One thing that helps me cope with my daughter's recent wreck is advocacy. There are two major efforts I've started. One is getting the speed limit reduced on our street, from 55 mph to 35 mph (or rather extending the 35 mph zone another mile). That is going well. MoDOT plans to do a traffic study during the next 2-3 weeks, and has generally responded positively to the concept of reducing the speed limit.

The second is starting up a local bike/ped advocacy group. This is what I'd like some input on. I've been talking with PedNet (the advocacy group in Columbia where we just moved from) and with MoBikeFed (the state adv group).

Here's some of our (mostly mine, we haven't had a meeting yet) thoughts about this new group.

Name: NEMO Walk & Bike. Everything around here is "NEMO" (northeast Missouri). Calling it NEMO instead of Kirksville is more inclusive and makes it more rural. As if Kirksville, pop 17000, is not rural. But Senator McCaskill thinks that bike/ped is an urban issue, that rural Missouri isn't interesting in cycling & walking, and therefore she won't support it! Putting "Walk" is, imo, less adversarial because walking is less controversial than cycling. More people walk than bike, too. (Kirkswheel is a cuter name, but not as inclusive. Maybe save it for Kirksville-specific programs.)

Mission: I will push to focus on education & programs, advocacy, and infrastructure in that order. I feel too much emphasis is placed on infrastructure when a great deal can be accomplished more easily through education, programs & advocacy (such as but not limited to lobbying). Not that infrastructure isn't important; it is very important. Bike racks should be an easy part of infrastructure but always seem to be the last thing to happen.

It's fun to think about programming but more important right now is to start inviting people. I have a lot of names of individuals off the top of my head. But I want to get organizations involved, like the schools (public, private, universities & colleges) & health depts. And of course the Kirksville Multisport Club. What other organizations should we invite?

I want to have our first meeting no later than January, and get bylaws and a charter and a Board of Directors in place to set us up for filing for 501c(3) status so we can apply for grants.

Of course I have been thinking about programming anyway:

We have two LCI's in town. We already plan to organize a Traffic Skills 101 class in the spring. I want to get more LCIs trained, and teach classes here, in other towns and in schools.

A big deal for PedNet was the Walking School Bus and Safe Routes to School. We need that here, and I know PedNet has done some outreach to other Missouri communities so I'm sure they'll help.

Because the truck driver who hit my daughter was a high school kid, I'm going to ask PedNet to come up to the high school and give their Let's Roll Together presentation to the juniors & seniors who are driving. (I need to get someone at the high school in on this to help me navigate admin.)

This is ambitious but eventually I want to do a Bike, Walk & Wheel Week, get the schools involved in observing Walk to School Day, have a Cycle Recycle, and expand the local university's Bicycle Co-op to a community wide thing (since the nearest bike shop is 90 miles away).