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Phil Valko puts it simply: “It’s a textbook environmental justice issue.” In St. Louis, some of the poorest residents are saddled with the worst environmental conditions. The sources of toxic waste, dirty air and hazardous conditions are located just outside the doors of predominantly low-income, African American neighborhoods.

The advocates at Trailnet aren’t willing to let that trend go unnoticed — or unchallenged.

Despite the staggering heat, the St. Louis bicycle and pedestrian advocates drew a big crowd for an event to shed light on the issue this weekend. On Saturday, Trailnet hosts its third Environmental Justice Ride and nearly three dozen people came out to witness firsthand the clear and tragic inequality.

Phil Valko, Trailnet’s Active Living Program Manager, says the ride was the organic result of a partnership with the residents in the affected communities.

“We started this ride through a partnership with a social services non-profit called Grace Hill Settlement House,” he explains. “Grace Hill and Trailnet successfully collaborated on an EPA grant application, which included hosting two of these rides. The first ride was attended by approximately 30 people, which included roughly half local residents and roughly half folks from other areas. Many of the riders on that first ride were lower-income residents. The EPA grant allowed us to provide free bike helmets, free bike locks, and $5 coupons to a local cafe or the local food co-op, too. In addition, Trailnet partnered with another local organization, St. Louis BicycleWorks, to provide free loaner bikes.”

Because the first two rides made such an impression, Trailnet decided to host a third without EPA support.

“The ride highlights the high concentration of dirty businesses and the adjacent low-income, predominantly black neighborhoods,” Valko says. “The air quality within the district is among the worst in the entire state. As the rides moves through the area, it becomes clear why: There are waste incinerators; scrap metal yards that shred toxic metals and spew dust; exposed piles of salt that leave trails of saline dust on windy days; radioactive hotspots that the Army Corps and EPA are finally remediating after 60 years of contamination; and more. And all of this is adjacent to one of the poorest areas in the region.

So how can a bike ride change entrenched social injustice? “The goal is to raise awareness in hopes that we can catalyze action,” Valko suggests. “This third ride we are hosting may be the beginning of that. The first two rides grabbed the attention of the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, so we decided to hold a third so that they could do the ride and see the issues first hand. We hope that they’ll pick up the ball and run with it afterwards, but of course, keeping community members engaged in the process.”

Stay up-to-date and read more about Trailnet on their blog.

PHOTO: Riders from the first Environmental Justice Ride in April. (Sam Blue)

According to the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition, “Last week, The South Bay Bicycle Coalition (SBBC) and LACBC were notified that they were awarded a RENEW grant from the LA County Department of Public Health to create a regional South Bay Bicycle Master Plan. This plan would aim to create an inter-jurisdictional bikeway system and connect cities in the South Bay region of Los Angeles.

To read more about it go to: lacbc.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/success-in-the-south-bay-south-bay-bicycle-coalition/

For some important facts about some of LACBC’s recent grants go to: lacbc.wordpress.com.”

Toronto Cyclists Union recently announced that a new grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation will give their Newcomers Cycling Project a boost. Recently awarded a 2010 Alliance Advocacy Award for innovation, the project is part of a joint effort with CultureLink Settlement Services to promote cycling amongst newcomer communities. The partnership is entering into the second phase of the outreach campaign in 2010 and the new grant will fund a full time coordinator to serve the campaign and expand cycling outreach initiatives amongst newcomers to Toronto.

According to Toronto Cyclists Union, “During this year’s Bike Month, the partnership hopes to release the Toronto Cyclists Handbook in 15 languages, as per our ‘From back home to our new home’ poster series, and to distribute the handbook to newcomer communities thanks also to generous support from the Toronto Community Foundation. Through interactive workshops, the coordinator will start to mobilize cyclists from newcomer communities to actively engage in a grass-roots effort to make our city more bike-friendly.”

Kristin Schwartz takes up this new and exciting challenge as the new Cycling Outreach Coordinator. Kristin can be reached at cycling@culturelink.net.

For more information on Toronto Cyclists Union visit http://www.bikeunion.to.

The Calgary tour de nuit Society, Canada’s fastest growing active and sustainable transportation organization, has received stimulus funding from the Environmental Intern program being administered by the YM/YWCA. The grant has a value in excess of $20,000 and represents an increase in the operating budget of 66% over the current fiscal year.

The intern position is for nine months and will hopefully allow the Society to hire a mature individual who can help mentor and guide a team of summer students in the 2010 commuter cycling season. “We now have the ability to open project files prior to the hiring summer students and ensure that their impact and productivity will be maximized,” stated President Gary Beaton. Calgary is the worst major city in Canada for cycling and in North America is tied with Detroit.

The new hire will join one of North America’s most innovative cycling organizations, incorporated in January, as it prepares for its first membership drive. Following an action-packed summer schedule that saw CtdnS launch Calgary’s first bike festival and first on-street, closed-road commuter bike tour, CtdnS established itself as a credible voice for active transportation. Its program sparked a host of copycat events, some in direct competition, and even the formation of a geriatric advocacy group of old-timers.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has awarded Bike Walk Mississippi (BWM) a $50,000 grant!  This grant will allow BWM to partner with Mississippi Safe Routes To School to customize the current SRTS Guide with Mississippi examples, create a SRTS quarterly newsletter, send a BWM representative to the National SRTS Conference and much more.  BWM is also coordinating the training of 40+ LCI members across the state to increase bike safety awareness within Mississippi communities with the help of MDOT. 

For more information, click here…

Livable City was awarded a $10,000 Bikes Belong grant to help return Sunday Streets, a program that creates a fun, car-free place for people to be active, to San Francisco this summer. Last year’s two events drew over 15,000 people each; this year, there will be six events in four different neighborhoods. Sunday Streets is supported by a broad range of city agencies, advocacy organizations, local businesses, corporate sponsors, and local bike shops that provide funding and free rentals for participants.

For more information, click here…