Livable Streets in North Missouri

Walkable Downtown Kirksville

The movement for more livable streets is not solely an urban effort.

That's the lesson I am learning this week as I travel around the northern counties of our state. Community leaders and concerned citizens in Missouri's smaller but mighty places are just as concerned about livable public spaces as are our fellow in metropolitan areas.

Today I met folks in Moberly, Kirksville, Unionville and Albany who are working to create places that are more walkable, bikable and accessible to all modes of travel.

Declining tax bases in small towns require creative financing for livable streets and other public investments.

If there are any constants in the cities I am visiting it is that older towns have aging populations and declining infrastructure. Bigger cities have these conditions, too, but it seems more pronounced in North Missouri. I saw an old lady sitting with her doorway propped open along Franklin Street in downtown Kirksville watching the world go by. Empty upper stories in downtown Moberly and Unionville beg for residents or businesses that just aren't there to occupy spaces that in other jurisdictions would bring high dollar rents. Lower tax bases make it harder for cities to get things done. The creative livable streets advocates I met with today are pursuing grants from state and federal agencies and foundations to build new sidewalks and trails.

The residents who remain in small towns need streets that accommodate their needs. This means sidewalks that don't pitch wheelchairs riders over, curb cuts and crosswalks that command drivers attention to stop and wait for older residents and kids to safely cross the street.

There are other patterns that our smaller communities seem to share. There are core neighborhoods with aging, but well-kept residential structures, almost universally derelict sidewalks and a relaxed attitude that I don't see as much in larger cities. On the outskirts of almost every city I see there is a Casey's General Store, a Subway and a Dollar General. As such development is drawn to the less walkable edges small (and larger) cities would be well-served to review their street standards. It is in these streets standards that the local government can require sidewalks be build when development goes in.

If high traffic businesses want to move and thus extend the city limits these entrepreneurs should have to provide sidewalks so that seniors, kids, disabled residents and others can safely reach these destinations without having to get in a car or beg for a ride. Churches and government institutions have a similar responsibility to create quality livable places. Some examples of street standards in Missouri communities where sidewalks are required to be built at time of construction include St. Peters, Columbia and Cape Girardeau.

Thanks for reading. How livable are your town's streets tonight?

New development on the edge of town should include sidewalks so all residents can access these places.

Amish people need livable streets, too.

Small town commuter.

Sunset over Albany, Missouri.

Livable Streets Road Trip

Over time Missouri's communities are doing more to make their public spaces and streets more livable. Depending on the context this means a combination of improved sidewalks, new bike facilities, safer routes to school and more.

Columbia, Missouri's livable streets support pedicabs!

This week I am head out to visit leaders in several of those more livable communities. My road trip across north Missouri will give me a chance to see how these mostly small towns and cities are making streets more accessible for active transportation. As I visit a range of communities I'll be posting pictures to this blog that highlight what these mostly small towns are doing to build more livable streets.

And if you haven't checked out our new website please do. We keep putting information up at LivableStreets.Missouri.edu that can help local livable streets advocates like yourself become better informed and inspired to talk to your elected leaders about adopting livable streets into your municipal policies and plans.

See you in the Streets,
Trevor

Taking the lane keeps things safe on the ride.

Lisa* and I were biking downtown to the movies the other night. I was riding behind her where she likely would say I belong. There are a couple places on this particular ride where the vehicular travel lane becomes a turn lane requiring a merge into the straight ahead travel lane. (At this point those somewhat familiar with Columbia bicycling and driving might imagine eastbound Broadway approaching southbound Seventh Street.)

As we crossed the street before the turn lane Lisa took the lane. Not the turn lane but the travel lane to the right of the turn lane. I was impressed with her defensive pedaling. For non-bicyclists "taking the lane" refers to a decision a bicyclist makes that he or she needs to be positioned more or less in the center of a lane versus staying on the right edge of the lane. In a wikipedia entry on this topic John Franklin is cited as calling this the primary riding position (versus a secondary riding position where the bicyclist sticks to the meter or so nearest the curb.)

The main factor for me in whether or not to take the lane is whether I feel that there is safe clearance for both me and the inevitable passing cars. If there is room for all I will stay in the secondary rising position. If I feel I will get squeezed when car drivers pass due to a narrow lane, I will take the lane. Drivers may see this as a bicyclist being obstructionist or obstinate. I am not sure. All I know is I want to get to the movies safely and not become a road accident.

Right turn lanes complicate this situation for the bicyclist since passing cars have built up speed and here I go moving out into their travel lane. Car drivers at stoplights are generally rarin' to take off when they get the green light. With me in the primary riding position and upon the light turning green drivers who have stacked up behind me on my bike must wait until enough lane width exists for them to safely pass.

To avoid irritating drivers I always tend to ride up the right turn lane at this location, watching in my bike mirror for approaching cars who may wish to turn right. Moving left when I see the car approaching the turn location seemed to be the safer option vs. being in the straight-ahead travel lane. Did I mention all this is happening while headed up a fair incline on eastbound Broadway in downtown Columbia, Missouri? (Pictures forthcoming.)

*Thanks to Lisa for showing me confidence to be consistent in my pedaling. And for going with me to see a funny movie on a schoolnight.

Livable Streets Profile: Gina Overshiner and the Smithton Bike Brigade

Gina Overshiner's bicycle

Getting the kids to school can send a message, build your team and burn calories. All in one swoop. (Or is it one swoosh?)

Columbia, Missouri's Gina Overshiner is a hands-on mom. And a mom who bikes. When her two kids Max and Anna Rose started attending different local schools Gina opted not to get a mini-van with room for the whole soccer team. Instead, she did what any mid-western mom with a passion for active transportation did: she started a bike brigade.

Every school day, Gina rides with Max to Columbia's Smithton Middle School. On the way to school, Gina and Max stop at Again Street Park. There they pick up any other neighborhood kid who wants to ride. The kids and their parents like the safety that riding as a group offers (Ask a generally solitary rider about the power of riding with one, ten or a hundred other bicyclists. It changes things.) After navigating west-central Columbia's mix of local roads and a state highway, a regional commercial hub and the ubiquitous hills, Gina and her Smithton Bike Brigade arrive at school.


"The Smithton Bike Brigade offers an opportunity for social engagement around bike activities," says Gina. "I am always thinking about new ways to get more kids involved. Besides being a social activity with a workout attached the Brigade fosters community and encourages social activism among these students."

Bike/Ped Day at the Capitol, 2011

Recently, the students heard about Zambikes, a not-for-profit that provides bicycle ambulances to villages in Zambia. With a population of about 12 million in an area the size of Texas, Zambia lies in Sub-Saharan Africa. Motor vehicles are scarce in rural Zambia and a bicycle is one way to easily connect Zambians who needs medical attention with providers who are often separated by large distances. With their interest in supporting bicycling in Zambia, the students (with some help from Gina) created a fundraiser. They operated a Bike Spa at Columbia's 2011 Earth Day Festival. Riders paid $10 for the students to clean their rides’ chains and apply needed lube, check the brakes and tire pressure. The bike spa profits went to Zambikes to buy a bike ambulance.

Columbia, Missouri's Smithton Bike Brigade

Gina notes "These kids understand and appreciate the need to get political about bicycling. We took them to Jefferson City this Spring to talk to legislators on Bike/Ped Day at the Capitol. The elected officials were impressed when a bunch of sixth-graders shared information with them about bike safety." Also politically active on the local level, the bike brigade continues to work with the City of Columbia staff to improve bike and pedestrian facilities at a major intersection near Smithton Middle School. As Education Coordinator for the PedNet Coalition, Gina sees all this as part of her job. "The bike brigade is an experiment," she adds. "I am trying to find our what the kids respond to."

And after Gina gets done riding Max and his fellow members of the Bike Brigade to Smithton, Gina turns around and rides home, picks up AnnaRose on her bike and accompanies her to school in the other direction.

Comments wanted on St. Louis Bike Plan

If you are a St. Louis area bicyclist or know someone who is check out the St. Louis Bike Plan. Comments on the plan can be shared online as well as at a series of open houses scheduled for across the region over the next week or so. -tre

What folks are wearing out on those Livable Streets.

There are a lot of factors that go into making a decision. Whether it is where to eat dinner, who to take to the prom or when to invest. Recent research from University of Missouri researchers indicate that advocates for physical activity may find the greatest success when they reinforce good behaviors that leads to exercise instead of trying to give people still more information about why they need to exercise. In the case of physical activity, more information may not be better. Some support at the right time and place may make all the difference.

Once you have made the decision to walk or bicycle to some of your destinations, clothes make the (wo)man. If you are trying active transportation for the first time consider investing in clothing that will keep you dry and warm.

Here goes with the list of that key clothing that - if you keep it close by - may keep you walking and bicycling longer into the year and into your life:

Rain gear: Sometime in your future as a walker or bike commuter it is going to rain. Or snow. Or sleet. And you will be glad that you got a set of waterproof pants and jacket. Go for water-proof not merely water-resistant duds. I always keep a change of clothes at work for that day when my rain gear fails me either due to a wardrobe malfunction or a hurricane arriving. We rarely think about staying dry until we get wet. As an everyday (or occasional) active commuter you will quickly strive to remain a Dry American. Having and wearing water-proof rain gear makes all the difference between dry & happy and wet & sad (Aside: While it is gear for your bike and not your body, consider getting a set of fenders for your ride. Keeping that annoying splash on the street and off your trousers or skirt will make you feel and look better when you cruise into work.)

Ankle biters: These sound painful but are not. Ankle biters are a piece of metal or a velcro strip that cinches around your ankle that rides on the chain side of the bicycle. You only have to trash a pair of pants once by getting them caught in your bike chain before you go looking for an ankle biter. No bike shop near you? No worries. A burly rubber band works fine, too.

Shoes: As a walker, you deserve good footwear. Solid support coupled with waterproof or wicking fibers will keep your pups dry and warm in all kinds of weather. A change of shoes upon arrival lets you slip into something more comfortable in which to have your day. And TODAY is YOUR day, right?

Helmet: There is no reason to go helmet-less on a bike. Even hipsters with good hair can crash and sustain head injuries. A few years ago a friend shared with me the helmet wearers' mantra: May you always wear it and never need it. Too true. (For walkers, a wide brimmed hat will keep the sun off your face. No need to get blinded while stepping off the sidewalk. For walkers and bicyclists long commutes deserve sunscreen. Skin cancers are everywhere these days. Don't go courting melanoma. Lather up before heading out.)

There. Is your wardrobe completely prepared for any kind of weather? Let me know what key accountrements for the well-dressed active commuter I may have missed.

See you in the Streets,
Tre

Kids on Bikes

What kid doesn't love his or her bicycle? For kids of a certain age bicycles represent independence. If streets are safe for bicycles, kids can rove around visiting friends, exploring the world and getting exercise. Awareness of safe bicycling and rules of the road are important if the younger among us are going to have a good bicycle experiences. Having safe, fun times on a bike as a kid can sustain interest in active transportation into adulthood.

There are several key items that kids (and everyone) needs to keep in mind when riding. First, always wear a helmet. The bike helmet wearer's mantra? May you always wear it and never need it. A well-fitted, securely worn helmet can protect the head in the event of a bicycle crash. Leaving the helmet with the bicycle when storing it after a ride is the best way to ensure that the helmet is in the right place when the rider needs it again. Most bicycle shops sell helmets right alongside their bicycle offerings.

Second, riding skills - like driving skills - are something that are learned over time and with experience. If your kids are beyond training wheels and ready to ride more freely on low-traffic city streets make sure they understand the rules of the road. Instill road safety in your bicycling youngsters. Ride with them and make sure they know to stop whenever a car is required to stop. Demonstrate left- and right-turn hand signaling for your younger riders. Encourage kids on bicycles to plan out routes to school and friends' houses that rely on low-speed, low-traffic streets avoiding speedy, traffic-y major arterials.

Third, make sure your kids' bikes work properly. That means each bicycle has brakes that grip, a seat positioned correctly and tires that are inflated. Functioning front and rear lights make riding at dusk and afterwards much safer. Help your kids to also have the right clothing for riding. Bicycling is much more pleasant when kids have clothes that keep them warm, dry and visible to drivers.

There are several programs aimed at bicycle safety for younger riders. Take a look at some of these resources  in the interest of training the next generation of bicycle commuters:

• The Safe Routes to School National Partnership has a free webinar on May 5 for folks who are interested in starting a local Bike Train.
• Columbia's PedNet Coalition has information about starting a walking school bus.
• Ecology Action offers bicycle safety tips for kids.

For more information about youth bicycle safety or to request a Livable Streets presentation in your community contact Missouri Livable Streets at 573.884.8602 or e-mail HarrisTre@Missouri.edu.