Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Trail closures in the St. Louis area

There are some trail closures you should be aware of if you live in the St. Louis area:


OLD CHAIN OF ROCKS BRIDGE: Because of icy conditions at the Missouri parking lot for the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, Trailnet has decided to close access for the bridge for now. This time of year, the Mississippi River bridge is a favorite spot for watching bald eagles. No word on when the bridge may reopen. The historic old Route 66 bridge is owned by the city of Madison, Ill., and operated by Trailnet, an organization whose goal is to promote healthy living in the St. Louis area.

MCT NICKEL PLATE TRAIL: This isn't new news, but Madison County Transit's Nickel Plate Trail is closed at South Buchanan Street in Edwardsville and probably will remain closed until late year. MCT is constructing an underpass below the busy street to improve access to the Nickel Plate Trail, which continues east to Fruit Road northeast of Edwardsville, and the Quercus Grove Trail, which links Edwardsville, Hamel, Worden and Staunton. MCT also is building a park-and-ride lot at Buchanan Street. MCT has not posted an official detour for the trail.

RICHLAND CREEK GREENWAY TRAIL: The western terminus of Belleville's Richland Creek Greenway Trail at Third and Cleveland streets may be closed from time to time because of replacement of the Cleveland Street bridge. The six-mile trail connects South Side Park and Southwestern Illinois College.

Labels: Illinois, Missouri, Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, trails

Roger 3 comments 12:25 PM

Friday, February 05, 2010

Bridge saved for Katy Trail use

Bicycle advocates concerned about the future of the Katy Trail won a victory Thursday when Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced that the Union Pacific Railroad has agreed to give the old Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) Railroad bridge that spans the Missouri River to the city of Boonville.


The Union Pacific had planned to tear down the historic bridge and use the scrap metal to build a bridge across the Osage River near Jefferson City. However, federal stimulus money targeted for high-speed rail servicein Missouri will be used to build the Osage River bridge. That meant meant the bridge could be turned over to Boonville, The Associated Press reported.

Groups, including the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation, had feared that demolition of the Boonville bridge would have broken up the 225-mile trail corridor, making it vulnerable to legal challenges by landowners.

The bridge has not been used for at least 20 years, and Katy Trail traffic now crosses the Missouri River via the U.S. 40/Missouri 5-87 bridge. The old railroad drawbridge has been locked in the up position since its abandonment, allowing Missouri River barge traffic to pass.

The Save the Katy Bridge Coalition has been working for years to preserve the bridge. Take a look at the group's site to learn more about the bridge.

Labels: Katy Trail, Missouri

Roger 0 comments 12:51 AM

Sunday, January 31, 2010

News from the Midwest Bicycle Expo & Swap Meet

It's always fun to visit the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation's annual Midwest Bicycle Expo & Swap, which took place today in Collinsville, Ill. It's always fun to catch up with my cycling friends and let people know about the upcoming Tour de Stooges.

Although the number of vendors appeared to be down there -- I'm sure the recession had a lot to do with that --  Federation officials say attendance was up this year.

The biggest news to come out of the show was the announcement of a partnership between the Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation and the Missouri Department of Transportation. MoBikeFed will work with MoDOT and other transportation entities to identify the highest priority bicycle, pedestrian and disabled projects in Missouri.

MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh revealed the initiative during the show. MoBikeFed has developed an online form for people to nominate a project. The page includes detailed instructions on how to nominate the project.

MoBikeFed will work with MoDOT and their transportation partners to narrow that list down to the best and truly practical projects.The shortened list of projects will then be added to MoDOT's planning process with the hopes of completing them in the next 5 to 7 years, provided funding is available and the projects are supported by the public.

Labels: Missouri, St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Roger 0 comments 11:00 PM

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

St. Louis earns the Bronze

Kudos to the city of St. Louis! The League of American Bicyclists has designated St. Louis as a Bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community!

St. Louis earned its bronze for the city's bicycle education and enforcement efforts.

Two St. Louis-area businesses also earned honors. REI-St. Louis earned Gold as a Bicycle Friendly Business, while Velocity Cafe and Cyclery earned a Bronze.

Overall, Missouri ranks 17th among Bicycle Friendly States. Columbia once again is a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community.

Illinois ranks 11th among the Bicycle Friendly States. Chicago was named a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community, while two of its suburbs, Naperville and Schaumburg, earned Bronze.

The Land of Lincoln had four Bicycle Friendly Businesses. REI-Lincoln Park and REI-Northbrook earned Silver designations, while Spin Doctor Cyclewerks in Barlett and the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District earned Bronze.

While I'm sure the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District is deserving of its award, it's my view that the Madison County Transit District has done more. Most cyclists in the St. Louis area know about MCT's extensive network of bicycle trails. In addition, MCT has bicycle racks on all its buses, and the district estimates it carries an average of 800 bikes each month.

Perhaps someone at MCT can be persuaded to fill out an application to earn a Bicycle Friendly Business designation.

Labels: Chicago, Illinois, League of American Bicyclists, Missouri, St. Louis

Roger 0 comments 1:34 AM

Friday, October 16, 2009

Cycle Route 66

Sometime later today, hardy cyclists will complete their 324-mile trek on historic Route 66 that began Sunday in Miami, Okla., and winds up in Route 66 State Park near Eureka, Mo.

The ride, sponsored by the Gateway Council of Hostelling International, is the group's first Route 66 adventure. In years past, the organization has sponsored rides such as Cycle Across Missouri Parks and its successor, Cycle Across Missouri, but the group decided to avoid the potential of searing heat and humidity in June and to link the ride of a piece of America's history.

Instead of heat and humidity, Cycle Route 66 riders have gotten a big dose of November-style weather: cool, cloudy and damp days. Still, riders seem to be enjoying the ride.

I've only seen one article about the ride, from the Waynesville Daily Guide, about the trip. The Elbow Inn in Devil's Elbow, Mo. hosted the cyclists Wednesday evening. Owner Terry Roberson says it's the first time the bar has hosted a large group of bicyclists.

"The weather has been a challenge, but the ride is still a lot of fun.” Linda Wheeler, a rider from Toledo, Ohio, told the newspaper.

After starting in Miami and traveling on an old alignment of Route 66 that went through the southeastern corner of Kansas, the cyclists stayed overnight in the Missouri communities of Carthage, Springfield, Lebanon, St. Robert and Cuba.

Although time wouldn't allow me to do the ride this year, I did play a small role in the planning of the ride. I drew the maps that cyclists are using this week. With lots of help from Tim Almstadt, who scouted the route and created cue sheets, and MapMyRide and Mapquest, I was able to draw maps with QuarkXPress. MapMyRide does a great job of providing accurate mileages, but I find I still have to draw the maps with Quark to do a suitable map intended for printing.

I just hope I did a good job and that few people got lost.

Labels: Gateway Council of Hostelling International, Missouri, Route 66

Roger 2 comments 12:42 AM

Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Katy Trail sees boost in visitors

While much of the country struggles with the recession, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports businesses in the small towns along the Katy Trail, a 225-mile former railroad right-of-way that connects St. Charles and Clinton, Mo., are thriving.

From January to July, 62,794 people hiked, jogged or biked the section of Katy Trail State Park between St. Charles and Weldon Spring, according to an estimate by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. That's up from the 41,661 users in the same period last year.

The Post-Dispatch article attributes the boost to two reasons: better weather in 2009 than in 2008 and the desire of many people to stay closer to home for low-cost recreational activities.

Tour of Missouri spectators will get two chances to encounter the trail if they want to get some miles in. Stage 4 on Thursday ends in Jefferson City, which is just across the Missouri River from the Katy Trail. The Stage 5 individual time trial is Friday in Sedalia, and there's three access points to the course from the Katy Trail.

Labels: Katy Trail, Missouri

Roger 0 comments 9:49 AM

Friday, August 21, 2009

Bicycles can run some red lights in Missouri

Starting next Friday, Aug. 28, bicyclists and motorcyclists can legally run -- well, sort of run -- some red lights in Missouri.

The so-called "Dead Red" law (PDF file) signed last month by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon allows bicyclists and motorcyclists to proceed through red lights under these conditions:

• They come to a complete stop first.

• The signal continues to show a red light for an “unreasonable time.”

• The signal is malfunctioning or failed to detect a bicycle or motorcycle.

• Traffic on the cross street doesn’t pose a hazard.

The Kansas City Star says Missouri will be one of eight states that have similar laws, which are intended to address occasions when motorcycles or bikes aren’t detected by traffic signal sensors in the road.

I live in one of the 42 states -- Illinois to be precise -- that doesn't have the law. It seems like a commonsense approach to me. There are simply a lot of intersections where there's no way my aluminum bicycle with only a small number of steel parts is going to trigger magnetic traffic sensors.

I proceed through those intersections following the steps described above. It sure would be nice to be able to do so legally.

Labels: advocacy, Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments 1:39 PM

Saturday, June 20, 2009

Don't forget about Tour de WingHaven

If you're looking for some hot Father's Day bicycle racing, come out tomorrow to the Tour de WingHaven in O'Fallon, Mo.

The Tour de WingHaven is sanctioned by USA Cycling as a National Racing Calendar event, meaning top teams such as Jelly Belly, Team Type 1, and Colavita-Sutter Home will be there. Also slated to be there is 2005 U.S. pro champion Chris Wherry.

Action begins at 8 a.m. with the Cat 4/5 race culiminates with the Pro/Cat 1 race at 2 p.m. The feature event is an 84-mile, 28-lap race.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch had a nice story about the event today.

You can find out more about the event at the race's Web site, including how to get to the parking area.

The competition should be hot, and so will the temperature. Tomorrow's high is expected to be in the mid-90s.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments 7:50 PM

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Columbia, Mo., passes bicycle harassment ordinance

Fresh off its designation as a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, Columbia, Mo., has adopted an ordinance that makes harassment of bicyclists — including throwing objects, verbal assault and other offenses — a misdemeanor offense punishable by a $1,000 fine or one year of jail time.

On Monday, the Columbia City Council approved the new ordinance unanimously.

The Columbia Missourian reported that residents cited a number of reasons for their support and shared horror stories from bike riding. The tales ranged from waking up face down in ditches to having ashtrays dumped on their heads. The consensus among supporters was that the ordinance would help protect them on the streets.

“Unfortunately, there are people in our community who believe that roads are for automobiles and bicyclists who dare ride on the road should be honked at, yelled at or even have something thrown at them,” PedNet Education Coordinator Robert Johnson was quoted as saying in the newspaper.

Columbia's ordinance is modeled on similar ordinances in South Carolina and Colorado. Next month, the City Council will decide whether to expand the ordinance to include pedestrians.

Labels: advocacy, Missouri, safety

Roger 0 comments 10:41 AM

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Katy Trail offshoot proposed

Officials in Portage des Sioux, Mo., are mulling an offshoot of the Katy Trail that would connect the Mississippi River community with the 225-plus mile trail.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the town's leaders are planning a meeting for 7 p.m. Monday at the Portage des Sioux City Hall to gauge reaction to the trail, which would take cyclists to the town's nature area that was created after the Flood of 1993.

A route has yet to be selected, but Mayor Mark Warner told the Post-Dispatch one logical choice would be a shoulder of a mile-long stretch of Payne Road between the town and the eastern tip of the Katy Trail in the Machens area.

Missouri officials are hoping to complete the Katy Trail between Machens and St. Charles by later this year.

Portage des Sioux is best known for the Our Lady of the Rivers statue, which overlooks the Mississippi River at the bluffs across the river near Elsah, Ill. The statue is the home of the annual Blessing of the Fleet. The statue was completed in 1957 after the community was spared by a flood in 1951.

While I think the spur to Portage des Sioux would be a great idea, I personally am in favor of a trail that would tie the Katy to the Clark Bridge in Alton, Ill., and tie the Katy into Madison County's extensive trail system.

Labels: Katy Trail, Missouri, trails

Roger 2 comments 11:12 AM

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Riding the Mother Road a piece at a time

Few American highways have the lure of historic Route 66 -- the Mother Road -- and two Midwestern organizations are planning multiday rides this year on portions of the highway.

The League of Illinois Bicyclists will be putting on the 2009 Route 66 Trail Ride on Aug. 29 to Sept. 3 from St. Louis to Chicago. LIB is billing the ride as is a loosely-organized, (generally) self-supported bicycle tour meant to publicize and promote development of Illinois’ Route 66 Trail bicycle route.

No luggage transport will be provided. Cyclists should either carry their own or make arrangements for others to provide support. Also, no meals and SAG support will be provided. The good news is that registration is free for LIB members. Those not already members must pay a $25 fee for membership and registration.



What's an example of the promotion LIB is striving for? Macoupin County, Ill., cyclists are pushing for a portion of an old Route 66 alignment roughly between Mount Olive and Litchfield to become a bicycle trail. That particular alignment was a four-lane divided highway, but only two of the lanes are being used for vehicular traffic these days. The two unused lanes are in good enough shape that, with a little work, they could become a bike trail.

The second of the multiday rides is the Gateway Council of Hostelling International-USA's Cycle Route 66: America's Mother Road ride. The ride begins Oct. 10 in Afton, Okla., goes through a sliver of Kansas on an old Route 66, then makes through Missouri until ending Oct. 16 in Eureka, Mo., a St. Louis suburb.

The cost of the ride is $450 for HI-USA members and $500 for non-members (extra fee for people wanting a single room). While the registration fee is considerably more than the Illinois ride, you get a lot for your money. The cost of the ride includes vintage Route 66 motels, mouth-watering diner & cafe food (breakfast and dinner), rest stops, marked roads, luggage shuttle, mechanical/SAG support and a charter bus ride to the ride start.

Cyclists will have a choice of 335 or 375 miles. Be ready for some hills on his ride. Parts of the route have been used in the Tour of Missouri bicycle race, which is known for its undulating rolling hills.

If you're wanting to experience American history, these might be the ride for you!

Labels: bicycle rides, Gateway Council of Hostelling International, Illinois, League of Illinois Bicyclists, Missouri, Route 66

Roger 0 comments 12:08 PM

Friday, May 01, 2009

Missouri now has a Bicycle Friendly Community

The League of American Bicyclists today released its Bicycle Friendly Communities for 2009. For the first time, a Missouri city made the list.

Columbia, the home of the University of Missouri, earned a Silver designation on the strength of the city's engineering of bicycle routes and encouragement of bicycling. As the Missouri Bicycle Federation has noted, bicycle trips in Columbia more than doubled--increasing from 3.4% to 8.7% of all work/school trips. The GetAbout Columbia program has succeeded in increasing the number of bike trails and bike lanes.

Three Illinois cities also made the list. Chicago earned a Silver designation, while the suburbs of Schaumburg and Naperville received Bronze.

What are this year's most Bicycle Friendly Communities? Davis, Calif; Boulder, Colo; and Portland, Ore. All three communities received the Platinum designation.

Earning Gold are Corvallis, Calif.; Fort Collins, Colo.; Jackson and Teton County, Wyo.; Madison, Wis.; Palo Alto, Calif.; Tuscon, Ariz.; San Francisco, Seattle and Stanford University.

As far as Bicycle Friendly States are concerned, Illinois ranked 12th, while Missouri ranked 17th.

Illinois earned its rating because the state "passed a complete streets law in 2007 and has a statewide bike map with suitability ratings. However, there are no performance measures or project lists in the state bike plan."

Missouri's status was because "Missouri has a bike route map with suitability ratings, but no bike master plan and no cell phone use restrictions."

Wisconsin took second place, trailing only Washington state. Other nearby Midwestern/Southern states and their rankings include Iowa (6), Michigan (15), Indiana (28), Kentucky (27), Kansas (33), Arkansas (38) and Tennessee (43).

What state is at the bottom of the list? Alabama. Here's that LAB has to say about Alabama: "Alabama promotes bicycling through its tourism board, yet lacks a state-wide bike route network and still has dated, discriminatory mandatory sidepath laws on the books. The state also falls behind the majority of the country in Safe Routes to School programming."

Labels: advocacy, League of American Bicyclists, Missouri

Roger 0 comments 6:47 PM

Lindenwood University cycling team turmoil

A dispute between a former member of St. Charles-Mo. based Lindenwood University's cycling team and the team's coach has spread to the pages of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Paddy Kilmurray, the captain, told the Post-Dispatch on Thursday he was kicked off the team. Kilmurray, a sophomore from Australia, said the coach, Adrienne Murphy, would frequently drink wine and beer at away races and then drive the team's van, and he said he was removed from the team for bringing up the allegations to university officials.

Scott Queen, a spokesman for Lindenwood, said Murphy denied Kilmurray's wide-ranging allegation. He said Murphy admitted to drinking one glass of wine with dinner during a competition and that she was not aware it was against university policy to drink while supervising students.

Murphy took over the team in January, and Queen told the Post-Dispatch that she and Kilmurray had a history of conflicts. He had been suspended from one race, and Queen said Kilmurray was dismissed for insubordination.

Lindenwood is a member of the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference and is classified as Division I by USA Cycling-Collegiate.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments 10:49 AM

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Columbia, Mo., makes strides as bicycling city

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is tooting its horn about the strides the city of Columbia, Mo., has made as a cycling and pedestrian and for good reason.

MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh noted over on the organization's Web site these facts:

• Single-occupant vehicle trips to work and school have dropped by 15% in a single year.
• Bicycle trips more than doubled--increasing from 3.4% to 8.7% of all work/school trips. (Nationally about 0.5% of commute trips are by bicycle.)

In a note to MoBikeFed members, Brent noted, "That's above the latest figures from Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and comparable or even higher
than the latest figures I can find for cities like Madison, Wis., and Berkeley, Calif."

GetAbout Columbia program gets much of the credit for promoting bicycling and walking as transportation in the community, home of the main campus of the University of Missouri. You can read more about Columbia's strides at MoBikeFed's Web site.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri

Roger 0 comments 10:34 AM

Tour de WingHaven gains prestige

In its short history, the Tour de WingHaven has gained a reputation as a top Midwestern single-day race, and USA Cycling has solidified the race's status by putting it on its 2009 National Racing Calendar.

This year's event will be Sunday, June 21, in O'Fallon, Mo., and it's the only Missouri race on the 31-event National Racing Calendar. Racing will begin at 8 a.m. for Cat 4/5 racers, and the event culminates with the 84-mile men's pro race. The course is a 3-mile closed loop through WingHaven, which bills itself as a 1,200-acre residential and commercial community in O'Fallon.

McEagle Properties, which created WingHaven, is the presenting sponsor of the event. Here's what Chris McKee, McEagle's president, has to say about the event:

"As the developer of the WingHaven community, McEagle is excited to have the opportunity to bring a top level, national caliber, professional sporting event to the community. This event will not only showcase our developing community along with promoting an active and healthy lifestyle, but will also provide a family-friendly and free to the public European-style event to WingHaven, the city of O'Fallon, and surrounding areas. What a great way to spend Father's Day with your family!"

Last year's winner, Dan Holloway, now races for the professional Garmin-Slipstream U23 cycling team. The Tour de WingHaven began in 2006.

Labels: cycling, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments 9:53 AM

Monday, April 13, 2009

St. Louis County helmet law: Who knew?

In December, St. Louis County enacted a law effective countywide that requires children 16 and under wear a helmet while riding a bicycle, a scooter, roller skates, roller blades or a skateboard.

But the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Monday that only two citations have been given out since the law went in effect. A reporter's survey of the St. Louis County communities of Kirkwood, Maplewood and Maryland Heights indicates that many police departments are unaware that the law applies to their communities.

A couple of departments questioned the practically of enforcing the ordinance. Here's one example:

"Is it practical to enforce if you come across three or four kids out riding bikes without helmets?" Maryland Heights Police Chief Tom O'Connor told the Post-Dispatch. "What the hell do you do, confiscate their bikes and then drive them all home to tell their parents? It ought to be the parents' responsibility in the first place."

The helmet law does not affect the city of St. Louis because the city is a separate entity from St. Louis County.

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri, safety

Roger 1 comments 6:37 PM

Friday, April 10, 2009

Pedaler's Jamboree on the Katy Trail

The other day when I was posting a reminder about registration for the Tour de Stooges (May 2 in Highland, Ill., by the way!) at the STLBiking.com forums, I saw this interesting ride on Memorial Day weekend on the Katy Trail.

Off Track Events is billing the Pedaler's Jamboree as Missouri's first-ever bike powered music and camping festival. Cyclists will make a 75-mile round trip over two days, May 23-24 from Columbia to Boonville and back, on the Katy and MKT trails.

In addition to the easy riding on the trails, event organizers also are promising free music at various stops along the trails, free entry to a beer garden in Boonville to listen to music, free pickup and drop off at gear at Boonville and rewards for self-contained cycling.

The cost of the ride? $30 if you sign up by May 16 and $35 if you procrastinate. Children 11-16 are half-price, and children 10 or younger are free. It will cost you an additional $10 to camp in Boonville, and there are hotels available in Boonville if you'd rather not camp.

Big Smith, a Springfield, Mo.-based band with a large following in the Midwest, will be the headline performer May 23 in Boonville. Below is a sample of Big Smith's music:

Labels: bicycle rides, Katy Trail, Missouri

Roger 1 comments 12:50 AM

Friday, April 03, 2009

Work to begin on new Katy Trail segment

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday announced that work will begin later this month on linking the Kansas City area to the Katy Trail State Park, The Associated Press reports.

The 46-mile Rock Island Trail-Katy Connector will run 42 miles from Pleasant Hill, 35 miles southeast of Kansas City, to Windsor, where it joins the main 225-mile trail.

That means that cyclists will be able to ride on a trail all the way from the Kansas City metro area to the St. Louis metro area, or vice versa. The trail now ends in St. Charles

The new trail is being paid for with $18 million from a settlement the state reached last year with St. Louis-based utility AmerenUE over the December 2005 collapse of the Taum Sauk reservoir in southeast Missouri, AP reported. Ameren also agreed to let the state use its easement along the old Rock Island railroad for the trail.

Brent Hugh, executive director of the Missouri Bicycle Federation, says the long-term goal is to tie the Katy Trail to other trail systems in Illinois and Nebraska. "We could literally be looking at an 800-mile network of trails through five states, and the Katy Trail is the backbone of it," he told AP.

Labels: Kansas City, Katy Trail, Missouri

Roger 0 comments 6:48 PM

Thursday, March 19, 2009

News on the St. Louis bicycle racing scene

O'Fallon Grand Prix: I know I'm a few days late reporting this, but Metro-East Cycling got some good news from the O'Fallon (Ill.) City Council on Monday. The City Council voted 12-2 to approve the race.

"I think the fears are overgrown and overdramatic," Ward 3 Alderman Rick Reckamp was quoted as saying in the Belleville News-Democrat. "I don't think there should be a problem. The event was well-run last year."

The two aldermen who voted against the race were concerned about the vounteers who will work event and that teenagers would be directing traffic. Metro-East Cycling assured civic leaders that no one younger than 18 would be volunteering at intersections.

Tour of Hermann: While I was out and about delivering Tour de Stooges brochures today and yesterday, I saw lots of fliers for the Tour of Hermann Ominum Stage Race on April 18-19 in beautiful in the heart of Missouri's beautiful wine country.

Two stages, a time trial and a criterium race, will be run April 18 in Hermann. A road race will take place on the 19th on a rather challenging course that uses Highways H, E, VV and 100. It's about as challening of a course as you're going to get in the Midwest. There are a wide range of categories available for men and an open women's category. If you need an early season challenge, this is it!

Labels: cycling, Illinois, Missouri, racing

Roger 0 comments 2:33 PM

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

Money sought for bicycle/pedestrian projects

The Missouri Bicycle Federation is targeting Sen. Claire McCaskill in its effort to get divvy some of the money in the proposed economic stimulus bill to bicycle and pedestrian projects.

Why Sen. McCaskill? Because she expressed to MoBikeFed Executive Director Brent Hugh
that she thinks there is little support for bicycling and walking outside the big cities.

"The economic stimulus plan under consideration by Congress includes about
$30 billion for roads and highways," Brent wrote in a recent newsletter. "But there is a good chance that little or no money will be included for improving roads for bicycling and walking -- when we know federal and state funded roads are often the biggest dangers to walking and bicycling in Missouri."

Brent goes on to say: "You know that federal transportation funding and policy is one of the biggest reasons Missouri communities are unsafe/unfriendly for bicycling &
walking. Think of the state and federal highways where you live -- are they the best for bicycling and walking, or the worst?"

Last year, I reported that Missouri received a D from the MoBikeFed for its overall bicycle/pedestrian environment. Last year, I also reported that the League of American Bicyclists ranked 28th among Bicycle Friendly State; Illinois ranked 8th.

In case you want to contact the senator, you can reach her through the MoBikeFed's Web site. Of course, you're welcome to contact Missouri's senior senator, Christopher "Kit" Bond as well. Illinois residents can contact Sens. Richard Durbin and Roland Burris, and people in other state can contact their lawmakers. You can find a list of all the senators and links to their Web forms here: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Labels: advocacy, bicycling, Missouri, trails

Roger 0 comments 12:37 AM