Quick links

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is one of our partners in the effort to preserve the Rock Island RR corridor, and partnered with the Missouri Rock Island Trail, Inc, and MoBikeFed to organize last Friday's Rally in Support of the Rock Island Trail at the capitol.

After Friday's event, Brandi Horton of RTC wrote:

Wow. Today my heart is full. 

I’m just coming off of a trip to Jefferson City, Missouri, where I met dozens of people who live along the Rock Island rail corridor. Hearing their stories about what this future trail means to their lives affirmed the importance of the work that we are doing. Beyond that, though, it affirmed how critical this trail is to the well-being of the small towns it will pass through.

Annette Triplet of the PedNet Coalition wrote an excellent summary of the situation with the Rock Island Trail--and why you need to take two minutes to complete the Missouri DNR's Survey about the future of the Rock Island Trail:

At the end of 2016, Governor Nixon announced that a 144-mile stretch of the former Rock Island rail line was on track for transfer to the State of Missouri by the end of 2017, to be developed into the Rock Island Trail.

Now state officials under Governor Greitens are reconsidering whether to accept the planned donation of the rail corridor by Ameren.

The Department of Natural Resources is asking for comments about the Rock Island Trail. We are asking all trail supporters to take a couple of minutes to complete the survey at the link below. Your input will help us let the Governor know there is strong support for the trail.

Please share your support of the Rock Island Trail through this quick Department of Natural Resources survey.

Please send your message of support for the Rock Island Trail to two different places. You can copy & paste the very same message to both:
 

We are very happy to be part of the new Bike Walk Action Coalition--a coalition of bicycle, pedestrian and trails groups from across the U.S. who are banding together to support advocacy in support of our issues in Washington, DC.

Caron Whitaker, who has long lobbied for the League of American Bicyclists in support of bicycling, walking, and trails in DC, is leading the coalition.

Caron has recorded an excellent webinar with information and details about current federal issues and specific suggestions about what you can do to help.

Click here to watch the video webinar here.

Topics for June 2017:

• Federal budget - what does it mean for bicycling, walking, and trails?  What is President Trump proposing; what is likely to be the outcome?
• What is up with the planned Trump infrastructure package?  How will it affect walking, bicycling, and trails?  What can we do to prepare for it?
• New safety performance measures goals due at the end of August--how can we be sure walking and bicycling are covered adequately by these new goals?

Caruthersville, MO, recently adopted a Complete Streets ordinance, becoming the 32nd Complete Streets Policy in Missouri and the first in the Missouri Bootheel area.

More than 2.7 million Missourians currently live in a community with a Complete Streets policy. The latest trend in Missouri is towards adoption of Complete Streets policies in a number of rural and outstate communities around the state, including Pineville, Anderson, Warsaw, Elsberry, and others. Communities adopt Complete Streets policies to help improve safety, health, and access for their residents, but also to improve the economic vitality of their communities.  With the Complete Streets approach to roads and streets becoming more common across the U.S., communities that lack Complete Streets policies lose out on grant and business opportunities.

People want to live, and businesses want to locate, in places where outdoor recreation and and basic transportation by bicycling and walking is available, safe, and convenient. Adopting a Complete Streets policy is one of the most important steps a community can take to ensure that those facilities and that access are in place in their community.