04/18/14 – Alternative Modes of Transportation to go Head-to-Head on May 8th as Part of Citizens for Modern Transit’s Great Race Competition

Team TRANSIT, Team BIKE, Team CARSHARE and Team CARPOOL will compete in a head-to-head competition to raise awareness about the viable transportation options available in our region as part of Citizens for Modern Transit’s Great Race. The event, set for Thursday, May 8th at 4:30 p.m., is designed to play off the CBS television hit “The Amazing Race” and takes local media personalities and other influentials from Fortel’s Pizza Den in Clayton to the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station via their respective transportation modes during the evening rush. The finish line celebration, known as the Metro Market, will serve as a live visioning session showcasing what could be in terms of shopping, eateries and entertainment at this, and other MetroLink stations, if the community invested in transit-oriented development.

Each Great Race team will consist of local media personalities and representatives of companies and organizations with a vested interest in the alternative commute, including Heidi Glaus of NewsChannel 5, Diana Zoga of KMOV Ch. 4, Angela Hutti of Fox 2 News, Todd Morgan of KHITS 96, Jean Ponzi of KDHX 88.1 FM and KTRS 550 AM, Riz and Tony Patrico from 105.7 The Point, Kevin the Intern of the Phillips & Company Morning Show on Y98, Jade Harrell from Majic 100.3, Don Corrigan of the Times Newspapers, Felizia Medina of St. Louis Magazine and Julie Cohen of Sauce Magazine, as well as representatives from Citizens for Modern Transit, Metro, Enterprise CarShare, RideFinders, Great Rivers Greenway, STL Style, Fortel’s Pizza Den, the City of St. Louis, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and others.

The race will get underway at Fortels Pizza Den, located at 7359 Forsyth Blvd. From there, each team will follow route specifics indicative of the chosen transportation mode as they try to travel the fastest to the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station on Lansdowne Avenue at River des Peres Blvd. Recognition and bragging rights will be awarded to one of the teams by the City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, County Executive Charlie Dooley and County Councilman Pat Dolan, before the Metro Market officially gets underway.

The Metro Market will feature three food trucks, including Taco Truck STL, 2 girls 4 wheels and Destination Desserts; the retail truck Rack + Clutch; MySci Investigation Station, a Washington University program; Fresh Gatherings Harvest Market from St. Louis University and Coffee Grounds for Growth by Sodexo; a bike tune-up station by Big Shark; free bike helmet fittings for kids through Safe Kids STL; an upcycling station hosted by Perennials; information about alternative commuting options; recycling information and services from Always Green Recycling; giveaways from 105.7 The Point; live music from The Anita Rosamond Band and more. This event will also coincide with the official ribbon cutting of Great Rivers Greenway’s River des Peres Greenway Trail. The existing three-mile trail was recently renovated and provides residents in South St. Louis City with a direct and safe connection to the Shrewsbury/Lansdowne MetroLink Station.

“This is the third year hosting this race, and each year, the anticipation surrounding this event heightens,” commented Kim Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Participants really get into it, and at the end of the day, it does an excellent job of showcasing the many viable transportation options offered in our region. This year we are excited to add a unique twist with the Metro Market. This live visioning session will serve as a means to demonstrate what could be, at this, and other MetroLink stations, over and above a park-ride lot. The event is free and open to the public and we encourage area residents to come check it out.”

The Great Race and Metro Market are made possible thanks to the support of Enterprise CarShare, Great Rivers Greenway, RideFinders, Metro, St. Clair County Transit District, the Missouri Foundation for Health, Fortel’s Pizza Den, STL Style and Central States Bus Sales. These are part of a series of events hosted by Citizens for Modern Transit throughout the month of May to help promote St. Louis’ transit system and its benefits to the region.

To learn more, call Citizens for Modern Transit at (314) 231-7272, visit www.cmt-stl.org, find them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CMTGreatRace or on Twitter @cmt_stl.

Citizens for Modern Transit is a not-for-profit organization in St. Louis whose mission is to expand the light rail system in order to build more sustainable, accessible communities in the region. 

For more information, contact:

Kelly Harris, The Hauser Group, (314) 436-9090

Kim Cella, Citizens for Modern Transit, (314) 231-7272