Get Moving Twin Cities

Get Moving Twin Cities

Goal 1: Increase environmental opportunities for physical activity in the Twin Cities

Objective: Festus and Crystal City city councils will adopt a Complete Streets Policy for each community

Goal 2: Increase physical activity among Twin Cities’ residents

Objective: Establish a Bike-to-School program in the Festus School District

What are Complete Streets?

Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, and transit riders of all ages and abilities must be able to safely move along and across a complete street.¹

How will Complete Streets benefit our community?

•       Health: Increased walking and biking leads to less chronic disease

•       Community Building: Safer neighborhoods, more neighbor-to-neighbor interactions

•       Economic: Increased property values, growth and new development, money stays in community

•       Safety: Fewer traffic accidents

Bike-to-School Program

The Bike-to-School program is for students in grades 6-8 at Festus Intermediate and Middle Schools.  Student participants will complete a bicycle safety course prior to starting the program. 

The group will bike to school once a week during the 2010-2011 school year, weather permitting.  All students participating in the program will receive a bicycle helmet, bike lock, a bike tire pump, and certificate of completion.  In addition, all student participants will be entered into a raffle to receive a free bicycle!

Bike-to-School groups will be led by adult bike group leaders who will complete Traffic Skills 101, a free bicycle safety course provided by a League of American Bicyclists League Certified Instructor.  Each adult leader will lead a group before and/or after school one or two days a month.  The program provides bicycles for the adult leaders to use. 

The Jefferson County Health Department is currently recruiting adult leaders and student participants.  All leaders must complete a background check. The training for adult Bike-to-School leaders will take place in mid- to late May 2010.  The training for student participants will take place in July or August 2010.  If you are interested in leading a group, or if you have a child who would like to be part of the program, please contact Melissa Brown at the Jefferson County Health Department at (636) 282-1010 or melissa.brown@jeffcohealth.org.

 

1. http://www.completestreets.org/complete-streets-fundamentals/complete-streets-faq/

 
The Get Moving Twin Cities project is funded in whole by the Missouri Foundation for Health, a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves.