Municipal elections in April--bicycle-friendly candidates in St Louis & Columbia

Municipal elections are scheduled in many cities across Missouri for April 2011.

Scott Ogilvie is running for 24th Ward Alderman in St Louis. The biography on Ogilvie's campaign web site says:

Scott Ogilvie

Scott has worked as an operations manager, bicycle mechanic, freelance designer and commercial sign designer. He has volunteered with Stray Rescue of St. Louis, fostering stray and abandoned dogs, as well as contributing time to a successful effort to rehabilitate the Penrose Park Velodrome in North St. Louis.

As an avid cyclist and bike commuter, Scott can proudly say that he has ridden down nearly every street in the city over the last eleven years. He has taken a special interest in the incredible architectural heritage of St. Louis.

Ogilvie wrote in a post on StlBiking.com:

I've been a cyclist roughly my whole life and entered the racing scene when I moved to St. Louis eleven years ago. I've also generally been a "commuter" as long as I've lived here. As such, I can assure you that I'll be a passionate, dedicated and knowledgeable advocate for cycling and pedestrian issues in the City. St. Louis has made some major cycling improvements in the last decade, including the recent passing of "Complete Streets" legislation, and having a cyclist on the Board with tens of thousands of miles of practical experience will help continue and accelerate that progress.

Of course, most of you do not live in the 24th Ward, (Dogtown, Ellendale, Clifton Heights neighborhoods) but you may still be interested in helping in this election effort because you care about the advancement of cycling advocacy in the City. 

In Columbia, Fred Schmidt is running for seat in the First Ward.  According to a Columbia Missourian article:

Fred Schmidt

Schmidt hopes to tackle issues such as the city’s budget, financial issues and the pension system. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Vassar College and a master's degree  in economics from the University of California, Berkeley. Schmidt has worked for the Federal Reserve as a statistician and on Wall Street as a bond analyst.

Born and raised in Columbia, Schmidt decided to come back five years ago and start his own accounting firm, Accounting Cycle. He works as an accountant and prepares tax returns for small businesses.

Schmidt is the treasurer for the Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation, which aims to double the number of people walking, bicycling and taking mass transit, according to the organization's website.

Know of any more bicycle/pedestrian/trails friendly candidates running for office in Missouri?  Please let us know.

The Missouri Bicycle & Pedestrian Federation does not endorse candidates for office, but we do keep you informed about candidates and issues of interest to the bicycle and pedestrian community, and of course we encourage you to be involved in the democratic process, support the candidates of your choice, vote for the candidate of your choice on election day.

We also encourage you to "Be the Vote"--consider running for office in your own area.