Support Specialty Bicycle MO License Plates TODAY!

The design of the proposed license plate

TODAY is your last day to send a letter of support for the proposed Same Roads Same Rights license plate!

Our friends at the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation have been working for five years to create a specialty license plate (for automobiles) in support of bicycling in Missouri.

The specialty plate application has now been accepted! The next step is a hearing in the Joint Transportation Committee of the Missouri General Assembly.

Through the end of the day TODAY, November 30th, 2010, we can submit comments in support of the specialty automobile license plate. Our legislators will consider those comments when they decide to approve or disapprove the specialty license plate.

Proceeds from the plate will be used to support and promote bicycling in Missouri--bicycle safety education and related programs.

Visit the MO Bike Fed website to submit your comment. It will take you less than a minute:

http://mobikefed.org/LicensePlates

Livable St. Louis Conference 2010. What Have You Done?

Photo Caption: Bike parking at the 2010 Livable St. Louis Conference overflowed beyond the racks!

Six months have passed since Trailnet hosted the 2010 Livable St. Louis Conference with the theme Creating a Movement of Healthy, Active & Vibrant Communities. Since that time, Trailnet's staff has been busy working with out partners to develop bike and pedestrian master plans, adopt complete streets policies, secure a HUD sustainability planning grant, and host community events that promote biking, walking and play.

What have you done since the conference?
Our hope was that the conference would spark new ideas, foster new discussions, and develop new partnerships to create a more livable St. Louis region. Did you take away ideas or inspiration from the conference and turn it into action in your organization or your community? Leave a comment here or on Facebook and tell us what you have been up to?

The Social Costs of Traffic

Ferguson Twilight Ramble - RECAP

Photos courtesy of Live Well Ferguson on flickr

How do we get from here to there?

Seems like a simple question, right? The typical answer to this question is often a simple set of directions: first do this, then do that, then do this other thing, and whalla! you're "there".

But when "there" refers to a community full of bikers, walkers, and runners and "here" refers to your average American community, the road map is not very clear. In fact, just the thought of attempting to shift an entire community's habits is enough to make the average brain go numb. After hanging out in Ferguson last Sunday night for the inaugural Live Well Ferguson Twilight Ramble, I am proud to say there are no numb skulls in Ferguson! (Like how I pun-ted that one?)

The City of Ferguson and their many partners are on a mission to shift the culture of Ferguson residents to become more active. The Twilight Ramble was just one more in a series of great local events aimed at getting residents off of their couches and into the parks and the streets to play and be active. The event was actually a series of three bike rides: 1-mile, 5-miles, and 15-miles. The event was specifically designed to appeal to bike riders at all levels, from training wheelers and adults who haven't ridden since shortly after their training wheels came off, to experience cyclists. To ensure that riders at all levels were prepared, there were free helmets (courtesy of the North County Optimists and the St. Louis County Health Department) and free bike tune-ups (courtesy of Trailblazer Bikes).

Caption: Some people came prepared with their own awesome helmets


Caption: Trailblazer Bikes was on hand to provide free tune-ups

Caption: The beginning of the 5-mile ride

The last ride of the evening, the 15-miler, started just at dusk and carried on into the evening. The route weaved all throughout Ferguson, never doubling back on itself and never retracing its path. It went up hills, down hills, past community gardens, past community colleges, through sleepy neighborhoods, down the Ted Jones trail and finally ended at Ferguson's new Plaza @ 501. I am proud to say that I regularly ride my bike, and I am not ashamed to tell you that there were a few hills in Ferguson that gave me a run for my money.

The City of Ferguson has hit a home-run with this new event. As with their Twilight 5K and their Sunday Parkways events, the Twilight Ramble was a great event that I can't wait to see grow in the next few years. Kudos to all the folks who worked hard to make this event such a success. Well done team Ferguson!

Caption: Ferguson's Plaza @ 501 served as the trail head for the rides