Last updated: 10th December 2007

Columbia Daily Tribune (Saturday, October 27, 2007): Original story PedNet puts pedal power into practice By KAT HUGHES of the Tribune’s staff About 25 bicyclists clad in brightly colored rain gear set out yesterday to prove that motorized vans are not a necessity for moving. PedNet Coalition members and volunteers caravanned about four miles to downtown Columbia, towing trailers behind bikes topped with desk chairs, a 4-foot filing cabinet and office supplies safely stowed from the rain in cardboard boxes and Tupperware bins. PedNet used the move to its new office on the northwest corner of Seventh and Walnut streets as an opportunity to promote its message that bicycles can be every bit as functional as motorized vehicles - and a lot more fun. Although the morning drizzle made the brick pavement on Cherry Street slick, and the cyclists’ brakes squeaked at stop signs and red lights, the rain didn’t dampen spirits as the group made its way through downtown blaring music from a boom box and waving at baffled onlookers. The caravan attracted a fair amount of attention as Ninth Street pedestrians stopped to gawk at the pseudo-parade’s grand marshal - Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman on a tandem accompanied by a man wearing a gorilla suit on the back seat. Getting attention was just what the group wanted, Hindman said. "I think it demonstrates and brings attention to PedNet and the nonmotorized pilot program that will install these systems so more people can do what we did today," Hindman said. "I also think it calls attention to the fact that you can do a lot of things by bicycle - even move in the rain." PedNet Executive Director Ian Thomas, who hauled the largest items behind his bike on an 8-foot trailer, said PedNet would begin working out of its new office across from the Boone County Courthouse on Monday. PedNet is working with a federal nonmotorized transportation program that will give $22 million to the city over a four-year period to improve transportation for bicycles and pedestrians. Columbia is one of four cities in the nation chosen for the program. The new office was formerly occupied by Lifestyles Furniture. The building is owned by Boone County and leased by the city. City staff involved in infrastructure improvements will share the space with PedNet, which is in charge of directing education programs to encourage use of the nonmotorized system. For anyone who took part in the move, however, the event was just another excuse to get on a bike. "It’s always nice to get out and ride," PedNet member Tim Overshiner said. "When you’re in your car, you’re in your own environment. You miss really seeing the things around you."

Columbia Missourian (Saturday, October 27, 2007): Original story PedNet Coalition staff bike to new office By Kate Hill A parade of bicycles glided through the streets of Columbia on Friday, pulling trailers packed with envelopes, desk chairs and other office supplies. It was moving day for the PedNet Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating non-motorized transportation. Coalition staff and about 20 volunteers used bicycles, backpacks and bike trailers to move the home offices of the five staff members to the organization’s new location at 101 N. Seventh St. The Coalition will share the space with the city’s PedNet Project, Columbia’s complement to the nonprofit group. The move came after the Coalition signed a contract with Vangel Marketing Communications of Columbia on Wednesday to continue advocating a bike-friendly Columbia, said Ian Thomas, executive director. Vangel, hired by the city to oversee Pednet’s education efforts, will fund PedNet with money from the $25 million Federal Non-Motorized Transportation Pilot Program grant awarded to Columbia in 2005. Columbia is one of four cities in the country to receive the grant, which is intended to enhance trails and roads for biking and walking. The new office will bring the PedNet Coalition and the city’s PedNet Project under one roof, and provide a centralized information center. “I think one of the great benefits is that the general public will be able to walk in and have a conversation with PedNet staff one-on-one,” said Janet Godon, the PedNet Coalition’s outreach coordinator. While the city’s PedNet Project will concentrate on infrastructure issues such as designing bike routes, the PedNet Coalition is responsible for advocacy, education, support and encouragement. The PedNet Coalition was established in 2000 as a volunteer group. In 2003, the organization started writing grants and funding staff and education programs, but did not have money for an office. So the staff worked from home, Thomas said. Thomas said the coalition chose to move by bike to draw attention to nonmotorized transportation and to illustrate the organization’s devotion to its ideals. The benefits of leaving the car in the driveway are more than just economical, Thomas said. Using alternative forms of transportation such as biking and walking can improve health and the environment. Mayor Darwin Hindman, a regular cyclist and Thomas’ father-in-law, rode his tandem bike in the move. “Hindman’s support has helped move the cause tremendously,” Thomas said. During Friday’s move, drivers honked and pedestrians waved as the procession of bikes splashed through downtown in the rain. “I’m a major advocate of people getting activity in their lives,” Hindman said. “The idea that you could move an entire office by bike demonstrates that there’s a lot you can do with them and have fun.” He also thinks uniting the two PedNet groups is a step forward in the implementation of the city’s nonmotorized transportation plan. Michelle Windmoeller and her two children volunteered to help with the move. “I have two kids, 7 and 10, and I’m really trying to encourage them to live an active lifestyle,” she said. “I want to show them that it doesn’t take a car to do everything.” Ted Curtis, Columbia’s Bike/Ped Program manager for the PedNet Project, said his office will move from the Daniel Boone Building on Broadway to the new office on Seventh Street next week on foot.