PedNet Coalition Parades Through Downtown Columbia, MO Advocating Non-Motorized Transportation
February 2008
Imagine you are on your lunch break on a Friday afternoon. You approach a crosswalk and passing before you is a caravan of 25 bikers pulling trailers full of books, files, and papers behind them. A boombox is blaring music, and drivers and pedestrians honk and wave as the group rides by. The eccentric caravan is led by the mayor and a man in a gorilla suit riding together on a tandem bike.
This eccentric scene recently came to life in downtown Columbia, Missouri, when staff and volunteers moved the PedNet Coalition to their new office space. PedNet, the lead agency for the Active Living by Design partnership in Columbia, MO, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating non-motorized transportation. On the day of their move, PedNet staff members and 20 volunteers loaded up their bikes, cargo racks, and trailers full of items from the staff's home offices and braved cold, rainy temperatures. The trip originated from multiple points, with the group converging at a trail head near town.
The longest trip to the new office was five miles, ridden by PedNet's executive director Ian Thomas. "I loaded up my 4-drawer, 4-foot filing cabinet and was on my way," Thomas said. The total trip took between two and three hours, with the group taking downtown routes to ensure visibility. Thomas said that moving by bike was a good way to draw attention to non-motorized transportation options and to truly illustrate his organization's mission in action.
At the head of the bike caravan was Mayor Darwin Hindman, a regular cyclist around Columbia. Hindman told a local paper that he is a major advocate of people incorporating activity into their daily lives. The idea that you can move an entire office by bike, he said, demonstrates both the utility and fun of bicycles.
When the riders arrived at their new office space, PedNet ordered a healthy lunch for all their staff, volunteers, and the attending media. The lunch came from Shakespeare's, a local restaurant that did more than feed the hungry caravan on move day. The restaurant also contributed their pedi-cab to the moving effort, providing extra hauling room for office items.
The move garnered much media attention. In preparation, PedNet sent out two press releases ahead of the event to provide details. They also appeared on two local radio stations to promote it. On the day of the move, one local TV station, KOMU, aired the story on their five o'clock and ten o'clock news. Two local newspapers also wrote stories, and one of the papers posted a video of the move on their website.
"All of us involved wanted everyone to know that it's not totally impossible to move an office by bike," Thomas said with a chuckle. According to the group's leader, the day was a great opportunity to promote PedNet's message that bicycles can be every bit as functional as motorized vehicles - and a lot more fun.
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