With funding from the Norman J. Stupp Foundation, Trailnet partnered with the Dutchtown South Community Corporation for the Dutchtown Better Block on Saturday, September 20. Beautiful blue skies and sunshine welcomed residents of all ages to join a variety of vendors on historic Virginia Avenue.
Up and down the avenue, closed to traffic, residents witnessed a transformation of their neighborhood. The atmosphere was a-buzz with the chatter of residents. Laughing and smiling, residents enjoyed the festive activities, delicious food, and being part of the positive change in their community. With the help of volunteers, Trailnet created a pop-up Calm Street with mock curb extensions, painted crosswalks, and “Sheryl’s” – a female version of sharrows. Eco Constructors donated 240 feet of erosion control material to create the curb extensions.
Tabling on a curb extension that represented what could be a rain garden, Trailnet’s Jennifer Allen discussed our Calm Streets project with residents. Calm Streets are residential streets transformed to reduce speeding and provide safety for everyone traveling there. Presenting a map of the region, Jennifer encouraged residents to map their dream Calm Street – marking their routes and destinations. We were able to connect with residents of all ages and backgrounds in this vibrant community.
Grabbing a paintbrush and a cup of bright green, blue, yellow, or red paint, residents pitched in to help local artist Cbabi Bayoc with an intersection painting at Virginia Avenue and Liberty Street. Another artistic element at the event was a colorful mural at Itaska and Virginia painted by Screwed Arts Collective. Attendees enjoyed the Photo booth Kiosk in front of the mural and resident Andrea Fortson expressed her thanks “The mural is beautiful and it definitely brightens our neighborhood.” For those seeking a creative outlet, the t-shirt design for Dutchtown and graffiti wall with doodles and words of inspiration were of interest. Many attendees also checked out Urban Matter, a unique shop on Virginia Avenue that sells new, old, and handmade items.
Mouth-watering smells enticed residents to check out local vendors Five Ace BBQ, Gooseberries, Mi Hungry Food truck, St. Louis Kettle Corn, Pie Craft, Original Crusoes Drink Bar, and AAA Thai and European. Pop-up shops, like the Little Red Reading House, were a huge hit. The shop included a book box where attendees could rent a book and give a book back.
The Chess Pocket Park offered up some fun competition between residents of all ages. Children were thrilled to show off their animal, hat, or sword balloons. A few residents added another touch of color planting flower beds all along Virginia Avenue.
As dusk approached, residents turned the lawn into a dance floor, grooving to the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. Continuing the good vibes, poets took to the stage for spoken word. Children crowded close with their balloons to sit at the poets’ feet. The sun set and attendees unfolded their blankets and brought out their lawn chairs for a family-friendly movie and a pleasant end to a wonderful community event.
Trailnet has always known that Dutchtown is special. Its residents and elected officials have always had a deep love for their neighborhood and have been devoted to its constant improvement. It was wonderful to be part of an event that was such a powerful representation of true community.
Gender equity, biking, and walking – a successful Arch Women event!
Despite the stormy weather, 37 people came out to learn about gender equity, biking, and walking. Atomic Cowboy created a warm and inviting space for us, with snacks and beer abound to offer reprieve from the chilly rain.
Trailnet’s TravelGreen Coordinator Molly Pearson opened the evening by discussing findings by the League of American Bicyclists’ Women Bike initiative, focusing on the Five Cs – Comfort, Convenience, Consumer Products, Confidence, and Community.
Urban designer Courtney Cushard discussed her expanding women’s group The Monthly Cycle. Faye Paige Edwards of GirlTrek addressed access to physical activity among women of color. Lastly, educator Leah Patriarco examined how street harassment affects if/how/when women choose to bike, walk, or take public transit.
Check out the slides below! Want to know more, or be put in touch with one of the presenters? Email Molly Pearson at molly@trailnet.org.
In the meantime, if you’re looking for a FUN women’s cycling event, check out The Diva Cup, hosted by The Monthly Cycle. Get your ticket now!
THANK YOU to all who came out for Arch Women: A Pedal-Powered Movement! Stay tuned for more to come.
Improving the Pedestrian Experience Workshop
Trailnet brought speakers from across the Midwest to participate in Streets for Everyone: Improving the Pedestrian Experience. The workshop, funded by the Laclede Group Foundation, was attended by sixty-five local professionals, including transportation planners, elected officials, academics, and public works employees. Discussions focused on how to design and build walkable communities and attempt to integrate a pedestrian perspective to help create a more walkable St. Louis. There is heightened concern for pedestrian safety in St. Louis because of recent statistics reflecting risks to pedestrians in the City: between 2006-2010, the City of St. Louis reported 1,800 pedestrian‐related motor vehicle crashes. These numbers have put St. Louis on the Federal Highway Adminstration’s list of Focus Cities, which identifies cities with the highest rates of pedestrian fatalities and severe crashes. The City of St. Louis, the Federal Highway Administration, the Missouri Department of Transportation, and other partners have drafted a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) to help guide the region on how to reduce pedestrian related crashes in the City.
Where do we go from here?
Trailnet is excited to begin this dialogue around making the City attractive and safe for pedestrians and we hope that you will join us in this campaign. Working with local and regional partners, Trailnet will host a Walk Summit in 2015. The Walk Summit will serve as a call to action for community members, activists and organizers, elected officials, engineers, and transportation professionals to integrate the pedestrian perspective into their work and call for safe solutions to roadways that rank most dangerous for walkers. Adopting the PSAP will be an important first step in creating more pedestrian friendly roads in St. Louis.
How you can help
Be part of the effort to create a more walkable St. Louis by collecting data on pedestrian activity. Stand up and count as a volunteer at the 3rd Annual Bicycle and Pedestrian Counts next week.
Trail Through Time Community Ride Recap
Forty-five cyclists and walkers participated in the April 26, 2014 “Trail Through Time Bicycle and Walking Tour of Father Dickson Cemetery.” The walk and ride began at the U.S. Grant National Historic Site on Grant’s Trail. Twenty-five cyclists headed north on the trail to the Oak Bend Branch of St. Louis County Library, where participants could view a display about Father Dickson’s Cemetery and also engage in an activity centered on learning more about your family history.
Twenty walkers, lead by GirlTrek National Field Director Faye Paige Edwards, walked the two-mile stretch from the U.S. Grant Site to Father Dickson’s Cemetery. The cyclists and walkers met at the cemetery at 11:00 a.m. for a rousing performance by the Community Gospel Choir. Participants sang along and clapped with the choir and were greeted personally by the singers who circulated through the crowd at the end of the performance, shaking hands.
Following the gospel performance, the focus shifted to Father Dickson’s Cemetery, a historic black cemetery that has been painstakingly restored by a group of dedicated volunteers. Ernest Jordan, President of the Friends of Father Dickson’s, was on hand to answer questions, and a number of volunteers lead walking tours through the cemetery. Participants were also invited to walk through the adjacent Sappington House Museum free of charge, and The Barn Restaurant offered a 10% discount for event participants. Approximately half of the participants enjoyed lunch and desserts at the restaurant.
Feedback from the event was overwhelmingly positive. Some of the cyclists were new to Grant’s Trail and commented on how pleasant their riding experience was. Many of the event participants were happy to learn more about local history and to be exposed to sites that were new to them. As one cyclist remarked, “I love these community rides – you don’t just ride, you visit cool places that you didn’t even know existed.” GirlTrek’s leader sent the following e-mail after the walk: “My Trekkers loved the event.” Matt LaBerta (of LaBerta and Son’s Cycles) provided sag support for the cyclists and summed up the enthusiasm for the event in his e-mail “the gospel group…gave me goose bumps. We were having such a good time that we didn’t even make it back to open the shop.”
Its spring! With the warmer weather, it time for everyone to get outside. If you have kids, be sure to urge them to bike and walk to school. Take the time to walk or bike with them, or encourage them to tag along with neighbors and trusted friends. If you don’t have children, remember to be extra-vigilant and watch out for kids who are walking and biking more frequently in your neighborhood.
To help kick off the “walk and bike to school” season, Trailnet will be working with various schools throughout the region to promote Family Walk to School Days. With three events already past us this Spring, we are looking forward to the next three.
If you would like to volunteer at one of our schools, contact Ginny McDonald atginny@trailnet.org.
What should I teach my child about pedestrian safety? Where can I find the best resources?
It’s important for parents to take the time to teach their children pedestrian safety. What they should be taught depends upon their age and maturity level. Every child is different, but developmentally, it can be hard for kids to judge speed and distance of cars until age 10.
The most basic pedestrian rules for kids are:
always walk on sidewalks or paths (facing traffic if possible)
cross the street only at crosswalks
understand walk signals and how to operate them
never run out into a street (even after a toy or pet) without looking both ways
understand the need to be seen by cars; wear white or other light colors when out past dusk
Trailnet works with a number of local schools teaching pedestrian and bike safety. If you are interested in having a program in your school, contact Taylor March at taylor@trailnet.org.
Not many kids at my child’s school walk or bike to school. What can I do to help increase those numbers?
Trailnet offers free workshops detailing how to increase walking and biking in your school or organization. Contact Taylor March at taylor@trailnet.org for information.
There are several things you can do to help increase the number of kids walking and biking to your neighborhood school.
Talk to the principal about what the school policy is for kids walking and biking to school. Some school districts discourage children from biking and walking to school. Find out what the principal thinks and be sure to have him or her on board before proceeding.
Take the idea to the PTO, it’s always better to have support from a larger group. There may already be other people addressing the issue.
Understand the barriers that keep neighborhood kids from walking and biking. It’s always best to understand the barriers kids and parents face before beginning to encourage walking and biking.
Work with parents, community officials, neighborhood organizations and school staff to remove the barriers.
Plan fun activities that encourage kids and parents to walk and bike to school. Potential activities can range from simple encouragement, in-class announcements, letters home, contests between classes, and Family Walk to School Days.
How do I set up a Walk to School Day at my school?
Trailnet has experienced staff to help you organize and produce a Walk to School day at your school. If you would like Trailnet’s assistance, contact Taylor March at taylor@trailnet.org.
If you want to organize your own Walk To School Day, there are a lot of different options. It can be as simple as sending home a flyer asking parents to walk their kids to school on a specific day or as involved as turning it into an event with prizes and snacks.
Streets for Everyone Brochure
St. Louis is ready for low-stress bicycle and pedestrian connections. Low-stress connections, as seen below, provide safe, comfortable, and convenient walking and biking routes to popular destinations. Many cities in the U.S. are using low-stress connections because they spur economic development and attract high numbers of bicyclists and pedestrians. It’s time for St. Louis to build low-stress connections and enjoy all of the benefits.
If you would like a print copy of the brochure featured below, stop by Trailnet’s office or look for one at our events.
With funding from the Norman J. Stupp Foundation, Trailnet partnered with the Dutchtown South Community Corporation for the Dutchtown Better Block on Saturday, September 20. Beautiful blue skies and sunshine welcomed residents of all ages to join a variety of vendors on historic Virginia Avenue.
Up and down the avenue, closed to traffic, residents witnessed a transformation of their neighborhood. The atmosphere was a-buzz with the chatter of residents. Laughing and smiling, residents enjoyed the festive activities, delicious food, and being part of the positive change in their community. With the help of volunteers, Trailnet created a pop-up Calm Street with mock curb extensions, painted crosswalks, and “Sheryl’s” – a female version of sharrows. Eco Constructors donated 240 feet of erosion control material to create the curb extensions.
Tabling on a curb extension that represented what could be a rain garden, Trailnet’s Jennifer Allen discussed our Calm Streets project with residents. Calm Streets are residential streets transformed to reduce speeding and provide safety for everyone traveling there. Presenting a map of the region, Jennifer encouraged residents to map their dream Calm Street – marking their routes and destinations. We were able to connect with residents of all ages and backgrounds in this vibrant community.
As you may have heard, Trailnet was one of 12 organizations awarded an Environmental Justice Collaborative Problem-Solving Cooperative Agreement by the Environmental Protection Agency. This award will allow us to continue our Calm Streets St. Louis project and work with Dutchtown, one of three opportunity areas on which the project is focused.
Grabbing a paintbrush and a cup of bright green, blue, yellow, or red paint, residents pitched in to help local artist Cbabi Bayoc with an intersection painting at Virginia Avenue and Liberty Street. Another artistic element at the event was a colorful mural at Itaska and Virginia painted by Screwed Arts Collective. Attendees enjoyed the Photo booth Kiosk in front of the mural and resident Andrea Fortson expressed her thanks “The mural is beautiful and it definitely brightens our neighborhood.” For those seeking a creative outlet, the t-shirt design for Dutchtown and graffiti wall with doodles and words of inspiration were of interest. Many attendees also checked out Urban Matter, a unique shop on Virginia Avenue that sells new, old, and handmade items.
Mouth-watering smells enticed residents to check out local vendors Five Ace BBQ, Gooseberries, Mi Hungry Food truck, St. Louis Kettle Corn, Pie Craft, Original Crusoes Drink Bar, and AAA Thai and European. Pop-up shops, like the Little Red Reading House, were a huge hit. The shop included a book box where attendees could rent a book and give a book back.
As dusk approached, residents turned the lawn into a dance floor, grooving to the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle. Continuing the good vibes, poets took to the stage for spoken word. Children crowded close with their balloons to sit at the poets’ feet. The sun set and attendees unfolded their blankets and brought out their lawn chairs for a family-friendly movie and a pleasant end to a wonderful community event.
