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LOCAL MEDIA PERSONALITIES JOIN CMT TO RAISE AWARENESS on LOCAL TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS INCLUDING TRANSIT

posterCMT’s GREAT RACE 2015: A RELAY TO THE RAILS” COMPETITION

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) has recruited local media personalities and other local influentials to compete in the organization’s 4th annual Great Race competition, which plays off the CBS television hit “The Amazing Race” to raise awareness about the alternative transportation options available in our region. This year, the competition will demonstrate how seamlessly biking, caresharing, ridesharing and taking transit can be integrated together using a relay race format. “CMT’s Great Race 2015: A Relay to the Rails” is set for Thursday, May 21, during the evening work commute. The race will culminate with a free finish line celebration from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at the the Convention Center MetroLink Station at 6th and Washington, which is adjacent to Pi Pizzeria in downtown St. Louis, Mo.

“This event is a really fun, and entertaining, way for us to spotlight the fact that workday commuters have options on both sides of the river that extend beyond sitting in long lines of traffic, alongside others who are also driving solo in their own personal vehicles,” commented Kim Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit.

The race will place Team WEST (blue) against Team EAST (orange) as they work to complete a biking leg, carshare/rideshare leg and transit leg to get from their respective starting points to the finish line. Each team will be comprised of local media personalities, representatives of organizations with a vested interest in alternative commuting options and other influentials. More specifically, Team WEST will feature Don Corrigan, editor of the Times Newspapers; Guy Phillips, host of the Phillips & Company morning radio show on Y98; Pat McGonigle, anchor of Today in St. Louis on KSDK Newschannel 5; Jade Harrell, host and producer of iHeart Media community affairs show, “Community Connections” and PM Drive Show Host on Hallelujah 1600/iHeart Radio; Scott Rizzuto, host of The Rizzuto Show on 105.7 The Point; Cat Criswell of The RiverFront Times, and representatives from Great Rivers Greenway, Enterprise CareShare, CMT and Metro.

Team EAST will feature Kyle Buettner, producer of The Martin Kilcoyne Show on The Big 550 KTRS; Matt Chambers, meteorologist and show host of Great Day St. Louis on KMOV Channel 4.; Jill Moon – lifestyles editor and assistant content manager of The Alton Telegraph; Angela Hutti, meteorologist for Fox 2 News; Tony Patrico, co-host  of The Rizzuto Show  on 105.7 The Point, and representatives from Great Rivers Greenway, Enterprise RideShare, CMT and Metro.

Team WEST’s biking leg will utilize the River Des Peres Greenway, while a group simultaneously takes part in the caresharing leg in an Enterprise CareShare vehicle. Participants of these two legs will meet additional team members at the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station (7201 Lansdowne Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119) and together complete the transit leg of the competition. Likewise, Team EAST’s biking leg will use the MetroBikeLink, while a group simultaneously takes part in the ridesharing leg by making stops to pick up passengers in an Enterprise RideShare vehicle. Participants from these two legs will meet additional team members at the Belleville MetroLink Station (718 Scheel St., Belleville, IL 62220) and together complete the transit leg of the competition.

Whichever team makes it to the finish line in downtown St. Louis, Mo. first wins.

Residents from across the region are invited to the finish line celebration from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. Those in attendance can cheer on the multi-modal teams as they cross the finish line. Kim Cella of Citizens for Modern Transit, Susannah Fuchs of the Clean Air Partnership, City of St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and St. Louis County Councilman Pat Dolan will then make formal remarks and award the winning team with trophies and 2015 bragging rights. There will be free pizza samples and Lipton Sparking Ice Tea courtesy of Pi Pizzeria and the Y98 Lipton Sparkling Ice Tea Entourage, as well as drink specials, music and the opportunity to visit informational booths for freebies and to learn about the benefits of alternative commuting options.

“CMT’s Great Race 2015: A Relay to the Rails,” is made possible thanks to the support of the Clean Air Partnership, Enterprise CarShare and RideShare, Great Rivers Greenway, Metro, the Embassy Suites Hotel – St. Louis – Downtown, Pi Pizzeria and AECOM.

“The choices we make every day, including how we choose to get to and from work, impact our air quality and the health of our region,” commented Susannah Fuchs, director of Clean Air for the American Lung Association in Missouri and the spokesperson for the Clean Air Partnership. “I encourage area residents to attend this event so they can learn more about the options available in our communities and how they can better utilize them as part of their personal commute. In addition to helping clear the air, individuals are able to save money, avoid traffic hassles and take advantages of a selection of other benefits.”

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


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