Volunteer for Open Streets!

The Open Streets Poster

Open Streets is a program that showcases our City, promotes sustainability, and highlights our region as one that truly cares about livability! As fellow engaged citizens and fine people that care about the region, we'd like to ask you to please volunteer for 2-3 hours during Open Streets. Making this program a success depends upon a strong first event!

For more information about the Open Streets Events, visit: http://www.stlopenstreets.org/

Experience Open Streets as a participant and then as a volunteer! Fill out the following form: https://stlbikefed.wufoo.com/forms/st-louis-open-streets-volunteer-signup/

The City of St. Louis is hosting four “Open Streets” events in the year 2010. Starting with our inaugural event on May 1, this program is set to open approximately five miles of City streets to cyclists, skaters, pedestrians, joggers, residents, and tourists. That's right five miles of streets - car-free! There will be free lessons and activities along the way - try out yoga, tai chi, zumba, spinning, take the sit-up or push-up challenge, or join the historical architecture walking tour. Health and safety demonstrations, bike repair and local food vendors will be located along the route.

The Open Streets route follows Lindell and Locust and is bound by Forest Park and the Old Post Office Plaza. The event occurs from 8am until 1pm. The first event will follow an extended 7-mile route. The map for that route is shown here: http://stlouis.missouri.org/open-streets/route.html The remaining three events will follow the original Locust/Lindell route.

Please sign up to volunteer TODAY! Please pass this along to friends and colleagues to encourage them to volunteer, too. Thanks for all you do to make the St. Louis region bike and pedestrian friendly!
https://stlbikefed.wufoo.com/forms/st-louis-open-streets-volunteer-signup/

St. Louis Open Streets - Get Excited!

Caption: The Open Streets poster

St. Louis Open Streets will be the biggest street festival St. Louis has ever seen! The first of four events will be May 1, 2010, 8am - 1pm.

You don't want to miss it. Picture this: walkers, bikers, runners, and rollerbladers exploring the City's central corridor free of the hazard of cars. Forest Park, Grand Center, and Downtown activities hubs with climbing walls, yoga classes, live music, zumba classes, hula hoops, and more. Focused chess players adjacent to focused hula hoopers.

Discover the freedom of bicycling! Come on out to St. Louis Open Streets and celebrate the history and future of St. Louis. The future of St. Louis begins May 1! For more information, visit: http://stlouis.missouri.org/open-streets/

St. Louis Voters for Prop A Reflect National Trend: Americans Want More Transportation Options!

Credit: Image taken from http://t4america.org

The results from 2010 Future of Transportation National Survey, a new national poll taken for Transportation For America, illustrate that a majority of American voters would like to see improved transportation options in the United States. According to the survey, 82 percent of voters say that the country "would benefit from an expanded and improved transportation system, such as rail and buses.” The survey also showed that about 3 in 4 Americans feel they have no choice but to drive, and the vast majority desire more freedom in choosing how to get about in their daily lives.

Check out the poll findings for yourself here. American voters from rural to urban settings want access to more choices for transportation. The pie chart above shows that Americans are understanding that a solution to the problem of traffic congestion is not the construction of more roads and highways, but rather increased opportunities for people to choose walking, biking, or public transit over driving. The passage of Prop A this Tuesday proves just this: majority rules, and so do more transportation options! Let's keep up the support - get involved with the reauthorization of the federal transportation bill TODAY.

A resounding "Yes!" throughout the County. PROP A PASSES!

Photo caption: Lead campus organizer, Liz Kramer, feels the charge of sweet victory as Prop A passes.

Photo credit: Laurie Skrivan. Post-Dispatch

We did it! Prop A passed by a wide margin--63%!!! This is a great vote in favor of our region-restored and stronger Metro service will be good for mobility, jobs, quality of life and so much more!

So what's next? Metro's Long Range Transportation Plan (created with citizen input) will begin to be implemented, starting with the following 1-5 year action items:

• Restoration of services that were cut in March 2009, including returning MetroLink to peak operating times, restoring Metro Bus and Call-a-Ride service, and adding frequency to crowded MetroBus routes;

• Planning and engineering of a new light rail extension;

• Planning, design, and construction of 2 bus rapid transit routes;

• Implementing upgraded passenger amenities and technology, including: Smart Card technology, web applications that take advantage of Metro's Google Transit data feed and a better, more functional Metro website, and computer-aided dispatch/automated vehicle location technology to ensure better, more efficient service.

There will be public hearings for the restoration plan that will go to Metro's governing board later this month, and we presume there will be hearings for implementation of the other action items as well. Stay tuned and stay involved!

More victory coverage:

Mass transit sales tax wins by a wide margin

Voters look past economic uncertainty

Today's the day! VOTE YES for PROP A!

Proposition A, a ½-cent sales tax going before St. Louis County voters TODAY, April 6, will provide revenue needed for continued operation and expansion of the transit system including Metrobus, Call-A-Ride services for Seniors and the disabled, and Metrolink. If passed, the County tax would raise approximately $75 million annually - and would trigger a matching quarter cent sales tax that was passed in the City of St. Louis in 1997 which would add an additional $8 million a year to the program. THE POLLS OPEN AT 6 AM and CLOSE AT 7 PM.

Nine Reasons to Vote YES for Prop A

1. Metrobus and Metrolink connect people walking and biking to the places they need to go, which supports Trailnet’s mission to encourage healthy lifestyles.

2. Every dollar invested in Metro transit returns $4 to our local economy. (The American Public Transit Association)

3. Metro transit is a vital transportation option that eases congestion. Every day, more than 100,000 people ride Metro buses, trains, and Call-A-Ride vans, with 75% of riders traveling to work.

4. If Prop A doesn’t pass transit service will be cut by as much as 50%. Emergency funding runs out in June.

5. Metro provides mobility and independence to Seniors and the disabled who cannot, walk, bike, or drive to get around.

6. It helps improve air quality. Metro not only reduces car trips—30% of Metro buses use renewable bio-fuels or compressed gas.

7. Using Metro transit can save you money. If the average St. Louis family pays less than $50 per year for the new tax and one member is able to commute by MetroLink rather than by auto, they can save $2,000 in one year.

8. Enhanced Metro service can make St. Louis a more competitive region. World-class cities offer world-class transit. St. Louis has the opportunity to continue with this trend.

9. Using Metro service is fun! It’s a great time to see our region in a different way, day dream, read a book, take a nap, or chat with a new friend.

Greening the Emerald City

Caption: Now that's a green building! Photo by daily dose of imagery and Sam Javanrouh

The City of St. Louis and FOCUS St. Louis invite you to attend “Green Buildings for Sustainable Cities,” a presentation and discussion led by Seattle author Lucia Athens. The event will be on Friday, April 9th at the FOCUS St. Louis office starting at 11:45am. The program will run until 1:00pm, after which Lucia will be available to sign her book, copies of which will be available to purchase from Left Bank Books.

A more detailed description of the event can be found on the FOCUS website:
http://www.focus-stl.org/calendar/tabid/110/vw/3/ItemId/95/d/20100409/Default.aspx