Most of year:
The PedNet Coalition is successful in winning five new grants totalling approximately $240,000 to expand its ongoing Active Living promotion and public policy work. Two grants worth a combined $107,000 are from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (one of which, Healthy Eating by Design, takes PedNet into a new area of health promotion); two grants worth $130,000 are from the Missouri Foundation for Health; and one grant worth $3,000 is from Boone Hospital. All five projects will commence in the second half of 2005 and run for 12-24 months.
January:
Almost 1,700 Columbia schoolchildren from 11 public schools and 5 private schools sign up for the "Passport to Fitness" Youth Challenge. The program is a collaboration between PedNet, the Mayor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health, and Boone Hospital. Boone Hospital donated the printing the 36-page booklet, which includes health and fitness tips and monthly logging forms, and is issued to every participant. Students qualify for prizes if they achieve the basic target of 240 minutes of physical activity per week.
April 24:
The PedNet Coalition celebrates its fifth birthday with a cake shared with everyone visiting the PedNet booth at Earth Day.
Not pictured: Christy Welliver, Kim March, Tom Brinker, Dean Hargett.
April-May:
PedNet coordinates Columbia's first Walking School Bus program. Four groups of 8-14 children attending Grant, Russell, Ridgeway and Fairview schools walk together as parent-supervised groups every day for the 6-week program.
May 7-14:
Approximatedly 1,700 Columbians take part in the fourth annual Mayor's Challenge: Bike, Walk, and Wheel Week. About 80 donated and reconditioned bicycles are given away during Cycle-Recycle, held at the Intersection in partnership with SAFE KIDS Coalition.
May 19:
Columbia's Active Living by Design project, "Bike, Walk, and Wheel: A Way of Life in Columbia," receives the national "5-P" award for Active Living Promotion. The project, led by PedNet and the Columbia/Boone County Health Dept. is commended for organizing a series of successful public events, conducting a social marketing research and planning effort, and generating 73 earned media hits in one year.
July 28:
Senator Kit Bond announces that Columbia will be one of just four communities nationwide to receive $25 million grants to create non-motorized transportation networks as part of a federal pilot programs. The funds will be used to build sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle trails that connect directly with transit stations, schools, businesses, recreation areas and other community activity centers. This represents the biggest step taken so far towards PedNet's vision.
September 14:
Newly-appointed Volunteer Coordinator Amahia Mallea hosts PedNet's first Volunteer Orientation Evening, which is attended by about 30 prospective volunteers, interested in helping with outreach, event coordination, and leading Walking School Buses.
October 5:
More than 700 schoolchildren attending 8 schools walk to school in an event organized by PedNet to celebrate International Walk-to-School Day.
November 8:
Following a strong campaign by the PedNet Coalition, Columbia voters approve a sales tax extension that will provide $3,500,000 to improve sidewalks and install traffic calming around elementary schools.
December:
Following a series of Sunday afternoon coffee-shop meetings of Board members, staff, and volunteers, the PedNet Coalition publishes its "Point of View Document
" laying out the organization's suggested approach to the $25,000,000 Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program. The document describes a "hub and spoke" model and identifies ten important "spokes" that should be upgraded to high-quality bike/ped corridors entering the "hub" (downtown Columbia and the University of Missouri campus).
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