To encourage residents of all ages to stay active this summer, the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) – in partnership with Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) – is once again sponsoring its Summer Riding Program. The program allows participants to track miles and earn prizes as they bike, walk, wheel, run, skate or skip along the MetroBikeLink System, which boasts 14 miles of continuous trails and bike paths adjacent to the MetroLink alignment in Southwestern Illinois. Registration is now open and can be completed at www.scctd.org. The summer-long effort officially gets underway on Saturday, May 20, with a “Day on the Trails” event from 9 a.m. to noon at the Belleville Transit Center. This event is free and open to the public.
“This program is much like those offered through libraries incentivizing kids to read, but instead of reading a certain number of minutes to earn prizes, participants track miles on the MetroBikeLink System,” said Ken Sharkey, managing director for the St. Clair County Transit District. “It’s a great way to stay active and take advantage of interconnected trails and bike paths that extend from the Fairview Heights MetroLink Station to Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station and connect to six transit centers throughout St. Clair County.”
Program participants can use Summer Riding Program tracking booklets or the online tracking system at www.scctd.org to track miles. Prizes are awarded to those who track 10, 25, 50 and 100 miles and include sunglasses, a water bottle, t-shirt, bike helmet and bike mileage tracker, respectively. All who track 100 miles or more by Aug. 15 will also be entered into a drawing to win the grand prize giveaway – a $100 gift certificate to a local bike shop to use towards the purchase a new bicycle. Prizes and booklets are available for pickup at the SCCTD office, located at 27 N. Illinois Street in Belleville, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Monday through Friday. Individuals can also request to have those items mailed to them by calling SCCTD at 618-628-8090. Individuals can also register online at www.scctd.org.
The “Day on the Trails” event taking place on the morning of May 20 is free to residents of all ages and will feature a wide range of activities, food and music, as well as the ability to register for the Summer Riding Program and pick up tracking booklets. JuiceMasters, Bike Surgeon and Y-98 will be onsite, along with St. Clair County Transit District, Metro Transit and Citizens for Modern Transit. Those interested can also take part in a 2-mile nature walk and scavenger hunt, 5K fun run or 7-mile bike ride. Each will get underway at 9 a.m. from different starting points along the MetroBikeLink System and end at the Belleville Transit Center. The nature walk will originate at the Swansea MetroLink Station, the 5K fun run start at the College MetroLink Station and the 7-mile bike ride take off at the Fairview Heights MetroLink Station.