Ferguson Twilight 5K Run/Walk - May 14

Visit www.livewellferg5K.com for details

The inaugural Live Well Ferguson Twilight 5K was a HUGE success in 2010. The event organizers felt that they were setting their sights high when they set a goal of 300 participants. By the time the 1-mile fun run and the 5K run/walk had ended, over 900 people had participated, literally filling the streets!

The second running of the Live Well Ferguson 5K Twilight Run/Walk is taking place Saturday, May 14, 2011 in downtown Ferguson, MO. As the afternoon comes to an end, hundreds of runners and walkers will take to the streets of Ferguson on a USATF certified course for the only twilight run/walk event in North St. Louis County. The races start and finish at Plaza at 501, an outdoor entertainment area at the intersection of Florissant Road and Suburban Avenue. The post-race festivities include a free concert by Javier Mendoza, along with food vendors, massage, and chiropractic services.

In 2011, the goal is to attract 1,200 participants. Race fees are $15 for the 5K through May 2; fees increase to $20 afterwards. Special rates are offered to teams of 10 or more participants. Awards and prizes will be presented to top finishers. The course will be timed by Big River Running.

For more details, or to register for the Live Well Ferguson 5K, go to: www.livewellferg5K.com

New this year is a partnership with Christian Hospital. A recognized leader of quality health care, Christian Hospital and its Foundation are dedicated to helping people enjoy life by improving their health through the support of community programs. Proceeds from the event benefit youth scholarships to attend camp programs at the Emerson Family YMCA.

Advocating for Us -- National Bike Summit

Photo Caption: Missouri bike advocates meeting with Senator Claire McCaskill at the National Bike Summit last week. Trailnet's Emily Luten is third from the left.

Trailnet staff recently attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. This event was attended by upwards of 700 bicycle enthusiasts from around the U.S. (and Canada), ranging from advocacy organizations similar to Trailnet, bicycle retail owners, lobbyists, academics, and people who love biking. The theme of the conference was “Acting on a Simple Solution.” This simple solution, bikes, can help to solve lots of America’s problems, whether it is health, economic, or environmental.

This simple solution also coincided with our simple ask to the 112th Congress: don’t cut bicycle/pedestrian funding. Currently, the 112th Congress is going through major budget cuts and bicycle/pedestrian funding, along with all funding, is in jeopardy. Therefore the group ask, by National Bike Summit representatives from all states, was simply to not cut bicycle/pedestrian funding. In previous years, this ask is usually to increase funding, but since all funding is at stake, we just want to make sure our funding is safe.

Bicycle/pedestrian funding, which comes out of transportation funding, only makes up .03% of the budget. This low-cost solution is crucial to provide transportation opportunities with the added benefits of helping the environment, health, and economy. Since 2001, the federal investment in bicycle infrastructure has spurred a 25 percent increase in ridership. Bicycle commuting has increased even more—44% nationwide since 2000, and more than 70% in bicycle-friendly communities with the largest investment.* Bicycle projects also create more jobs than road projects, with 14.4 jobs created per $1 million investment for bike lanes compared to only 6.8 jobs per $1 million investment for road resurfacing.** With these facts in hand, we made a strong case for our ask.

The Missouri contingent met with Senator Claire McCaskill (pictured above) to discuss our agenda. Senator McCaskill bluntly explained to us the debt situation that America is facing, and that no funding is guaranteed. When discussing with her the benefits associated with bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, she understood our case, but explained that trimming the budget was her priority. Our discussion with Senator Roy Blunt went similarly. He was interested to learn why bicycle/pedestrian funding is important, but his priority was to cut the overall budget, but not specifically bicycle/pedestrian funding.

When meeting with St. Louis area Congressional Representatives Clay, Carnahan, Akin, and Luetkemeyer, our discussion was more optimistic. Our Representatives (and in some cases, their Legislative Assistants) were proud to represent Districts where Trailnet was implementing rides, events, the Safe Routes to School program, Healthy, Active, and Vibrant Communities program, Bike/Walk Masterplans, and Bike-to-Work Day activities. We helped our Congressional Representatives to understand the link between bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure and improving the health and economic well-being of their constituents. While not all Representatives were willing to sponsor a bill, they were all interested and wanted to learn more about how they can help.

After returning from Washington, D.C., the job is now in our hands to continue advocating for funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects. It’s up to you to contact your Congress member to explain how important bicycle/pedestrian funding is to you, your family, and your community. Visit the League of American Bicyclists for a variety of resources related to bike advocacy. Visit the following website to find your district and the contact information for your Congressional representative:
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/findyourreps.xpd?state=MO

*Source: National Household Travel Survey: American Community Survey, US Census
**Garrett-Peltier, Heidi, Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

North Riverfront Land Use Study

Photo Caption: The land use study is looking at the area of St. Louis shown in pink.

The City of St. Louis is in the midst of a major land use study that is looking at how we can best use our north riverfront corridor. The study area, shown above, includes roughly 30% of St. Louis's riverfront, the Riverfront Trail, the McKinley Bridge Bikeway, and the proposed Trestle bikeway.

If you ride the Riverfront Trail, you know that the corridor being studied is currently used by many of St. Louis's heaviest industries, including scrap metal recyclers, junk yards, and coal shippers, as well as a series of lighter industrial uses, such as machine shops, wholesalers, manufacturers, and Produce Row. In addition, the corridor has long served as a hub for major movement of goods into and out of the region due to its proximity to the river, rail lines, and I-70.

As our City develops this major land use study (it is an $800,000 study), we have a rare opportunity to think big and develop a vision for the corridor that serves the triple bottom line of profit, people, and planet. With the industrial era in America's rear view mirror, river cities throughout our country have been re-tooling their riverfront corridors to include a softer mixture of uses (lighter industry, offices, recreation, housing, retail, etc.) that reflects the modern value that environmental stewardship and profit can co-exist. If you visit St. Louis's north riverfront corridor today, you see the past -- fragments of the industrial era literally scattered across the land and spilling into the streets. The current state of the corridor is enough to scare off even hearty urban explorers, let alone the creative class that St. Louis so desperately needs to retain and attract.

Two great examples of city's that have re-invented their riverfronts are Saint Paul, Minnesota (our neighbors up river) and Pittsburgh's recent Alleghany Riverfront Vision Plan. Here is an image of Saint Paul's riverfront from the Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation website:


Here is an image of Branch Street in St. Louis -- the only remaining direct connection between St. Louis neighborhoods and the north riverfront. In the distance you can faintly see the flood wall painted with the words "Riverfront Trail." Not exactly an inviting scene:



The Land Use Study underway presents an exciting opportunity to envision the future of our riverfront. If you would like to learn more about the land use study and share your input, please plan to attend the upcoming Public Information Meeting, Thursday, March 24, 4-6pm. The invitation (in italics) and meeting flyer are below:

On Thursday, March 24, 2011, the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC) in coordination with HNTB (the lead consultant), will be hosting a Public Informational Meeting, about the Port/North Riverfront Land Use Study, at the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD), Bissell Point Treatment Plant, in St. Louis.

The purpose of the meeting is to share the Study goals and to learn more about your vested interests in the area. We encourage you to attend because your input does matter. For more information, please review the flyer attached, or contact Hudson and Associates, at 314.436.3311.

We would like to hear from you!

Better Bike Facilities

Photo Caption: A bike lane marked with green paint to alert both cyclists and drivers of high-conflict zones where cars are likely to merge across the bike lane. Courtesy of SDOT

All across the US, cities large and small have been experimenting to create new kinds of bike facilities that create safer travel environments for cyclists and vehicles. The new facilities include a broad range of things, such as green bike lanes (shown above), contra-flow bike lanes, bike boxes, bicycle signal heads to tell cyclists when it's safe to go, and more. Cities like Philadelphia, New York, Phoenix, Chicago, Detroit, Baltimore, Portland, Houston, and Boston have come together to share the work they are doing with one another through the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO). Now, as part of the Cities for Cycling initiative, NACTO has released the Urban Bikeway Design Guide to "provide cities with state-of-the-practice solutions that can help create complete streets that are safe and enjoyable for bicyclists."

So, why haven't we seen any of these best-practices in Missouri?
First of all, the documents/guidelines that transportation engineers most commonly use -- AASHTO's Green Book and Guide for Bicycle Facilities and the MUTCD -- do not include these best-practices, despite the fact that are being successfully implemented from coast to coast. Second, our state's major cities are not yet plugged into NACTO's professional network. In addition, there are budgetary constraints, lack of local leadership, and not enough public pressure. With regard to the last item, take some time to peruse the Urban Bikeway Design Guide, educate yourself, and then educate your local elected officials. MO Livable Streets is hosting a series of advocacy trainings throughout the state that will prepare you with the tools you need to be an effective advocate for complete streets -- there is a training March 29th in Kirksville, April 28th in Kansas City, and one May 3rd in Cape Girardeau.

How quickly do you think we can get a green bike lane painted in our state? See below for additional pictures of best-practice facilities.

A contraflow bike lane -- think of it as a two way street, where only bikes are allowed on one side. Photo thanks to SDOT

A bike box, which improves intersection safety. Photo thanks to BikePortland.org

A bike corral places bike parking in a traditional car parking spot. It keeps the sidewalk clear for pedestrians and can accommodate more than ten bikes in a single car parking space.

Park(ing) Day!

In 2005, a San Francisco art and design studio called Rebar decided to explore the ways in which parking spaces can be reclaimed to create much needed public space. Every year since, the Park(ing) Day movement has spread throughout the US and world, including St. Louis, as a global day of creativity and advocacy for the preservation and creation of meaningful public space in our communities.

As the first green shoots of spring appear, St. Louisans are already starting to break out of their winter hibernation, seeking places and spaces in their community to play, relax, and gather with neighbors in the public domain. Does your neighborhood or community have the kinds of public spaces you wish it had? Pay attention this spring and summer and start making a list of the public spaces you wish your community had -- Parking Day 2011 will be taking place Friday, September 16th, and we want more St. Louis communities than ever before to participate in this incredibly fun, creative way to spark meaningful dialog about public spaces that enhance the livability of our communities.

Check out the links below for more information about Park(ing) Day and Rebar's incredible work:

http://parkingday.org/

http://www.rebargroup.org/

DIY Snow Tires for Your Bike

Photo Caption: Studded snow tires cost upwards of $65 apiece!

Winter 2011 in St. Louis is less than halfway over and it's already been the snowiest winter on record. Ok, that's a lie, but it sure as hail feels like it. Even the hardiest all-weather cyclists seem to take snow days or even snow weeks from cycling due to the snow- and ice-covered roads. Thanks to the DIY ethic of hipster cyclists, we are proud to bring you a low-cost solution to transform your bike into a snow machine.

The folks at the Dutch Bike Company blogged about how they transformed their bikes into all-weather monsters with nothing but a package of zip ties, a pair of scissors, and a beer (optional).

Photo Credit: Dutch Bike Company

Aside from the great how-to photos on their blog, my favorite part of the post was the authors admission that he didn't invent the technique:

It pains me to admit this not because my ego suffers, but because the zip-tie-DIY-bicycle-snow-chains idea appears to have originated with my favorite bicycle industry whipping boy: fixed gear hipster culture. Several years ago, I'm sure, some bright child with extremely tight pants and an asymmetrical haircut had a genius-caliber idea, and I hate that it wasn't me. So here it is: Fixed gear street bike hipster guys, I'm sorry for the things I've said over the years. It's not true that the only drink you like is 4Loko. It's also not true that you're not allowed to wear shoes that don't match your bikes. You can wear whatever you want. And finally, you have come up with a good idea besides brightly colored deep-section rims.

Check out the full post and photos here:
http://www.dutchbikeco.com/_blog/Dutch_Bike_Co_Weblog/post/Seattle_Snowpocalypse/

Another Reason to Eat Fresh Foods

Photo Caption: Meat or not meat -- THAT is the question. Photo from Gizmodo

According to the folks at Gizmodo, Taco Bell's "beef" taco filling is actually only 36% beef. The remaining 64% is not beef or anything even remotely related to a cow. Taco Bell's website refers to this 36% beef product as "seasoned ground beef". When barely a third of the substance is beef, wouldn't it be more accurate to describe it as "beef flavored seasoning"?

This realization is thanks to a class action lawsuit against Taco Bell by an Alabama law firm.

Read more on Gizmodo's website, including the suggestion that USDA rules may not even allow Taco Bell's taco filling to be referred to as "meat":

http://gizmodo.com/5742413/this-is-what-really-hides-in-taco-bells-beef

Missouri Farm to School Workshops Announced

Learn how to connect your schools to healthy, fresh and local foods.

The Missouri Farm to Institution Project is pleased to announce that registration is now open for four Farm to School workshops. Please join us to help build the Farm to School movement in Missouri. The dates and locations are listed below:

Friday, January 21
Truman State University, Kirksville, MO (Snow date: January 28)
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

Wednesday, February 16
St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

Wednesday, March 2
This workshop will be broadcast to TeleCenters in Maryville, Trenton (tentative), Independence, Columbia, Salem, and Poplar Bluff. Addresses to be provided upon registration.
8:30 pm – 3:00 pm

Wednesday, March 30
Springfield-Greene Co. Botanical Center, Nathaniel Greene-Close Memorial Parks, 2400 South Scenic, Springfield, MO
8:30 am to 4:00 pm (Registration opens at 8:00 am)

All workshops will follow a similar format and feature presentations in the morning by farmers, distributors, food service directors, and others who are making farm to school happen. The afternoon will include breakout sessions geared toward either farmers or school food services to provide more in-depth information about starting and sustaining farm to school programs.

Workshops are free and lunch is included. Registration is required. Contact Stacy Colley at 573-882-5114 or ColleyS@missouri.edu to register for a workshop. Please indicate the location that you will be attending, whether you will be in the Farmer or School Food Service afternoon breakout session, and if you have a dietary/meal consideration.

For more information, email Bill McKelvey: mckelveywa@umsystem.edu