St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

Contact us!

St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation

PO Box 23086

Saint Louis, MO 63156

(314) 707-5001

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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.

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.

  Our Board of Directors:

• CHAIR

  Joe Torrisi 2010

   

  VICE CHAIR

  Kit Jenkins 2010

   

  TREASURER

  Rachel Witt 2010

   

  SECRETARY

  John Palmer 2011

   

  CHAIR ELECT

  Tom Oldenburg 2011

   

  PAST CHAIR

  Karen Karabell 2010

   

  BOARD MEMBERS

  Dan Burghoff 2010

  Mark T. Cockson 2011

  Anne Jesse 2010

  Dave Lloyd 2010

  Stephanie Mafla -Mills 2010

  Wes Ridgeway 2011

  Karla Schweitzer 2010

  John H.K. Sweet, MD 2011

  Heather Testa 2010

  Brian Vanderheyden 2010

What We're Doing:

Serving as the Voice of Bicyclists in Every Arena with an Influence on the Transportation System

All over the region 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 Great Rivers Greenway.

As changes were made to St. Louis County arterials during the I-64/40 closure, we worked with county and municipal traffic planners to ensure that bicyclists kept their rightful place on the roads.  As the new I-64 project moved east worked to help reduce congestion by promoting bicycling as a great alternative to the car at neighborhood association meetings and elsewhere.

In autumn 2009 our executive director was invited to serve on a committee with Great Rivers Greenway to solicit qualifications and proposals from consultants who would create a Bicycle Master Plan for St. Louis City, St. Louis Co., and St. Charles County. She did serve on that committee, reviewing applications from 8 teams. She now represents us on the Technical Advisory Committee for the Bicycle Master Plan, and several of our membership (including 3 board members) are serving on the Citizens' Advisory Committee for the plan, as well. The Bicycle Master Plan is expected to be complete in early 2011.

In the City of St. Louis our executive director serves on the Bicycle Implementation Group (BIG), a committee formed to review all capital projects involving bicycle facilities in The City. She attends all meetings of this group and voices the concerns of cyclists, advises the City's engineers and planners based on cyclists' concerns as understood through experience and through our outreach work, as well as leading the sub-committee on Bicycle Friendly status for the League of American Bicyclists.

We serve on the Bicycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) at East West Gateway Council of Governments - the Metropolitan Planning Organization for the St. Louis Region. In 2009 the BPAC appointed our executive director to represent the concerns of bicyclists and pedestrians on the Transportation Planning Committee at East West Gateway Council. By serving on both of these committees we work to ensure that the interests and needs of bicyclists are considered and addressed in planning, building and maintaining the region's transportation system.

Collaborations with Like-minded Organizations

We have ongoing partnerships with organizations such as Great Rivers Greenway, Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation,  League of Illinois Bicyclists, Gateway Council Hostelling International, Trailnet, bike shops, riding and racing clubs, environmental groups, commerical districts, and several neighborhood associations to coordinate our efforts to improve bicycling for the benefit of everyone in our region.

In 2010 our staff participated in a task force at FOCUS St. Louis that researched and wrote an Environmental Sustainability Roadmap. Bicycling is one of the greenest, cleanest forms of transportation and we are very pleased to have partnered with this group. Check out the Roadmap here.

Bike Parking Demonstration Project

This project is funded in part by a federal Transportation Enhancements grant, with a local match of $10,000. In 2007 our membership donated $5,000 and REI Gives donated $5,000 to make this match. In November 2009 we started a bid process to hire a fabricator and order at least 100 new bike racks to be installed around St. Louis City and County. As of April 2010 we are waiting for MoDOT to answer our most recent letter requesting permission to proceed with fabrication, which we sent in January of this year after receiving bids from 5 potential contractors. Stay tuned!

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.

Midwest Bicycle Expo & Swap Meet

This event brings the cycling community together under one roof  every winter and highlights the popularity of bicycling in our region. Save the date for the next Expo - Sunday, January 30, 2011.

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 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 2009, we parked about 250 bikes there. 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. Then in October of 2009 we provided bike parking at Taste of St. Louis downtown. In 2010 we provided two bike parking areas at the St. Louis Earth Day festival and for the first time on May 1 we provided bike parking at Busch Stadi. We are also planning to provide bike parking at Taste of St. Louis in October 2010. Look for us!

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 Midwest Bicycle Expo and Swap Meet.

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. Working 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 of these racks.

With  a federal Transportation Enhancements 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! As of May 2010 we are in the final stages of gaining permission from MoDOT to proceed with the project. Stay tuned!