this bill advances.
Our letter of support to the leaders of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee details why this legislation is so important:
Trailnet is writing to express our support for the INVEST Act introduced to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure last week. We believe this bill includes many key updates to our country’s outdated transportation policy, and takes many big steps towards aligning our federal funding with the outcomes Americans value. We are proud to support this bill and thank you for your work developing it, and urge you to keep advancing these reforms as the legislation proceeds. This bill is a vital improvement because of targeted changes to improve biking and walking as well as the systematic changes throughout, including:
Transportation Alternatives Program – Increases funds for this program (TAP) impacting the communities we serve. This program provides the bulk of the funding for walking and biking projects in our community and state. We hear from both urban and rural communities that there are not enough funds in this program to fill current needs. This legislation creates more local control and flexibility for local governments to fund these projects while still safeguarding them for appropriate bike, walk and transit projects.
Inclusive public process – Prioritizes equity and environmental justice for all grant programs.
Safety – Requires all states to do a vulnerable user assessment. For states with above average vulnerable road user fatalities and serious injuries, states will be required to spend on bicycle and pedestrian safety.
Complete Streets – Requires US DOT to write model complete streets policies and procedures to be used when building roads with federal dollars, this will help to ensure that when federal dollars are spent, the needs of all users are addressed – not just the individuals within a community that own a car.
Connection to jobs and services – Creates new ways of measuring and ensuring our system connects people to their destinations- especially non-car owning families and residents.
Climate – Includes new programs for states and communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. States who don’t reduce GHG emissions from transportation will be penalized by requiring them to spend additional funds to reduce GHG.
Trailnet is the St. Louis Region’s nonprofit walking, biking and public transit advocacy organization. We believe everyone should have access to safe low-stress walking and biking connections where we live, work, and play in our communities. For more than thirty years, Trailnet has been working within the St. Louis region and across the state to respond to the demand for improved walking and biking networks that attract and retain talent, strengthen our economy, and connect people to the places they love.
Grant’s Trail, a look back
Great Rivers Greenway is weeks away from completing an extension of Grant’s Trail linking it to the River Des Peres Greenway. The completion of this important connection is a chance to look back at Trailnet’s history with this fixture of St. Louis biking and walking.
Over the years Trailnet members have supported the core mission that led to Grant’s Trail and our work to advance biking and walking access and connections throughout the community.
This vital space for safe biking and walking was made possible by the dedicated work and efforts of Trailnet members, volunteers, and supporters over the years.
From the initial purchase, to its role in the lives of thousands of visitors every year, here’s a brief history of Grant’s Trail.
Rails-to-Trails
In 1992, Trailnet purchased a 6.2 mile stretch of the Union Pacific Railroad, to convert it to a multi-use trail. This 100-foot wide corridor of land stretched from Hoffmeister Avenue in South St. Louis County near I-55 to Pardee Road in Crestwood.
This was part of a nation-wide rails-to-trails movement to convert disused railway lines into trails for biking and walking.
All the way to the supreme court
In 1993 – as plans for the trail developed – the municipality, Grantwood Village sued to stop the construction, claiming the original land transfer to the railroad was improper. This case advanced to a Federal appeals court that ruled in Trailnet’s favor. Grantwood Village then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court which rejected the challenge, maintaining the lower court’s ruling paving the way for construction to begin.
Construction
Paving and landscaping on the trail began in 1994 with a $500,000 federal grant.
In 1997, the first four miles were completed with funding from the federal government and St. Louis County between Orlando Gardens to Tesshire Road. That same year, Trailnet entered into a 99 year lease with St. Louis County, for the county to operate the trail under the parks department.
In 2000, Trailnet purchased an additional 2 miles of former rail line from Tesshire Road to Pardee Road. St. Louis County then paved the new stretch with a combination of county and federal funding.
Prop C and Great Rivers Greenway
In 2000, Trailnet and other advocates successfully pushed for a ballot initiative creating a one-tenth-of-one-cent sales tax to finance the construction of greenway trails in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. This became Great Rivers Greenway, a public agency tasked with the planning and execution of a network of greenways connecting the region.
With the creation of a GRG and a steady stream of public funding dedicated to building greenways, Trailnet’s work shifted from building trails to focus on advocacy, education, community planning and engagement as a way to improve biking and walking in the region.
In 2006, Great Rivers Greenway completed a 2 mile extension on the western end of Gravois Greenway: Grant’s Trail across I-44, bringing it to a new trailhead at S. Holmes St. and Leffingwell Ave. in Kirkwood.”
Grant’s history and legacy
Grant’s Trail passes by Ulysses S. Grant National Historic Site and his home White Haven, and the trail crosses land owned by Grant. Grant, served as a U.S. president and commanding general of the union army during the Civil War.
At a time when America and the St. Louis region are grappling with the effects of racism and slavery, Grant’s legacy and the history of this property is important to note.
Reviewing the history of Grant’s Trail, it is important to acknowledge both Grant’s role fighting the confederacy and supporting formerly enslaved people, as wells as his own profiting from slavery and his actions harming Native Americans. These factors need to be acknowledged, understood, and held in tension with each other.
Future of Grant’s Trail
Today, Grant’s Trail is a vital space for people to safely walk, bike, roll. It has showcased the desire for safe, car-free spaces and has been a model for much of the growth in trails and greenways across the region.
The final bridge linking Grant’s Trail and the River Des Peres Greenway is weeks away from completion. This will undoubtedly bring more people, connect more neighborhoods, and show the importance of connected, healthy, and sustainable mobility throughout the region.
As an organization we are proud of the hand we played in the creation of Grant’s Trail. We are grateful for the dedicated support of our members and volunteers who helped see it through and appreciate the work of our partners to advance it to its place in the community today.
Most of all, we are thankful for the people who use it every day.
