Local Motion

The mission of Local Motion is to provide walking, biking, and transit solutions to meet people’s everyday transportation needs.

Our advocacy priorities are:
1. Complete Streets: Transforming the transportation system in Columbia by building equity-focused streets
2. Neighborhood Grassroots Organizing: Lifting up the transportation needs of people in Columbia's Vision Zero priority neighborhoods
3. Missourians for Responsible Transportation (MRT): Raising the voices of all Missourians to state legislators and policymakers

1. We are advocates.
2. We practice what we preach.
3. We prioritize equity.
4. We take care of our people.
5. We make very intentional, data-driven decisions.
6. We support each other.
7. We stay in our lane.
8. We are trying to put ourselves out of business.
9. We do good work
10. We don't do it the way it's always been done.
11. We operate like a business because we are a business.

Daily staff activities include reviewing proposed federal, state and local policies that affect active transportation; researching best practices; scheduling and preparing for outreach with communities and leaders; meeting with decision-makers; developing grassroots advocacy information for our Advocacy Alerts, social media and newsletter; and rallying supporters. Our team focuses on community mobilization, policymaker education, champion development and lobbying. Ms. Triplett directs all communications and messaging for public and political will campaigns, Mr. Simonson directs all of our grass-tops advocacy efforts, and our community engagement team builds coalitions with community groups. Local Motion collaborates at the state level with BikeWalkKC, Trailnet and Ozark Greenways. Locally, we work closely with City Council members, City staff, City Commissions, Community Improvement Districts, coalitions, service agencies and private businesses. Each of these groups adds strength to our message, new perspectives of support, and networks of community leaders and advocates we would not have engaged on our own. We develop positive working relationships with policymakers so that we have a strong rapport when we need to ask for their help. City Council members know us well; we speak regularly at Council meetings and serve on City commissions and task forces.

Some of Local Motion's key advocacy successes are:

- From 2001-2004, Local Motion led an advocacy campaign that resulted in the City of Columbia adopting a Complete Streets policy. The policy requires that road designs accommodate all transportation users, including people walking and biking.
- In 2005, Local Motion led a collaboration with the local health department that resulted in a $3.5 million local sales tax to pay for new sidewalk construction around schools.
- Also in 2005, Local Motion applied for and won a $28 million federal non-motorized transportation grant for the City of Columbia. This funding allowed the City to build an extensive network of trails and bike lanes, provide free bike racks, and promote walking and biking. Columbia now has over 50 miles of off-street trails.
- In 2009, Local Motion partnered with a City Council member on an advocacy campaign to pass a city ordinance that reduced neighborhood speed limits from 30 to 25 miles per hour.
- In 2015, Local Motion began a successful campaign for a Vision Zero policy, which a year later made Columbia the first city in Missouri and one of the first small cities in the U.S. to adopt such a policy. Vision Zero establishes a goal and data-driven strategy to eliminate all traffic deaths and serious injuries. Local Motion now frames its walking and biking advocacy around Vision Zero's safety goals because we know that safety is key to increasing walking and biking rates.
-In 2018, Local Motion was one of four regional organizations that founded Missourians for Responsible Transportation (MRT). MRT brings together communities and grassroots organizations from urban and rural areas to advocate with one voice at the state level for a fiscally responsible, safe, and equitable transportation system. MRT works with more than 30 rural Missouri towns and represents over 35,000 members across the state. Local Motion houses and is the fiscal agent for MRT.
- In 2021, Local Motion rebranded from our original name: PedNet Coalition.