1999
July - December

November 16, 1999
For more information: Todd Antoine
314-421-4220
618-274-2750

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

34th Annual Meeting of East-West Gateway Coordination Council 
November 19 / 12:00 - 2:00 PM
Guest speaker Peter Raven is Director of the Missouri Botanical Garden and Engelmann Professor of Botany of Washington University

 Eight Prestigious Awards to be given by East-West Gateway Coordinating Council

St. Louis. November 16, 1999....Peter Raven will present the keynote address at the 34th Annual Meeting of East-West Gateway Coordinating Council on Friday, November 19th from noon until 2:00 PM at the Marriott Pavilion Hotel downtown.  He will speak on growth and development issues facing the region - a theme that is significant to East-West Gateway’s Initiative for a Metropolitan Community.

 East-West Gateway will also present eight awards for “Outstanding Achievement in Local Government” during the program.  Approximately 400 local officials and private sector representatives are expected to attend.  The recipients and awards are as follows:

• Ms. Ceola Davis will be presented with a “Gateway Lifetime Achievement Award.” She is an unsung hero in East St. Louis, being a tower of strength, inspiration, and courage in a city and region that has desperately needed it. She has made an enormous difference in the lives of East St. Louis’s families through 30 years of service to the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House and by helping community residents from the Emerson Park Development Corporation.
   
• The Emerson Park Redevelopment Corporation, represented by Richard M. Suttle, Sr. will be presented with a “Community Initiatives Award,” for its role in a relationship with the University of Illinois’ East St. Louis Action Research Project that now spans nearly a decade.
   
• The Jefferson County Comprehensive Master Planning Process, represented by Sam Rauls, Presiding Commissioner, will be presented with a “Lewis & Clark Trailblazer Award.”  This plan is a result of collaboration and cooperation between government and community, and provides a model process which could be followed by any community seeking to articulate and achieve it vision for the future.
   
• The Glendale, Kirkwood, and Oakland Recreation Station Aquatic Center (represented by Mayor Majorie Schramm, City of Kirkwood, Mayor Anthony Monaco, City of Glendale, and Mayor William Sauerwein, City of Oakland) will be presented with a “Regional Collaboration Award.” These cities came together to invest in a partnership that has resulted in a major $5.6 million aquatic complex which opened to the public this past summer. This enterprising approach offers a model worthy of emulation by many municipalities throughout the region
   
• The City of Edwardsville and the Village of Glen Carbon Water Treatment Agreement represented by Mayor Gary Niebur, City of Edwardsville and Mayor Ronald Foster, Village of Glen Carbon, will be presented with a “Regional Collaboration Award.” Both the citizens of Edwardsville and the residents of Glenn Carbon will benefit from this agreement which provides an elegantly simple example of how two or more communities can join forces to accomplish important projects with tremendous community benefits.
   
• Metropolis St. Louis represented by Brian Marston, President, will be presented with a “Community Initiative Award.” Founded in 1997, Metropolis St. Louis seeks to promote an environment in the City of St. Louis that attracts and retains young people. Metropolis is working to overcome negative perceptions about city-life by working through numerous social events and other activities, such as the home buying seminars, neighborhood tours and clean-ups.
   
• The Ferguson Neighborhood Improvement Program represented by Mildred Clines, President, Board of Directors, will be presented with a “Community Initiative Award.” Since 1989, Ferguson Neighborhood Improvement Program has been committed to its mission of stabilizing and enhancing the neighborhoods of Ferguson, Missouri. They have provided a variety of innovative home improvement programs and have helped over 350 Ferguson homeowners of all income levels reinvest in their homes.
   
• Charles V. Vreeland, City Administrator of Hillsboro, Missouri, will be presented with a “Gateway Lifetime Achievement Award.” Mr. Vreeland started his career in public service for the City of Hillsboro in 1949. He has seen Hillsboro grow from a small rural village to a growing city in Jefferson County and has witnessed many improvements.  He has worked tirelessly to promote Hillsboro on the local, state and federal level.

 East-West Gateway is the regional council of governments for the bi-state St. Louis region. Formed in 1965, the agency is charged with the development of cooperative plans and problem-solving strategies addressing issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries. East-West Gateway is governed by a 21-member Board of Directors, of which 14 are the region’s chief locally-elected officials.  

                               September 3, 1999
         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         CONTACT: Lee Brotherton
or Jim Wild
314-421-4220

MEDIA RELEASE

TWO OPEN HOUSES ON "ILLINOIS FIRST" PROJECTS IN METRO EAST SEPTEMBER 15 & 16, 5-8 P.M.

The East-West Gateway Coordinating Council (EWGCC) is requesting public input on projects amending the FY 2000-2002 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and Air Quality Conformity Determination.  Two open houses will be held for that purpose.  The first will be from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 15 at the offices of the EWGCC, 10 Stadium Plaza in downtown St. Louis.  The second will be held from 5:00-8:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 16 at the offices of the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), 1102 Eastport Plaza Drive in Collinsville, IL.  The public is encouraged to attend.

Several projects have been submitted by IDOT for inclusion in the region's TIP.  The projects are a result of Governor Ryan's "Illinois FIRST" program.  The TIP is the St.  Louis region's schedule of transportation projects planned for implementation in the next three years.  It is a working document requiring periodic modifications to reflect changes in regional priorities and to aid  in implementing projects efficiently and in a timely manner.  Amendments to the TIP are required both to add and remove projects from the schedule.  Among the items on the list of new projects are relocation of IL Route 3, the Alton By-pass (IL 255), construction projects on I-64, and a numbering of road widening projects.

The policy of EWGCC is that agencies requesting such changes provide sufficient support  documentation for review.  Proposed amendments are presented to the public and to advisory committees at the EWGCC for consideration.  At the end of that process, recommendations are made to the EWGCC Board of Directors for final approval.  TIP amendments also require federal and state approval.    The EWGCC Board is expected to receive and approve the Illinois amendment to the TIP at their regularly  scheduled meeting September 29 at the Council's's offices

Anyone having questions or comments may direct them to Jim Wild by telephone at (618) 274-2750 or (314) 421-4220, or by e-mail at  or by fax at (314) 231-6120.

                               August 19, 1999
         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         CONTACT: Lee Brotherton
314-421-4220

MEDIA RELEASE

REGION TO REMAIN IN NON-ATTAINMENT STATUS ON CLEAN AIR
West Alton monitor detected ozone violation Monday afternoon
 

Despite a  number of initiatives made in the past year to clean up the air, the St. Louis region will likely remain in the federally designated,  moderate non-attainment category as a result of a violation of the U. S.  Environmental Protection Agency's "one-hour ozone standard" on Monday afternoon in West Alton, MO.  "With the introduction of reformulated gasoline (RFG) in Missouri and implementation of the enhanced vehicle Inspection/Maintenance program in Illinois our region has made significant strides toward complying with the federal Clean Air Act.  Nonetheless, as a result of the violation recorded by the West Alton air quality monitor our region will remain in non-attainment," says Mike Coulson, Environmental Services Manager at the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council (EWGCC). 

"It's clear that the region has made real  progress in improving air quality as illustrated by the fact that there have only been three violations recorded so far this year despite the unusually warm summer we've had, but it is also clear that additional  measures are necessary.  Next year, Missouri will join Illinois in implementing an enhanced vehicle Inspection/Maintenance program and new acid rain controls will be in place at major power plants which will do  even more to improve air quality in the metropolitan area," according to David Boyd, Director of Planning and Information Systems at EWGCC.   Boyd added, "It is essential that the public understands the importance of supporting those programs and cooperating in their implementation both to improve public health and to enable our local economy to grow."       

While the  ozone season officially lasts until the end of October, the danger of additional violations will diminish significantly in about a month when temperatures begin to cool down.    Boyd said that the  connection between air quality and regional economic development is an important one.  If the region does not attain the air quality standards called for in the federal law, there could be adverse economic consequences.  "By improving our air quality," Boyd says, "we not only make the region a healthier place to live, we also protect our economic health by avoiding sanctions that would restrict new businesses and industries in addition to reducing our ability to compete with other regions.  The progress we have made indicates that attainment is within our grasp, now we need businesses and individuals to pull together to  make sure we reach our goal."

Coulson said that so far this year regional air quality monitors have recorded exceedences of the one-hour ozone standard three times.  Exceedences were recorded in  Orchard Farm on July 25, West Alton on August 16 (both located in St. Charles County) and in Arnold (located in Jefferson County) on August 17.  The exceedences in St. Charles County were marginal exceedences at 126 parts per billion (ppb).  The exceedence in Arnold was more severe at 136 ppb.  The standard is exceeded whenever a reading is 125 parts per billion or greater.  Additional information on air quality can be found on EWGCC's web site at www.ewgateway.org and click on Plans & Programs, then air quality.  For a map of the monitor locations go to www.ewgateway.org/aq/AQControl/MONMAP/monmap.htm.

                               August 12, 1999
         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         CONTACT: Lee Brotherton
or MaryGrace Lewandowski
                  314-421-4220

MEDIA RELEASE

COMMUNITY BICYCLING SEMINAR TOMORROW
Safe Cycling Skills demonstration and Group Ride Saturday beginning in Forest Park

John S. Allen, a national bicycling expert will be the featured speaker Friday, August 13th at an all day seminar on bicycle transportation at the Missouri  Historical Society Library & Collections Center, 225 South Skinker from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.  Mr. Allen is a prominent author, bicycling activist, and certified Effective Cycling Instructor with over twenty years of experience with bicycling facilities and programs which he will share with participants.  Mr. Allen is the author of The Complete Book of Bicycle Commuting and Street Smarts in addition to over 200  magazine articles about bicycling. 

Mr. Allen will also lead a demonstration of safe cycling skills on Saturday morning , followed by a bike ride through neighboring communities.  The bike  ride will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, August 14th in the Muny Opera parking lot in Forest Park.  Approximately 20-30 cyclists are expected to join Mr. Allen.  The media is invited to attend.

Bicycling has become more of a priority for communities throughout the region n recent years as a result of federal legislation and the growing popularity of cycling in general.  As a result, biking facilities and providing enhancements for bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation are now becoming a more integral part of planning in many communities.

Both events are sponsored by East-West Gateway's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Big Shark Bicycle Company, Citizens for Modern Transit, MetroBIKE, MO Dept. of Transportation, The Touring Cyclist, the Federal Highway Administration, the Lung  Association of Eastern Missouri, and Conservion.

                               August 8, 1999
         FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
         CONTACT: Lee Brotherton
or MaryGrace Lewandowski
                  314-421-4220

MEDIA RELEASE

FRIDAY SEMINAR WILL FOCUS ON BICYCLING:
Innovative  planning for cycling as a transportation,  commuting, and recreational option

John S. Allen, a national bicycling expert will be the featured speaker Friday, August 13th  at an all day seminar on bicycle transportation at the Missouri Historical Society Library & Collections Center, 225 South Skinker.  Mr. Allen is a prominent author, bicycling activist, and certified Effective Cycling Instructor with over twenty years of experience with bicycling facilities and programs which he will share with participants.  Mr. Allen is the author of The Complete Book of Bicycle Commuting and Street Smarts in addition to over 200 magazine articles about bicycling.  As a member of the Consumer Affairs Committee of the League of American bicyclists, he drafted that organization's policy on helmet legislation.  The seminar will be held from 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Topics to be discussed at the seminar include designing community bicycle plans neighborhood by neighborhood, causes and prevention of bicycle crashes, and an update on the next round of funding under the  Transportation Enhancements provisions of the federal transportation law known as T-21.  The update will be provided by the staff of the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council (EWGCC).    Approximately $7.6 million in funding will be available in the Missouri portion of the region this fall for bicycle programs.  The amount of funding for the Illinois portion of the region has not yet been determined.  Bicycle related improvements as a part of routine road maintenance and upgrades will also be discussed.

Numerous local officials and community planners are expected to attend the seminar.  In recent years, and as a result of federal legislation, bicycling has become more of a priority for communities throughout the region.  Many communities are building biking facilities and providing  enhancements for bicycling as an alternative mode of transportation.

The event is sponsored by East-West Gateway's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, Big Shark Bicycle Company, Citizens for Modern Transit, MetroBIKE, MO Dept. of Transportation, The Touring Cyclist, the Federal Highway Administration, and Conservion.