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2023 Walk/Bike Counts

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CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!

We need volunteers who can commit to counting bicyclists and pedestrians at designated locations from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 19th and/or Sept. 20th. 

98 total time slots need to be filled at 49 locations across St. Louis! Chances are, one of these locations is near your work, home or school. Check the map below, and sign up to help us out! 

Map of Locations: bit.ly/counts-map-23 

Signup Here: bit.ly/counts-signup-23 

This initiative provides meaningful data to show changes in bicycling and pedestrian activity. Documenting these changes is essential to shaping infrastructure projects that make the St. Louis region more livable for all. 

Questions? Contact sam@trailnet.org 

The Street Project Screening + Panel

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In the heart of National Bike Month, Trailnet is hosting our second FREE public screening of The Street Project—an inspiring documentary about the global, citizen-led fight to make our streets safer.


This event will take place at the SLPL Central Library Downtown from 6-8 pm on Wednesday, May 10.

We will air the full 52-minute documentary followed by a panel on the state of our streets in the St. Louis region. More details to come. Pre-register today: https://runsignup.com/TicketEvent/TheStreetProject

2023 Gateway Outdoor Expo

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With more than 200 exhibit booths and 10,000 attendees expected at this FREE two-day event, the Gateway Outdoor Expo is the premier consumer show and cultural gathering for the St. Louis outdoor community.
The Expo will highlight activities such as running, biking, hiking, camping, rock climbing, and paddling, as well as adventure travel, health and wellness, and more.
The 2023 Expo will also be the official packet pickup location for the 2023 GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. This means all GO! St. Louis marathoners, half marathoners, 10K runners, and marathon relay teams will visit the Expo to get their required race materials. The races are scheduled to take place on Saturday and Sunday, April 1 and 2, in downtown St. Louis.
To visit the Trailnet table, enter into our special weekend giveaway, or pick up your NEW 2023 Trailnet Member T-Shirt, take the pedestrian path at Magnolia and Thurman Ave South to Northeast Dr. We’ll be one of the first tents on the left!

Happy Trails, Taylor March!

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From intern to Programs Director, Taylor March left a lasting impact on Trailnet and the St. Louis region. Now, he is taking his talents to the state level, advocating for better walking and biking across Missouri as the new Executive Director of Missourians for Responsible Transportation.

For eight years, Taylor was the smiling face of Trailnet. It’s only right that we reflect on the legacy he leaves behind—a legacy of kindness, knowledge, professionalism and passion.


Taylor’s Journey

Taylor March leads a youth fix-a-flat course for Trailnet

Taylor first joined Trailnet as an intern in the winter of 2010, while he was studying environmental engineering at Murray State University. He had worked as a bike mechanic since high school and was an avid environmentalist.

Though he didn’t know it then, Taylor’s passion for Trailnet’s mission (and his handiness with an Allen wrench) would serve the organization for years down the line.

Five years after his internship, having worked for several years as a solar engineer in between, Taylor returned to Trailnet on February 24, 2015 as our Youth Programs Specialist.

In his first full-time role, he led Trailnet’s bike education programs and designed our curriculum for smart cycling. He also worked on a number of Safe Routes to School projects, including one with Froebel Literacy Academy in south city. Taylor worked with Froebel through eight years and a handful of title changes at Trailnet.

“Working with Froebel and seeing that relationship develop and change throughout the years was so satisfying,” said Taylor. “From the walking school bus, to the installation of speed humps on Nebraska Ave., to the Calm Street now under construction on nearby Louisiana Ave… It was really cool to see the community buy in.”


Advocating for Change

Midway through his tenure with Trailnet, Taylor shifted his focus to the advocacy and policy spaces. As a long-time bike commuter, he was a natural advocate for safe, alternative transportation. As a leading expert in bike/ped best practices, he influenced change-makers across the state. And as an exemplary colleague, he fostered relationships that would blossom into our strongest partnerships today. To name a few…

  • Taylor co-created the annual Juneteenth Community Ride with our partners at 4theVille and grew the ride into a collaboration between the Missouri History Museum, Northside Community Housing and other aligned partners. The event draws over 200 riders each June and celebrates Black music, art, culture and history.
  • Taylor was part of the team that developed Trailnet’s Connecting St. Louis Plan in 2019, which is now 50% funded for construction by partners like GRG and the City of St. Louis.
  • Taylor spearheaded our state-wide advocacy efforts. In collaboration with BikeWalkKC, Local Motion in Columbia, and Ozark Greenways, he helped create Missourians for Responsible Transportation and Hands-Free Missouri.

The Work Continues

Now, Taylor is off to lead the statewide partnership that he once helped to create. Trailnet looks forward to many more years of collaboration with Taylor and his team at MRT.

“Trailnet will miss him and his careful and precise explanations of the transportation system we are trying to change, his help changing a flat, and his ability to always find time to listen,” said Trailnet CEO Cindy Mense.

For your years of dedication—Thank you, Taylor! Let’s continue to work together to make Missouri better for people outside of cars.

Trailnet’s Weekly Roundup

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Every Friday, Trailnet is now going to provide a round-up of relevant news in multimodal transportation. For our kick-off recap, the following are our top picks, since January 1st.

CityLab posed the question: Can dockless bikeshare pump up cycling diversity? “One common explanation is that dockless bikes reach more people because they are dispersed more widely instead of being tethered to docking stations that tend to be concentrated in whiter, higher-density, better-off neighborhoods.” Click here for the full article.

As temperatures cool down, CityLab provided information for biking in the winter. Click here to read their tips!

Business Insider named St. Louis one of the top cities for millennials earlier this year, and Mayor Krewson announced that public safety (inclusive of transportation) is a top priority for 2018. Click here to read more, via St. Louis Business Journal.

Great Rivers Greenway invited the community to meet the top designers for the Chouteau Greenway. The region needs better connectivity and in our opinion, this Greenway from the Gateway Arch to Forest Park shows great possibilities! Click here to learn more about the project.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that bikeshare companies, eye St. Louis as an expansion site. Deanna Venker, the city’s traffic commissioner, says five or so companies that operate systems in other parts of the country have approached city officials about expanding here. “It’s something people want,” said Alderman Scott Ogilvie, a longtime bicycling enthusiast. “It’s something people expect.” Click here for the full story.

Mass Transit released, “Infrastructure funding critical to the success of the St. Louis economy and manufacturing industry.” Click here for the full article.

Trailnet believes that a more equitable St. Louis can be accomplished through regional unity, collaboration, public safety and enhanced multimodal transportation. Stay tuned each week, for our round-up of top news and exciting St. Louis insights!

 

 

Trailnet volunteers rock, and may have counted you in September

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Did you happen to walk or bike past a suspicious person with a clipboard in early September? Were they looking at you and fastidiously scribbling mysterious information? Not to worry! That was likely one of our remarkable volunteers recording data on bicycle and pedestrian activity.

Trailnet, with support from Great Rivers Greenway, participated in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation (NBPD) Project for the fifth consecutive year. By continuing to collect data each year, we can show changes in bicycling and pedestrian activity in St. Louis.

On September 13 and 14, Trailnet coordinated 122 volunteers to perform counts at 71 different locations across the City of St. Louis, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County.  This year saw a 44 percent increase in volunteer participation, accounting for 244 hours of volunteer service.

A lack of documentation of cyclists and pedestrians makes it difficult to measure the positive benefits of investments in these modes of transportation. The NBPD sets detailed standards and guidelines and provides tools for performing bicycle and pedestrian counts and surveys. This allows for a uniform method of accounting for walkers and cyclists across the country.

Locations for the counts are determined by a collaboration between Trailnet, Great Rivers Greenways (GRG), and the Gateway Bike Plan Working Group. The primary purpose is to find out how many people are walking or biking for transportation, although all pedestrians and cyclists are counted. All counts are performed on streets, even if there is an adjacent trail.

Trailnet compiles the data and shares it with GRG as well as regional governments, planning agencies, and key partners in the Gateway Bike Plan Working Group. The information is used to inform projects and educational efforts. It helps our advocacy in the region by providing data to lobby for better conditions and makes the case for advancing funding in infrastructure by local and national government agencies.  We would like to thank all of those who volunteered for their time. Stay tuned for the results!

Counters needed to help St. Louis become an even better place to walk and ride!

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countingFor the fifth year in a row, Trailnet and Great Rivers Greenway are participating in the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project. This count is very important for our region because it measures the results of biking and walking investments and helps better plan future projects.

We need YOU to help us count people walking and biking at locations throughout St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. Volunteers commit to using a pen and paper (we’ll email you a standard counting form) to count at one street location from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, September 13, Wednesday, September 14, or both days. Only one person is needed per count location, but feel free to bring a friend, family member, neighbor, or pet for counting company. In case of rain, counts will be done the following week on September 20 and 21.

As we continue to collect bicycle and pedestrian data each year, we are able to show changes in how people walk and bike around the St. Louis region.  Last year, volunteers counted more than 9,000 people walking and biking at 60 locations!

Volunteers are especially needed to count in St. Charles County, North St. Louis County, Mid St. Louis County, South St. Louis County and North St. Louis City. Counts in all areas of the St. Louis region help to paint a more complete picture of where people are using walking and biking routes and where better planning for new routes and encouragement and education programs are needed. Click here to see a map of all count locations.

Will you consider counting in an area you have never been before? Bring a lawn chair and get comfortable as you help make St. Louis an even better place to walk and bicycle!

Once you have completed the count, scan or take a picture of the form with your phone and email your completed counting form to taylor@trailnet.org, or drop the paper copy in the mail to Trailnet Attn: Taylor 411 North 10th Street., Suite 202 St. Louis, MO 63101.

All volunteers who submit a completed counting form are eligible to win an Apple iPad!

Optional volunteer training will be held on September 7, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., at Trailnet’s office (411 North 10th Street., Suite 202 St. Louis, MO 63101). To sign up as a counting volunteer, click here.

Thank you in advance for your help!

Trailnet’s April Champion, Susan Rollins

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SusanRollinsBikeBrightSince her first Trailnet ride ten years ago, Susan Rollins has participated in many Trailnet rides, has been a volunteer, and now serves as a member of Trailnet’s Board.

So what is so great about being on a bike? Susan’s reply: “Cycling keeps me sane; being outside with the fresh air on my face combined with the challenge of the ride calms my soul and gives me a peace that I can’t find anywhere else.” She plans to spend lots of time on her bike this year, including her first multi-day trip, starting in Savannah, Georgia and pedaling around the coastal islands, New York’s Five Boro Bike Tour, and Bike the Drive in Chicago. She also hopes to ride the length of the Katy Trail, and to begin commuting to work by bike at least a couple of days a week.

In her role as Executive Director of the St. Louis County Housing Authority, Susan sees the possibilities that bicycles have for easing the transportation challenges faced by many low-income residents. “Our clients do not have the dollars needed to purchase or maintain a car. So even if you have a job but lack transportation, how do you survive?” Rollins is convinced that creating communities where walking and biking are safe alternatives would provide access not only to jobs and school, but also to better food options and other vital facilities. “Ideally I would like all of our public housing children to own a bike and learn how to ride. I see them visiting libraries, recreational centers, and neighborhood pools. I see them visiting each other and feeling like a part of a community. I see myself riding with our children and showing them how access to transportation can take you to places you never thought existed.”

As a Trailnet Board member, Susan Rollins is dedicated to seeing that vision come true. She feels that realizing Trailnet’s goal of connecting our region through a network of protected bikeways and neighborhood greenways can make St. Louis one of the best places to live in the country. “It is only Trailnet that can put St. Louis on the map as a community that embraces walking and cycling. If we want to look like Indianapolis, Trailnet has the expertise to make that happen. If we want to look like Portland, Trailnet can make it happen. We just have to work hard to raise the funds to make this bold vision a reality.”

Take the February Challenge!

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SYCGrayRedKeep those wheels rolling through the cold! Bike, walk, or take transit to work and log your miles on shiftyourcommute.com. The program will keep track of your car-free trips, calories burned, and carbon emissions saved. Commuters who log the most car-free miles during the month of February will be entered to win some rad Trailnet gear. 

This year also brings the Winter Limbo competition. Those who log biking commutes on the coldest day(s) of the winter will be entered to win a long sleeve jersey from Retro Image Apparel.

Tell your friends and colleagues and help us build a community around active lifestyles!

February’s Shift Your Commute Challenge is sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

Missouri House committee to vote on bill that would allow motor vehicles on Katy Trail

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HB-2047

Last week Trailnet, along with other organized bike, pedestrian, and trail advocates, urged members of the Missouri House Conservation Committee to vote “NO” on HB 2047, which would allow motorized traffic (ATVs and golf carts) on the Katy Trail. The committee will most likely vote on the bill this week.

We sent our comments to the committee Wednesday, February 10, outlining the reasons behind our opposition. To see our full comments, click here.

At this time we only want to make you aware of the bill’s existence. No action on your part is requested since the bill may die in committee. The bill will likely lose traction because of its recently estimated fiscal impact to implement: it would cost the state over $40 million to accommodate ATVs and golf carts. This news may change the minds of the bill’s supporters.

Still, if the bill moves forward in the legislative process, we’ll send an advocacy alert to mobilize public opposition to the bill.

Shortly after our opposition email was sent to the house committee, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch published a story about the bill, and much more opposition to the bill was generated. We hope this dialogue continues. The Katy Trail is meant to cater to those who wish to enjoy active lifestyles in a natural setting without the dangers of motor vehicle traffic. We’re ready to work to keep it that way for the many benefits it provides to people and our economy. Stay tuned to our social media sites for updates.