Despite rising temperatures, fall is fast-approaching, and Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) – in partnership with AARP in St. Louis – is inviting older residents who want to get out and explore St. Louis to register for the fall 2023 session of the award-winning CMT Ten Toe Express® program. Featuring weekly guided tours across each 12-week session that mix walking and transit use, the program allows participants to explore multiple cultural destinations across the region in a group setting. Registration for the fall session – which runs August 31 through November 30 – is now underway and can be completed online or in-person at one of the four remaining registration events taking place in Shrewsbury and Belleville throughout August. There is a registration fee of $15 that is required to cover a portion of the program costs.
Over the years, the Ten Toe Express® program has helped thousands of older adults and other individuals lead healthier lives by linking activity, sociability and exercise with the use of MetroLink and MetroBus. Each weekly Ten Toe Express® walking tour is led by a trained, volunteer walk leader and ranges in length from 0.3 to 5 miles, depending on the group and destination. Each tour starts from an area transit center: Brentwood I-64, Forest Park-DeBaliviere, Belleville, or Shrewsbury-Lansdowne 44. Participants then take the MetroLink or MetroBus to Forest Park, downtown St. Louis, the Delmar Loop, downtown Belleville or other areas (depending on the week), where they explore local attractions and stop for lunch or a snack before heading back. Special walks are scheduled periodically throughout the season. Walking maps with instructions on how to utilize transit to get to many of the region’s cultural and entertainment hot spots are available online to assist those who want to explore areas independently.
All registrants receive a walking kit, which includes a NEW lime green belt bag, pedometer, maps, transit tickets and a safety tips flyer. Any individual who opts into receiving information on AARP also receives a special gift, while supplies last. Registration can be completed online or at the following registration events being held from 10 a.m. to noon:
- Wednesday, Aug. 2 – Shrewsbury Community Center, 5200 Shrewsbury Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63119
- Friday, Aug. 11 – St. Clair County Office on Aging, 201 N Church St, Belleville, IL, 62220
- Wednesday, Aug. 16 – Shrewsbury Community Center, 5200 Shrewsbury Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63119
- Tuesday, Aug. 22 – Belleville Transit Center, 718 Scheel St, Belleville, IL 62220
- Friday, Aug. 25 – St. Clair County Office on Aging, 201 N Church St, Belleville, IL, 62220
“The Ten Toe Express program has been a wonderful resource for older adults who want to socialize, get moving and become familiar with our region’s transit system,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “Since the program’s inception in 2007, more than 8,000 older adults have participated, with hundreds returning each year. Many of these individuals have built lasting friendships, while learning how to utilize transit to get to several attractions and destinations across the region – a benefit to those who want to remain independent and mobile as they age.”