KA-Motion

[Melalvai]

MU Extension has a grant to do Livable Streets workshops in communities around Missouri. They'd already been planning to do one in Kirksville, and I've gotten involved in that. We're going to use the workshop to launch KA-Motion. By March 29, we need to have a rudimentary website that has a form so people can join and subscribe to the list.

There is some bike-ped activity going on already, so we can easily jump on board with that. The Parks & Rec director was at the meeting, which was awesome because it gives us a stamp of legitimacy. She was already planning on doing bike/ped traffic counts and I was able to tell her about the National Bike/Ped Documentation resources.

We talked about an easy project to mark a trail out at the State Park. The markers already exist and would happily be donated for this.

I'd love to observe Bike, Walk & Wheel Week in May. I don't want to try to do a big production of it our first year, but breakfast stations for a Bike to Work day might be simple enough.

[OakLeaf]

Very cool!

[Tri Girl]

Excellent! I love that you're taking action and making things happen in your community! LOVE IT!!
Is your bike/ped community fairly large in your area?

[Melalvai]

The answer to your question about the bike/ped scene is yes and no. It's large for the type of community but it's a small, rural community. Kirksville has a population of 17,000 plus about 8000 students. It's the biggest town for 90 miles in any direction, so it's a center for the surrounding rural communities as well.

There is no longer any cycling club that I'm aware of, the university one doesn't exist. There is a thriving multisport club, and a couple races every month without having to travel too far, including the big triathlon in September.

There's also what I call the "hippie culture". I'm not sure if there is a more PC term for that. Sustainability or eco culture? Actual communes, as well as more mainstream things like the Farmer's Market. The university has a lot of sustainability initiatives, and the students formed a Bike Coop which alternates between thriving and struggling (a bit of both at the moment).

There is no bike shop anymore. Several people fix bikes, and one huge service KA-Motion will provide is listing these services on our website.

[Mr. Bloom]

Congrats! Maybe you'll get some inspiration from our group:

http://bloomington.in.gov/Bloomingto...ing_Task_Force

[Melalvai]

Seems to me I'd posted an update on this group recently but I can't find it. Sorry if this is duplicate info.

Several weeks ago our grant person walked into my office. "We want to apply for this Missouri Foundation for Health grant," she told me, "but none of us have time. Then we thought of you and the new bike group. Would you be interested?"

Despite the 3 other grant deadlines, I did not hesitate in saying "YES!" What followed was a chaotic few weeks. I figured I'd have many more ideas than what we could fit into the budget, but I got the important ones to fit. Partnering with the local Bike Co-op and getting a part-time manager for them is probably the best idea I had. The closest bike shop is 90 miles away, and the Bike Co-op is a diamond in the rough run entirely by undergrads. It needs consistency & reliability. I worked closely with them developing the grant, and met a LOT of people who are really important for KA-Motion.

The other main element of the grant is Walking School Bus. I had no idea how popular that would turn out to be! By the end of it (yesterday), the person who originally asked me said she has enough experience with grants to know that you can't get your heart set on them--but she has her heart set on this one. I assured her that I'm already thinking about alternative funding opportunities and creative ways to make this happen.

I've met so many people, and they are all so excited and enthusiastic about the grant, about KA-Motion, about Walking School Bus, about Bike Co-op, about everything I want to do. It's exciting..and exhausting. But mostly exciting!

I was invited to speak to the Optimists Club the day before the grant deadline. The brand-new mayor was there and we chatted about Walking School Bus and bike/ped issues. Yesterday--the grant deadline--this article came out. Here's the relevant quote:
"[Mayor] Detweiler said his four main objectives as mayor will be to ..., work with Kirksville Area Motion to create more resources for walkers and bicyclists and..."

I am astounded. In a good way!!

It has been a wild ride!

[OakLeaf]

That is so exciting, Mel. You're my hero!