Missouri Bicycle News Article

More details about the recent firing of MoDOT's Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator Caryn Giarratano were made public today in an article by Carolyn Szczepanski in Pitch Weekly:

It was Caryn Giarratano’s job to make Missouri’s streets safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists. As the bicycle and pedestrian coordinator for the Missouri Department of Transportation, Giarratano chaired a group of officials and advocates who met every three months to guide state policies. A year ago, her supervisors told her to call off those meetings. A month ago, she was abruptly fired.

For years, Giarratano has been a hardcore cyclist, racing for the Columbia Race Team. She’s also pounded the pavement on two feet, running road races and completing several triathlons. In 1990, the Jefferson City resident started the Capitol City Cycling Club; three years later she helped establish the statewide Missouri Bicycle Federation. So in 1993, when the federal government passed a law requiring every state to have a bicycle-pedestrian coordinator, MoDOT interviewed her for the new post. The job went to a different candidate, but when it came open again in 2002, Giarratano got the gig. . . .

She took over as chair of the Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee and the group soon published a statewide plan to improve cycling and walking accommodations. She pushed to change the way MoDOT engineered streets and sidewalks, worked on legislative issues, and created a concise outline of the state’s cycling laws that’s now a standard handout at many bike shops in Kansas City.

But last November, she says, supervisors told her “to cut down dramatically my interaction with outside people.” . . .

Instead of continuing with her previous efforts, her supervisors told her to drop everything and devote all her time to creating a training program for MODOT engineers. . . .
She was fired on October 2.

“They let me go in the middle of the training and I don’t know why,” she says. . . .

Giarratano has filed a grievance against the department for wrongful termination. She declined to comment on what grounds, but says she’s going to fight to get her job back.

More importantly, Giarratano doesn’t want to see the state’s bike/ped efforts to hit the skids. As of today, MODOT has not posted a notice for a new coordinator on its Web site.

MoBikeFed News has covered this issue previously, and MoBikeFed intends to work with MoDOT to ensure that the Bicycle Pedestrian Coordinator position is filled as soon as possible, by an effective and highly qualified coordinator.

We learned at MoBikeFed's board meeting last weekend that the Bike/Ped Coordinator position has been moved to MoDOT Design under the direction of Joe Jones. This is potentially a very positive move.

Also we learned that the igNite bicycle/pedestrian design trainings--designed by Giarratano and mentioned in the article above--have been continued by other MoDOT staff. This, too, is a positive development on MoDOT's part.

The Missouri Bicycle Federation, TrailNet, and St. Louis Bicycle Federation recently made a joint appearance at the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, the group that oversees MoDOT.

On that occasion, MoDOT's upper management took pains to reassure representatives of the bicycle/pedestrian community that MoDOT intends to hire a full time bicycle/pedestrian coordinator as soon as possible with the intent of making the bicycle/pedestrian program as effective and successful as possible.

There is no doubt, however, that at this point considerable momentum has been lost in the bicycle/pedestrian program.

MoDOT's bicycle/pedestrian advisory committee has not meet in 12 months and the coordinator is gone with the search for a replacement not even started. That means a delay of some months, at least, before someone is hired and able to start work, then several more months, at least, before that person is oriented and up to speed.

In short, the way MoDOT has handled this situation over the past year is very disappointing. We can only hope the situation will improve from here on out.

Related:

News: MoBikeFed Editorial: Amendment 3 will affect Missouri's transportation future

Newsletter: MoBikeFed Press Release: PEDESTRIAN DEATH ON BROADWAY BRIDGE HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR SAFE RIVER CROSSINGS

News: Safe Routes: MoDOT funds speed reduction measures near schools

News: MoBikeFed, TrailNet, STLBikeFed speak at Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission

News: Kansas City's Bike Week wraps up--participation doubled in 2008