(WASHINGTON, DC) – Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO-3) released the following statement in response to St. Louis being named a “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists.

“As a proud St. Louisan and bicyclist it’s a great day when the City of St. Louis is recognized as a bicycle friendly community. This is no small achievement as community leaders have been working together for years to educate the public and invest in additional bike lanes and paths in our region.

“It’s important to create an environment where both avid and casual bicyclists feel welcome and safe. Through more complete streets the St. Louis area can serve as a model of a livable community that connects neighborhoods and people to one another. The area has many attractions we should be proud of and the more we can do to enjoy these gems ourselves and encourage visitors to do the same the better.”

–– Congressman Russ Carnahan (MO-3)

St. Louis was awarded a bronze designation after making advancements in becoming more bicycle friendly. Only 124 of 318 applicant communities have been awarded “Bicycle Friendly Community” designation. Communities are awarded one of four designations including: platinum, gold, silver or bronze.

Congressman Carnahan has made investments in 21^st Century multi-modal transportation systems a priority by introducing the National Transportation Objectives Act of 2009. An objective of the act calls for tripling walking, biking, and public transit use in 20 years. Carnahan serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the bipartisan U.S. House Bike Caucus.

For more information visit: http://www.stlbikefed.org/.

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