Get on Board the Ten Toes Express
Baby, it’s cold outside! That said, time flies, and it won’t be long before hundreds of local older adults are putting away the winter boots, lacing up their walking shoes and heading out on Citizens for Modern Transit’s (CMT) Ten Toes Express Walking Group excursions.
This popular program, spearheaded by CMT and supported by AARP in St. Louis, is designed to help individuals experience just how easy it is to integrate walking with public transit use to get around town and explore the city. It also promotes the health and well-being benefits of an alternative commute.
Ten Toes participants gain access to a variety of helpful resources including walk maps detailing directives on how to utilize transit to get to many of the region’s cultural and entertainment hot spots. They also have the ability to take part in weekly guided Ten Toes Express Walking Tours, which allow walkers to be part of a group as they become familiar with the transit system and how to utilize it to get to destinations. These walks, led by trained, volunteer walk leaders, range in length from 0.3 to 5 miles depending on the group and destination and originate from the Brentwood, Forest Park, Belleville, Rock Road, North Hanley and Shrewsbury MetroLink stations. The cost to participate is $10. To learn more visit tentoes.cmt-stl.org or check out this brand new Ten Toes Express video by clicking here.
Walk Leaders Wanted
More than 8,000 area residents have collectively trekked thousands of miles exploring the St. Louis region through more than 1,200 guided tours. Currently, there are more than 350 older adults each session, who collectively make up a total of seven different Ten Toes Express Walking Groups. And, new participants sign up each session. To help meet demand, CMT is looking for additional volunteer walk leaders for the Spring 2018 Session, which will kick off on Thursday, April 5, and run for 12 consecutive weeks.
Each Ten Toes Express Walking Group is led by one or two walk leaders. Individuals, a couple or even a pair of friends can sign up to be leaders. They are then provided with the needed training and tools to be able to guide a group of approximately 10-15 fellow walkers as they explore various St. Louis attractions using public transit and their own ten toes. Walk leaders are able to pick the day of the week for excursions and have their group originate from a transit location convenient to them. The time commitment required to be a walk leader vs. a regular walk group participant is minimal.
There will be a Walk Leader Training Session on Wednesday, Jan. 31. To register, send your name, email address and phone number to Kimberly Cella at kcella@cmt-stl.org. If you cannot make the training, but are interested in becoming a walk leader, call Citizens for Modern Transit at 314-231-7272 or send an email to info@cmt-stl.org.