Newsroom: Archived News
News Archives
2011
- Analysis of Columbia's public transportation system with recommendations for expansion
- As has been observed through the Columbians for Modern Efficient Transit (CoMET) campaign, there is a strong and growing community desire to expand Columbia Transit's service over the next few years
- Resolution regarding Scott’s Branch Trail
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- Working to create healthy habits
- PedNet, along with other local organizations, are working towards encouraging healthy habits for low-income individuals in Ward 1 and the Columbia Housing Authority.
- Trivia Night Birthday Bash
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Help us celebrate PedNet’s Birthday with some good food, great friends, and fantastic fun! All proceeds further PedNet’s vision of a healthy, active Columbia realized through a walkable, bicycle-friendly, wheelchair accessible community with access to healthy foods and recreations.
- Lose the Training Wheels
- "Lose The Training Wheels" is returning for its second successful year in Columbia!
- Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods Invites Youth Involvement
- Youth Voice for Advocacy (YV4A), part of the PedNet Coalition's Unite 4 Healthy Neighborhoods initiative, has an opportunity for young people ages 13 to 17 to become involved in positive ways to affect the health and well being of Columbia’s community members.
- Council and School Board Candidates go on the Record
- Tuesday, April 5th is Election Day.
Four candidates are competing for First Ward City Council seat. Two candidates are running for Fifth Ward City Council seat. Three open seats for three-year terms on the School Board are being contested. To help you decide whom to vote for, we posed the candidates a series of questions relating to PedNet's mission. Read their responses.
- Bike Mechanics College
- PedNet is introducing a new program to its lineup of bicycle classes called “Bicycle Mechanics College.” This 8-week course will debut in March and cover everything you need to know about maintaining, repairing, and re-building your bike.
2010
- GetAbout Survey Results Misleading
- A December 30, 2010 article in the Columbia Daily Tribune Results from GetAbout Columbia study offer mixed messages reported on a of City of Columbia commissioned survey that said that bicycling and active transportation in Columbia had actually dropped during the GetAbout Columbia project time frame.
PedNet's Robert Johnson took a more in-depth look at the results and found some surprising flaws in the way the survey was conducted.
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- PedNet Receives 1% For The Planet Approval
- The PedNet Coalition was recently approved as a non-profit organization for 1% For The Planet, a program devoted to giving 1% of all business profits to environmental groups around the world.
- Smithton Middle School Bike Brigade
- A group of Smithton Middle School students called the Bike Brigade have traveled to school on their bikes since the first day of class and hope to continue until the end of the school year.
- Vote "Yes" on Proposition 1
- The vision of the PedNet Coalition is a healthy and active community, and the values underscoring that vision include: healthy living for all, environmental and economic sustainability, and social equity.
- Street Murals Completed
- The two designs for Columbia’s Bike Boulevard street mural have been completed and can now be seen on the street intersections of Windsor and Melbourne and Ash and St. Joseph streets.
- U4HN Workshop Inspires Healthy Living
- Inspiring and empowering Columbia residents to make healthy choices was the goal of the recent Unite for Healthy Neighborhoods (U4HN) Community Workshop. Hosted by the Healthy Environment Policy Initiative (HEPI) project team, the event brought together community leaders, national speakers, citizens, and advocates all focused on creating a healthy environment for children.
- Urban Empowerment Youth Canvass for U4HN
- The planning team for the Unite For Healthy Neighborhoods (U4HN) Community Workshop was looking for ideas to get the word out about the event. U4HN co-chair Verna Harris-Laboy thought of using teens to canvass door-to-door in various central city neighborhoods.
- United States Department of Transportation Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations
- US Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Ray LaHood recently unveiled an exciting new policy statement that reflects the DOT’s support for the development of fully integrated active transportation systems.
Read the entire Policy.
- Council and School Board Candidates go on the Record
- To help you decide whom to vote for, we posed the candidates a series of questions, relating to PedNet's mission. Here are their responses.
- Three Full-Time Positions
- Promotion of Healthy Lifestyles and a Healthy Community. The PedNet Coalition seeks three high-performing individuals for full-time, benefits-eligible positions. Successful candidates will have exceptional communication skills, the capacity to manage multiple projects with attention to detail, and a personal commitment to PedNet’s vision.
- Missouri Chosen for the SRTS State Network Project
- The Missouri Foundation for Bicycling and Walking is pleased to announce that the Safe Routes to School National Partnership selected Missouri as one of 19 states to participate in the 2010 and 2011 phase of the State Network Project.
- A Case for On-Street Parking
- Michael Ronkin, former Pedestrian/Bicycle Coordinator for the State of Oregon, and now a consultant and respected advocate for walkability and bikability, recently authored an essay for the Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals listserv in response to the question of whether to remove a vehicle travel lane or on-street parking during construction when one had to be taken out.
- Bike Rack Appreciation
- You don’t know how good you have it until you don’t. Finding a place to park a bike in downtown Columbia is so easy that cyclists may be genuinely surprised when they arrive at the local bank, convenience store, or DMV and there is no good place to lock a bike.
- New Crosswalk Signs Increase Safety
- A new pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Ash and Redwood, between West Boulevard and Pershing, has made walking to school much easier for some students at West Boulevard Elementary.
- 500 Empty Spaces Every Day
- During the week of November 12-16, PedNet volunteers measured an average of 500 vacant spaces at mid-morning in the City of Columbia’s four downtown parking garages. At the same time, the City is building a 700-space parking garage at the corner of Fifth and Walnut.
2009
- Safe Route to School Grants Awarded to two Columbia Schools
- The National Center for Safe Routes to School recently awarded mini-grants to two Columbia Public Schools for the spring 2010 semester. Fairview Elementary and Smithton Middle School will both receive $1000 to promote safe, active transportation to school.
- Columbia Ranked Safest City in Missouri for Preventable Pedestrian Deaths, Report Shows
- Columbia is among the safest communities in the nation for pedestrians, a new national report shows, but the country as a whole scored poorly with dangerously-designed streets responsible for more than 5,000 preventable deaths every year.
- Sustainable Living Fair
- To help Columbia learn more about how they can live a sustainable lifestyle, Mid Missouri Peaceworks is sponsoring a Sustainable Living Fair on Saturday, October 17, 2009.
- Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival Bike Valet Parking and Bike Parade
- Columbia residents are in for a treat September 25-26 with the return of the Roots 'N Blues 'N BBQ Festival. In true PedNet style, we encourage everyone to avoid the parking hassles and bike or walk to the festival venue.
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- PedNet Formally Partners with Columbia Public Schools
- The Columbia Public Schools and the PedNet Coalition have forged a formal partnership through the districts Partners in Education program. The school district has been working with PedNet for several years now on a number of projects, including the Walking School Bus, and the two met last spring to further their connection. PedNet is an official Partner In Education with the Physical Education and Health Department of CPS.
- Bicycle Harassment Ordinance Upheld, Residential Speed Limits Lowered to 25mph
- The PedNet Coalition achieved two policy successes at the August 17 Columbia City Council meeting. More than a dozen PedNet supporters attended the meeting and testified during public input on ordinances regarding bicyclist harassment and reduced neighborhood speeds.
- Bicycle harassment ordinance passes unanimously
- The Columbia City Council unanimously passed council bill 151-09, a bicycle harassment ordinance, on Monday, June 15, 2009 after almost two hours of debate.
- PedNet Coalition announces official support for cyclist education, law enforcement, and “anti-harassment” law
- PedNet believes the "Harassment of a Bicyclist" ordinance is a reasonable and necessary law enforcement tool. We support an initial period (for example, while the Task Force completes its work) during which warnings will be issued but no arrests will be made.
- Mayor Hindman Receives National Recognition
- Mayor Darwin Hindman was recently presented with a Leadership for Healthy Communities Award at the Leadership for Healthy Communities Childhood Obesity Prevention Summit on Thursday, May 7, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
- Columbia will lower residential street speeds to 25 mph
- A new study conducted here in Columbia has shown that people will drive more slowly when 25 mph signs are posted.
- US Secretary of Transportation calls for “Livable Communities”
- Secretary of Transportation Ray La Hood, in testimony before the US Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, stated that the government’s efforts to reduce CO2 emissions and fossil fuel dependence will not be enough unless motor vehicle use is reduced as well, and one way to do that is to increase the “livability” of communities.
- Columbia is a Bicycle Friendly Community
- The League of American Bicyclists, a nationwide organization of bicycle clubs, individual cyclists and affiliated organizations, has named Columbia a Bicycle Friendly Community at Silver Level.
- Senator Bond Encourages A Healthy Lifestyle
- U.S. Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond was the guest of honor at PedNet’s Healthy Kids, Healthy Columbia Celebration and GetAbout Columbia Ribbon Cutting on Friday, April 17.
- Senator Bond Visits Columbia for Two Healthy Community Events
- U.S. Senator Christopher S. “Kit” Bond will be the guest of honor at the Healthy Kids, Healthy Columbia Celebration and GetAbout Columbia Ribbon Cutting on Friday morning, April 17.
- Council and School Board Candidates go on the Record
- Tuesday April 7th is Election Day. Two candidates – Allan Sharrock and Jason Thornhill - are competing for the Second Ward City Council seat. Barbara Hoppe (incumbent) and Rod Robison are competing for the Sixth Ward City Council seat. Two open seats on the School Board are being contested by Marc A. Bledsoe, Jeannie H. Craig, Greg Flippin, Dan Holt, Christine King, Bill Meredith, Sam Phillips, Michelle Pruit,and Adam Sorg.
- Walnut Street Connector Usable Again!
- Regular active commuters know the importance of safe, accessible connectors to get from one point in town to another. Recently, one popular connector became impassable after some construction work in the area left a lot of sticky, thick mud in the path.
- PedNet Leaders Named ‘Friends of Missouri Bicycling’
- Yesterday, in the State Capitol in Jefferson City, PedNet Executive Director Ian Thomas and PedNet Education Coordinator received awards from the Missouri Bicycle Federation. Other award recipients included Trailnet founder and GetAbout Columbia program manager Ted Curtis and, with a "Lifetime Achievement Award," Ted and Pat Jones whose vision, hard work, and financial support were instrumental in the creation of the Katy Trail.
- Ask Congress To Support Funds for Active Transportation in the Stimulus Package
- The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization that works with communities to turn unused rail corridors into trails. Their mission is to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors to build healthier places for healthier people.
- Let’s Roll Together Columbia!
- The Columbia Police Department and GetAbout Columbia have teamed up to create Let’s Roll Together Columbia! This informative video, narrated by Sgt. Tim Moriarity, stresses the rights and responsibilities that both bicyclists and drivers have when using the roadways.
2008
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Columbia Receives Healthy Kids Grant
- The City of Columbia was recently awarded a $400,000 grant aimed at improving the health and fitness of local children. The Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities grant, awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is a nation program focused on creating healthier communities through education and outreach.
- Garth Trail Connector Gets Neighborhood Approval
- The South Garth neighborhood recently held a trail Walkdown and a Neighborhood Meeting to continue discussion about the creation of an MKT trail connector. Neighborhood consensus was reached and the plan will now goes before the City Council.
- Errand Bikes are Making a Difference
- The Errand Bikes program is changing the way some Columbia merchants are doing business. Instead of depending on a car for all of their transportation needs, bikes are becoming a popular option.
- SRTS Environmental Impact Report Released
- The Safe Routes to School National Partnership recently released a report titled Safe Routes To School Steps to a Greener Future; How walking and bicycling to school reduces carbon emissions and air pollutants. Five cities are featured in the report, including Columbia.
- Bicycle Commuter Act
- What is the Bicycle Commuter Act?
The Bicycle Commuter Act is a tax incentive that allows employers to offer a benefit of up to $20 a month for those who regularly commute to work by bike. The benefit is intended to offset the costs of bike commuting.
- Mayor asks for safer intersections
- From the Missourian November 17, 2008
The behavior of two drivers was on trial in a recent personal injury lawsuit stemming from a 2005 accident involving a bicyclist. But the safety of a Columbia intersection was on trial as well.
- New tax break to bicycle commuters
- The $700 billion bailout bill intended to stop the tailspin of the nation's financial sector did something else: It includes federal tax benefits for people who commute by bike.
- Sidewalk assessment project
- The City of Columbia is looking for up to 50 volunteers who can help the morning of Saturday, November 15 with a new opportunity - a sidewalk assessment of an area just east of downtown Columbia.
- Parks and Rec Has its own blog
- The self-proclaimed "unofficial" blog of the Columbia Parks & Recreation Department features all items related to the planning, construction, maintenance and management of Columbia's parks, trails and facilities.
- XCX Cross Country Run Promises Crazy Fun
- Can you survive the XCX Cross Country Extreme? Find out on Saturday, November 15, 2008. This four mile cross country race will challenge you in ways you can’t even imagine. With promises of new obstacles and a prize for the muddiest participant you know it is going to be some crazy fun!
- Take part in the The MDA Stride and Ride, November 1, 2008.
- MDA Stride & Ride is a unique community-wide event that brings together support for local children and adults with muscle wasting diseases.
- Operation Share the Road
- The Columbia Police Department has designated October as Operation Share the Road month. Throughout October officers will increase the enforcement of city and state statutes regarding the rights and responsibilities of bicyclists and drivers.
- October Offers Some Great Guided Rides
- Two great rides are planned for the month of October. Check out the fall colors and avoid all that bad traffic while you cycle your way to the Hartsburg Pumpkin Fest. Then gather your little goblins and ghouls for a Spooktacular ride to Mizzou Arena for some tricks and treats on Halloween.
- The Mayor’s Cup II
- September 25, 2008 You say you did it last year? Well saddle up again because you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! Columbia’s Urban Adventure Race hits the city again with all new locations, activities, challenges, and crazy fun.
- Youzeum Starlight Bike Ramble
- Don't miss out on Columbia's best night-time bicycling experience, the YouZeum Starlight Bike Ramble, Saturday September 27 at 8:00 pm. About 500 cyclists (it was hard to count them all!) have participated the last two years and we're expecting a big turnout again.
© Copyright 2008 PedNet
