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The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation
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Our Mission:
To make the St. Louis region more friendly, safe, and accessible to people on bicycles through educational outreach, advocacy, and improved facilities.
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Our Vision:
- We envision a transportation system that is fully accessible to people by bicycle.
- We see a region in which the public roadways are designed and maintained with all users in mind and to be as free of hazardous conditions as possible.
- Bicyclists and motorists are both proficient, skilled partners sharing the transportation system.
- Government agencies act in the cyclists’ best interests. The general public understands the role of bicycling in creating a better world.
- Bicycling in our region is convenient, safe, and fun.
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What We're Doing:
Bike Parking Demonstration Project
This project is funded in part by a Federal Highways Administration grant, with a local match of $10,000. In 2008 and 2009 we are working to hire a fabricator and order and install at least 100 new bike racks around St. Louis city and county.
Bike Smart Programming
In 2007 we initiated a program called "Bike Smart" to bring information to people at farmer's markets, bike rides, safety fairs – really any event where a lot of people are gathered. The events included demonstrations of equipment, minor bike repair, and mechanical safety checks by local bike shops; helmet fitting and free or deeply discounted helmets for kids from partnering organizations, and distribution of local bike maps and literature on bike safety and bike commuting. We had volunteers at each event who could share first-hand their experience and knowledge about bicycling in the streets.
Public Service Announcements – Television
In January of 2008 we published three television public service announcements that promote using a bicycle for practical transportation needs. Producers at KMOV produced the spots. We sent copies to all local television stations that agreed to run them.
Working toward Infrastructure Improvements and Consulting on Government Programs
In the City of St. Louis we stay in touch with streets inspectors, Bike St. Louis, and the Department of Public Works to help reduce and eliminate hazardous conditions on the streets.
As changes are made to St. Louis County arterials during the I-64/40 closure, we are working with traffic planners to ensure that bicyclists keep their rightful place on the roads. In the other counties we serve we are working with residents and governmental agencies to identify and correct hazardous conditions and to upgrade bike facilities to the highest levels of design. We also participate in updates to bicycle related literature and maps that are published by various agencies including IDOT, MoDOT and Bike St. Louis.
Collaborations with Like-minded Organizations
We have ongoing partnerships with organizations such as Missouri Bicycle Federation, League of Illinois Bicyclists, Gateway Council Hostelling International, and Trailnet to coordinate our efforts to improve bicycling for the benefit of everyone in our region.
Bicycle Swap Meet and Classic Bike Show
This event brings the cycling community together under one roof and highlights the popularity of bicycling in our region. The event was a huge success in 2008 and we anticipate an even better turnout on all fronts in 2009!
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Our Progress:
These are some highlights of our work since we formed in 2001.
- In our earliest days we spearheaded a successful campaign to ensure that all of Metro's buses have bike carriers. When the program was in jeopardy, we provided statistics from around the country showing that bike racks on buses are in demand and a valued service to bicyclists and transit users. Thanks to hundreds of cyclists writing letters as part of our campaign, at least 1,500 cyclists now board the bus with bikes each month in the St. Louis area.
- We have successfully lobbied MoDOT for ‘Share the Road’ signs, and specifically demonstrated the need for signs on popular cycling routes.
- We have become the recognized voice for justice when cyclists and pedestrians are struck by cars. We have repeatedly stressed the need for drivers to watch for cyclists and share the road on local TV stations, radio stations, and in the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
- We have worked with local agencies to identify and replace unsafe drain grates that could throw cyclists from their bikes.
- We have made "Valet Bike Parking" an expected amenity at the Earth Day celebration in Forest Park. In 2008, we parked about 225 bikes. Imagine the parking problems and pollution we avoided by providing the service that made biking to the park feasible for a couple of hundred people.
- We bring the bicycling community together. In mid-winter, bicycling enthusiasts of all stripes - bike shops, racing clubs, non-profits, bicycle touring companies, and a thousand bike riders - buy, sell, trade, and revel in all things bicycle at our signature event, the annual Bicycle Swap Meet and Classic Bike Show.
- Recently, when there were rumors that Clayton Road would be closed to cyclists during Highway 40 construction, we began a letter writing campaign to St. Louis County and met with county officials to get ‘Share the Road’ signs on Clayton and other routes. As a result of our work, the county has spent $18,000 to install 90 new signs on the affected routes. With Trailnet we helped to determine the best routes for cyclists during construction so that St. Louis County could install ‘Bike Route’ signs.
- Our focus on bike parking facilities is inspiring others. In 2004, we got grants for 20 "swizzle stick" bike racks and had them installed around the area. Since then, Metro and the St. Louis Development Corporation have purchased and installed even more racks.
- Now, with a federal matching grant, we plan to install hundreds of bike parking racks in St. Louis. The grant is an 80/20 proposition. The Federal Government, working through MoDOT, picks up 80% of all the costs up to $50,000. The St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation raised $10,000 so we can complete the project, with $5,000 coming from REI Gives, and the rest from individual donations and the William A. Kerr Foundation. Many thanks to all who contributed!
- On February 26, 2008 several representatives from St. Louis attended Bicycle Day at the Capitol in Jefferson City to request that our representatives and Senators support the Complete Streets bill. BikeFed member delegates on the mission included Joe Torrisi, Patty Vinyard, Karen Karabell, Wes Ridgeway, and Steve Sleet who also represented Trailnet.
- In early March 2008 board chair, Karen Karabell, and Executive Director, Patty Vinyard, attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC. The momentum is building and we were very well-received by our legislators. We asked them to support the Congressional Resolution on Bicycling as well as the Complete Streets bill. The new form of the Complete Streets makes it mandatory that all roadway projects include bicycling, rather than the old language where bicycling must only be "considered."
- In 2007 board members Lisa Marty and John Sweet, member Harold Karabell and our chair, Karen Karabell, along with Brent Hugh of the Missouri Bicycle Federation, attended the National Bike Summit in Washington, DC to represent the interests of bicyclists to our elected officials. The Bike Fed only paid part of the expense- these dedicated members of our organization went mostly at their own expense to give a voice to cyclists in our region. They asked Representatives Carnahan and Clay to work with us as we seek the designation of “Bicycle Friendly Community” from the League of American Bicyclists. We asked all our legislators, including Senator Clair McCaskill, to support the following:
- The Bike Commuter Act – This legislation would extend the transportation fringe benefit, currently available to transit users and car drivers, to bicycle commuters. It would provide a tax benefit to employers who offer cash reimbursements to an employee who commutes by bicycle, while reducing the costs of commuting for the bicyclist.
- The Conserve by Bike Program ¬– The 2005 Energy Policy Act signed into law by President Bush on August 8, 2005 authorizes a $6.2 million program to study the energy impact of shifting car trips to bicycle trips in up to ten communities. We asked our congressional representatives to fund the program so we can all do a better job at promoting bicycling.
- Complete Streets – Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street. Any street that serves only some modes of transport at the safety expense of others is incomplete. We would like to see this implemented with the support of our national representatives.
- On May 14, 2007 board member Wes Ridgeway, along with many other bicycle advocates from around the state, met with more than forty representatives and senators in Jefferson City to lay out our state legislative agenda for the 2007 session. This agenda included:
- a statute that would define injuring or killing someone with an automobile as a class-A misdemeanor (a points offense), without the necessity of establishing "recklessness" (a requirement for proving manslaughter)
- a statute that would make inattentive driving itself a points offense, and would define the use of a cell phone or similar electronic distraction while driving as inattention.
- the dedication of state highway money to bicycling and pedestrian programs, including accommodation, facilities, education, outreach, and promotion of safe practices.
We intend to participate in drafting these proposals and in shepherding them through the legislative process.
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What We'd Like To Do:
- Encourage local agencies to follow federal policies and include bicycling in every road project
- Extend the bike rack program to all reaches of the region.
- Create a streamlined Report-a-hazard program
- Encourage employers and retailers to institute bike-friendly programs and recognize those who do
- Track data about cycling in the metropolitan area
- Create an email alert system for people interested in cycling projects
- Work with the state Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator and Missouri Bicycle Federation to get bike safety training for all law enforcement personnel and work with the League of Illinois Bicyclists to make sure our Illinois counties have benefit of their law enforcement bike safety training program.
- Make bicycling an everyday mode of transportation for significant portions of the population.
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Who Are We?
Representing a wide spectrum of cycling groups, we are a non-profit, largely volunteer group sharing a vision of a bike-friendly region, covering Franklin, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, St. Charles, St. Clair and St. Louis counties and St. Louis City.
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If you have questions or if you'd like to help send us a note:
Email: info@stlbikefed.org
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